A Bernese Mountain dog throwing up is a frightening and alarming sight. Yes, it is common for dogs to vomit once in a while but it is quite distressing to see it happen.
Bernese Mountain dogs also throw up different vomit types from white foam, yellow foam, clear liquid, bile, and mucus. It’s certainly uneasy having a sick Bernese Mountain dog.
Why does Bernese Mountain dog vomiting occur? When should you worry?
Read on to learn why your Bernese Mountain dog is throwing up, the complications, what to do and when to seek help.
Table of Contents
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up: Why It Happens
A Bernese Mountain Dog throwing up can happen for several reasons, ranging from mild digestive upset to more serious health conditions. Common causes include gastrointestinal infection, food intolerance, diet change, intestinal parasites, ingestion of foreign toxins or objects, disease, motion sickness, a reaction to a medication, and heatstroke.
In most cases throwing up can improve on its own within a day and without any medical attention however, when it continues it can be a sign of an underlying health problem.
A Bernese Mountain dog may either vomit or regurgitate contents swallowed, which are two separate processes that sometimes can be confused to be the same.
Vomiting or Regurgitating?
Vomiting is an active process that involves the forceful expulsion of the stomach and the upper intestine’s contents through the mouth while regurgitation involves the expulsion of swallowed contents from the throat, esophagus, and mouth.
Just before vomiting, a dog experiences symptoms including nausea, repeated swallowing, restlessness, salivation, and licking of lips.
This is followed by abdominal contractions and forceful removal of food or liquid from the mouth.
Dog vomiting can occur immediately after eating or hours after that and lasts for several minutes.
The expelled contents can come out as undigested, partly digested, or digested.
Regurgitation is a passive process that happens quickly and without warning. Compared to vomiting, there are no symptoms just before regurgitation.
A Bernese Mountain dog will usually be fine one moment and then suddenly spit out contents from its mouth.
The regurgitated contents come out undigested which means the contents never make it to the stomach and are immediately expelled.
This means regurgitation does not involve the contraction of the stomach muscles to expel contents.
A Bernese Mountain dog simply leans its head forward and the contents from its throat or esophagus just roll out from its mouth with the help of gravity and the esophagus muscles.
A dog does not have control over this and it is sudden.
Regurgitation also usually occurs immediately after eating, and drinking, but can also occur hours after eating.
Regurgitation is caused by either a congenital esophageal disorder or an acquired disorder.
Congenital esophageal disorders are simply birth defects that cause a dog to be more susceptible to regurgitation while acquired disorders are due to the throat, esophageal or systemic diseases.
Congenital esophageal disorders include cancer, Addison disease, gastric reflux, and an enlarged esophagus which makes swallowing food to be difficult.
Some dog breeds are more prone to regurgitation due to congenital esophageal disorders than other dog breeds.
These dogs include Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, Newfoundland, German Shepherds, Irish Setters, Fox terriers, Chinese Shar-Pei, and the Miniature Schnauzer.
On the other hand, acquired disorders that lead to regurgitation occur in all dog breeds and at any age.
Acquired disorders that lead to regurgitation include ingestion of foreign objects that cause esophageal obstruction, poisoning, gastric reflux, cancer, and rabies.
The common signs to look out for to know whether your Bernese Mountain dog is regurgitating include:
- Coughing
- Increased breathing noises
- Weakness
- Fever
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Swelling in the throat
- Increased appetite
- Runny nose
- Bad breath
- Throwing up of undigested food, water, or mucus.
By being aware of the difference between vomiting and regurgitation, you can provide this information to your veterinarian, which will be helpful in the diagnosis.
Regurgitation and vomiting are caused by different factors and have different treatment options.
What Does Your Bernese Mountain dog’s Vomit Look Like?
A Bernese Mountain dog can throw up vomit with different consistency and color. These vomit types can give an insight into what could be the cause of the vomiting however this does not give a complete diagnosis.
An accurate diagnosis is through your veterinarian’s assessment of your dog and the diagnostic test results that are performed to investigate the cause of the vomiting.
The different Bernese Mountain dog vomit types and the possible causes include:
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up Clear liquid
Clear liquid vomit can be caused by the expulsion of saliva or water when your dog vomits on an empty stomach or a Bernese Mountain dog vomits after drinking water when nauseous.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up White foam
A Bernese Mountain dog throwing up white foam can be caused by a buildup of stomach acid in the stomach which becomes foamy when exposed to the air when vomited.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up Blood
Throwing up of blood can occur due to conditions that corrode a Bernese Mountain dog’s stomach lining or upper small intestines exposing the blood vessels.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up Yellow Bile
A Bernese Mountain Dog throwing up yellow bile is usually bringing up bile from an empty or irritated stomach. This can occur when a dog goes too long without eating, especially early in the morning or after long periods between meals.
Other causes include gastritis, food intolerance, pancreatitis, intestinal issues, or other digestive disorders.
Occasional yellow vomit may not be serious if your dog remains active and eats normally, but frequent bile vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or weight changes require veterinary evaluation to determine the cause and provide appropriate treatment.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up Mucus
Diet and several medical conditions can cause the throwing up of mucus, including toxins, intestinal blockage, intestinal parasites, esophagitis, or coughing up mucus due to an upper respiratory infection.
Vomiting of mucus also occurs when a Bernese Mountain dog drools excessively and swallows the drool that pools in the stomach. This is then vomited out as mucus due to nausea.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up Undigested Food
A Bernese Mountain Dog throwing up undigested food shortly after eating may be experiencing regurgitation rather than true vomiting.
This can happen when a dog eats too quickly, swallows too much air, overeats, or has an issue affecting the esophagus.
If the food comes up soon after eating and looks mostly unchanged, it may not have reached the stomach.
Slowing down eating with a slow feeder bowl, offering smaller meals, and avoiding vigorous activity after eating may help.
However, repeated episodes of bringing up undigested food should be checked by a veterinarian to rule out conditions such as megaesophagus or other digestive problems.
Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Have Sensitive Stomachs?
Yes, some Bernese Mountain Dogs can have sensitive stomachs and may be prone to digestive upset.
This breed can experience issues such as food intolerance, allergies, gas, loose stools, and vomiting when exposed to sudden diet changes or unsuitable foods.
Their large size and deep chest also increase their risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), a serious condition where the stomach fills with gas and may twist.
Feeding a high-quality diet, introducing new foods gradually, avoiding table scraps, and providing smaller, balanced meals can help support healthy digestion.
Complications
Severe dehydration and loss of electrolytes are the most common complications of throwing up.
Continuous vomiting leads to severe dehydration because of loss of fluids through vomiting which is life-threatening if treatment is not provided in time
Vomiting is also a symptom of more serious health conditions such as infection, diseases, or poisoning.
These health conditions can lead to the deterioration of a Bernese Mountain dog’s health and even worse, death.
Recommended reading: Bernese Mountain dog shaking: How to Help, When to Worry
What To Do When Your Bernese Mountain Dog Throws Up
When your Bernese Mountain dog throws up occasionally or the vomiting incidences are isolated and they continue their normal activities, this is not a cause for concern.
In most cases, your dog will vomit and continue to be active as usual.
When your dog vomits, the first thing to do is to observe them and see whether the vomiting continues or if symptoms of an illness appear.
If your Bernese Mountain dog does not have other signs of illness, there is no cause for concern.
Secondly, do not feed them for 6 – 12 hours but provide plenty of drinking water. This allows their stomach to calm down and self-repair.
If the vomiting does not continue, feed them their regular diet.
When to Seek Help
Vomiting is common in Bernese Mountain dogs as well as other dog breeds, however, if the vomiting is too frequent and also appears with additional symptoms, this is a sign that there is a more serious underlying cause of it.
The appearance of other signs of illness should not be ignored. When this happens, immediate medical attention is required.
Seek medical care when your Bernese Mountain dog:
- Continues to vomit
- Vomits blood
- Has a fever
- Lethargic
- Vomits and also has diarrhea
- Vomits with shaking
- Has abdominal pain
- Is dehydrated (weakness, panting, dry nose, thick saliva, and dry sticky gums)
- Has seizures
- Ingested a foreign object or toxin
- Tries to vomit but nothing comes out (dry heaving)
- Vomits a large quantity of food
- Refuses to eat
- Is a puppy
Contact the veterinarian or immediately seek medical care within 8 -12 hours if the throwing up is continuous, that is, when your Bernese Mountain dog vomits more than two times in this period.
Bernese Mountain Dog Throwing Up: Treatment
The treatment of Bernese Mountain dog vomiting varies and depends on the diagnosed underlying cause.
The treatment includes:
- Administration of anti-nausea medication
- Administration of anti-inflammatory medication
- Treatment of disease
- Fluid therapy to treat dehydration and loss of electrolytes
- Probiotics to treat bowel and intestinal inflammation
- A bland diet consisting of boiled rice and chicken
- Diet change for a dog with a sensitive stomach. This includes limited ingredients or a prescription diet, moderate fat or protein, or high-quality dog food.
In most cases, care at home will be recommended by the veterinarian after the initial treatment has been provided.
In severe cases involving dehydration, a Bernese Mountain dog may be hospitalized for the treatment of dehydration.
Care at home involves feeding your dog a bland diet for 24 hours and providing the prescribed medication which allows the digestive system to repair and heal.
How To Prevent Your Bernese Mountain dog From Throwing Up
Although occasional throwing up for a Bernese Mountain dog is common, you can put in place preventive measures to minimize it from occurring. This includes:
Gradually introduce new diets
If you need to change your Bernese Mountain dog’s diet, introduce the new diet gradually to prevent vomiting. A sudden change of diet often leads to vomiting because your dog’s stomach has not yet adjusted to the new diet.
Some Bernese Mountain dogs have sensitive stomachs therefore it is important to change their diet with the guidance of a veterinarian to prevent the development of a stomach upset.
Limit access to toxins
A Bernese Mountain dog throwing up because of ingestion of toxins happens when your dog has access to potential toxins around the home.
Prevent this from happening by locking up products such as cleaning products, anti-freeze, or gardening chemicals such as pesticides to prevent accidental ingestion.
Keep up with regular health checkups
Routine medical examinations for your Bernese Mountain dog help to keep your dog healthy by detecting life-threatening conditions and diseases early.
This limits complications of the disease by providing an opportunity for early treatment, cure, and monitoring of existing conditions.
This prevents throwing up which is one of the many a symptom of many diseases.
Motion sickness prevention
Some Bernese Mountain dogs experience motion sickness when in a moving car and throw up due to nausea.
You can control and prevent motion sickness in your Bernese Mountain dog by not feeding your dog before traveling, providing prescribed anti-nausea medication, and also taking shorter trips to allow your dog to adjust to trips.
Prevent dietary indiscretion
Dietary indiscretion is the consumption of non-food items or foreign objects that are not meant to be eaten.
This includes items such as garbage, tablescapes, sticks, broken toys, and potentially poisonous frogs, animals, or plants.
Limit access to items that your dog should not eat because they may cause your dog to throw up because of an upset stomach.
The items ingested may injure the gut, or cause esophageal obstruction or obstruction along the digestive system.
Key Takeaway
Isolated incidences of vomiting are not a cause for concern however when throwing up is very frequent or when a Bernese Mountain dog vomits several times within a day, this is a sign that they are unwell.
A Bernese Mountain dog throwing up is a very distressing situation and it can be because of an illness that requires medical attention.
When your Bernese Mountain dog throws up, keep an eye on them and pay attention to the frequency of their vomiting, and also if they show other symptoms of illness.
Seek medical care if your Bernese Mountain dog keeps throwing up and has additional symptoms. The underlying cause of the vomiting will be determined by the veterinarian and treatment will be provided.