# What Do You Make Of This ?



## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

This is a new situation since I moved to Costa Rica. It is happening with both dogs. They are not eating anything but lousy nutrition kibble until I can get them on a raw diet. I know they are not getting into anything strange because they have been leashed since arriving here.

It usually occurs in the early morning hours right before "wake up". The dogs will start retching and throw up clear mucous looking stuff or with a slightly yellow color to it. They only throw up once and it's not very much.. It doesn't happen every day but it's occurring frequently.

It never happens during the day or early evening.

Thoughts about what might be going on?


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

My dog does this...started a thread about it a while back.

Anne posted this and it I am quite sure my dog has it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilious_vomiting_syndrome

Not saying that this is what your dogs have, but perhaps the crappy food is being digested at a different/faster leaving them with an empty stomach for longer causing more bile production...this causes them to barf bile when stomach is empty. I don't know why it is more common in the morning (I feed twice a day), but it happens in the morning almost exclusively with my dog between 4-6 am. (breakfast is 6 am)

With my dog it is somethimes associated with a noisy stomach before the barfing. If I feed the dog when I hear the noise, he won't barf...this is annoying at 4 am.

Since that thread I have been splitting his dinner half so I am actually feeding three times a day now. His stomach has been quiet, he paces less at night and has not barfed in the am since.

Is there a time change involved? Could they be anticipating the morning meal earlier and therefore be producing bile in anticipation and then barfing? Just another thought.

PS - normal warings that i am not a vet and this is only a some ideas...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I agree with Jennifer about empty-stomach bile-vomiting.

If you save out some of their food (or, if their weight allows it, an extra snack) for just before bedtime, they won't have that.

The look of it and the time that it's happening are classic for that kind of vomiting.

I've had several dogs who did that, and I've nipped it in the bud either the way Jennifer does (three meals) or just saving out a snack for bedtime (same thing, pretty much).


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Jennifer - I think you hit it dead on! I never thought about this until you mentioned it. I have been feeding once a day in the morning since I got here. 

It's a 12 hour day here and our store isn't fenced. I'm staying in a apartment we have behind the store until the dogs get completely adjusted. I walk them the last time shortly before nightfall which is 6 PM.

I switched to once a day feeding so they get all their "business" over early. That way I don't have to walk them in the dark.

I will make some feeding schedule adjustments and delay my schedule till noon. Once they are totally squared away in their new environment, I have fencing over at the "real" house so I can go back to twice a day feeding.

Plus I can join my family again!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Lee said;
"Plus I can join my family again! "

Yep! That machismo stuff got ya thrown out of the house already! :roll: :lol: :wink:


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Instant success! I went back to feeding twice a day. I do the second feeding at 3PM. The first one is at 6AM. Thanks to everyone who helped with advice and you too, Bob.


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