Dog ate chocolate?

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Puppy vomiting at night.

Species: Dog
Breed: Lab
Age: 3-6 months
My 5 month old lab is crate trained and in his crate almost nightly he has begun to vomit or try to vomit. This is around 3 am at night so meal time is no where near then. This has been going on 6-8 weeks.

What should we do or how should we stop it?

Shelley



Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Chronic vomiting can sometimes be a difficult problem to figure out! There are a number of things that could cause a dog to vomit every night.

The first thing I would do in a young dog that is otherwise healthy and eating well is a fecal exam for parasites. I would do this even if the dog has been dewormed because there are some parasites that need special medications to eradicate.

My next concern in a young dog, especially a lab is the possibility of a foreign object in the stomach. I have seen animals that vomit off and on that have something that is sitting in the stomach and occasionally blocking off the outflow of the stomach. One case I had was a cat that ate hair elastics. The owner had not used hair elastics for almost a year, and the cat had been vomiting for a long time. These elastics were sitting in the stomach and causing the cat to vomit every now and then.

There are some dogs who vomit at night time because of a buildup of stomach acid. It may be helpful to give him a small meal just before bedtime to see if this makes a difference.

Another possibility is to give some pepcid (famotidine) at a dose of 1mg per pound in the evenings to help cut down stomach acid.

If it continues though, then a vet visit is the best idea.


---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.