Is your Great Dane throwing up white foam? It is alarming to see your Great Dane throwing up white foam.
White foam at the mouth is usually associated with rabies which is a serious health condition of dogs so this can also bring about the same concern when you see it on your dog.
Rabies is rare today however it should not entirely be ruled out. So why do Great Danes throw up white foam? Should you panic? What can you do about it? and how do you prevent this from happening again?
In this article, we will answer all of these questions to help you understand the reasons behind a Great Dane throwing up white foam.
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Why Is My Great Dane Throwing Up White Foam?
A Great Dane throwing up white foam is due to several reasons including ingestion of a toxin, indigestion, illness, gastrointestinal inflammation, acid reflux, bloat, gastrointestinal obstruction, pancreatitis, and in rare cases rabies.
In most cases, throwing up white foam is due to ingestion of something that upsets their stomach.
Reasons Why Great Danes Throw Up White Foam
Indigestion
Indigestion is the most common cause of a Great Dane throwing up white foam. It is the persistent stomach upset and discomfort.
Indigestion is caused by over drinking, overeating, eating or drinking immediately after exercise or eating something they should not such as plants, items in the trash, or some types of human food.
This causes irritation and inflammation of the stomach whose muscles contract leading to vomiting of white foam along with other stomach contents.
The causes for indigestion are also risk factors for the development of bloat which the Great Dane is highly susceptible to, which is a life-threatening condition.
In addition to throwing up, other symptoms of indigestion in a Great Dane include lip-smacking, flatulence, bad breath, eating of grass as a self remedy to induce vomiting, weakness, and diarrhea.
Injection of a toxin
A Great Dane may accidentally ingest toxins around the home which causes them to vomit white foam.
Toxins in the stomach cause irritation and the stirring up gastric acids which come up as white form when Great Dane throws up.
Toxins around the home include household cleaning products, gardening chemicals, or pesticides.
Illness
Some illnesses also lead to vomiting of white foam. These illnesses include upper respiratory conditions and kennel cough.
Upper respiratory conditions can result in the production of mucus and fluid in the respiratory tract which a Great Dane ends up swallowing and vomiting as white form.
Kennel cough is an example of an upper respiratory infection whose symptoms include a running nose, weakness, loss of appetite, sneezing, and a signature honking cough.
The illness also results in the production of fluid and mucus from the respiratory tract which is vomited in white form.
Gastrointestinal inflammation
Gastrointestinal inflammation is a reaction to an infection or something else that upsets the stomach and the digestive system.
The inflammation can be triggered by an infection, allergens in food/food intolerance, reaction to a medication, inflammatory syndrome that is inflammatory bowel disease, or genetic predisposition of a Great Dane making them more susceptible to gastric inflammation.
The symptoms of this include frequent throwing up of white foam, undigested food, digested food that resembles coffee grounds, blood and bile, diarrhea with blood and mucus, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain.
Acid reflux
Acid reflux occurs when gastric acids move from the stomach and into the throat or esophagus of a Great Dane.
This happens when the muscle connecting the stomach and esophagus relaxes and the gastric acids flow from the stomach into the esophagus.
This can cause irritation and damage to the esophagus therefore it is important to seek medical attention.
A Great Dane throwing up white foam especially in the morning before eating anything is usually due to acid reflux.
Throwing up of yellow form or white form is characteristic of acid reflux in Great Danes. A Great Dane throwing up bile or yellow foam is referred to as bilious vomiting syndrome.
Bloat
Bloat is a life-threatening condition especially in large chested large breed dogs like the Great Dane.
The condition occurs when the stomach becomes filled up with excess air causing it to twist and limit blood flow to the rest of the body. This progresses quickly to shock and death if immediate medical attention is not provided.
One of the symptoms of bloat is throwing up white foam in addition to the presence of a distended stomach, restlessness, drooling, pacing, and also periods of heavy heaving with nothing coming out of the mouth.
Gastrointestinal obstruction
Ingestion of an object can cause gastrointestinal obstruction whereby the object ends up not moving along the digestive tract to be eliminated.
This can either be a toy, sock, or any other indigestible object that your Great Dane may ingest.
The obstruction can occur in the stomach or along the intestines which leads to the accumulation of consumed fluids and solids in the stomach which leads to vomiting.
A Great Dane will throw up stomach contents and acids which come out as white form in vomit.
This leads to dehydration and weight loss.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas which is an organ in a dog’s body whose function is the production of digestive enzymes as well as balancing of blood sugar levels.
Pancreatitis causes a Great Dane to throw up frequently which includes white foam. Other symptoms of the disease include a hunched-over Great Dane, Diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, and dehydration.
Rabies
Rabies is a viral infection leading to the inflammation of a dog’s brain. It is a very serious condition when it occurs and ultimately leads to death.
The symptoms usually occur 1 to 3 months from the time of infection and in other cases within 1 week or a year.
Symptoms of rabies include fever, excessive salivation, paralysis, and vomiting. Throwing up white foam is characteristic of rabies.
Today rabies is rare because of continuous animal control and vaccination programs which have decreased the occurrence and risk in many regions in the world.
However, this possible underlying factor cannot be ruled out when a Great Dane is throwing up white foam. A veterinarian has to investigate this through tests.
Kidney disease
Kidney disease can also cause a Great Dane to throw up white foam. The disease affects the functioning of the kidney affecting its ability to remove waste from the body.
Other symptoms include weakness, confusion, and urination problems.
Parvovirus
Parvovirus is an infection that usually affects puppies that are not vaccinated. The symptoms of the infection include throwing up white foam. weakness, high fever, and bloody diarrhea.
Should I be worried if my Great Dane is throwing up white foam?
A Great Dane throwing up white foam should never be taken lightly because it can be an indication of a serious underlying health condition or cause which needs immediate medical attention.
Related: Great Dane throwing up and diarrhea
What Should I Do if My Great Dane is Throwing Up White Foam?
When your Great Dane is throwing up white foam, monitor them on how frequently it occurs, the appearance of other symptoms, and how quickly the condition worsens.
These factors will help guide you on how severe the condition is. The severity of the condition will be shown by the fast progression of declining health.
A Great Dane may have ingested too much of a toxin or the underlying condition could be severe and delayed medical intervention could result in a fatal outcome, even death.
Other symptoms such as your dog throwing up white foam and diarrhea, weakness, loss of appetite, shaking, or throwing up the white foam with blood, indicates a serious situation.
Immediately contact your veterinarian when you observe these symptoms
Also, contact your veterinarian when the frequency of vomiting increases and their condition worsens.
Bloat in Great Dane is a life-threatening condition and rapidly becomes fatal within 1 to 2 hours after the appearance of symptoms. It progresses to cardiac shock then death if immediate medical attention is not provided.
If your Great Dane is throwing up white foam and their condition is worsening by the minute, quickly rush them to the nearest veterinary emergency center.
Treatment
When your Great Dane is throwing up white foam, assess the situation to investigate if they have ingested anything they should not have. Look for evidence of either spilled liquids or human food.
Also, note other symptoms if present that your Great Dane might have in addition to vomiting.
This information will be helpful to assess the initial cause of the throwing up and also for your veterinarian to have more information on what could have caused it.
Reach out to your veterinarian for an evaluation and diagnosis.
The veterinarian will discuss the symptoms with your dog’s medical history and also other factors that may have occurred before vomiting such as evidence of ingestion of toxins.
Provide your veterinarian with all the information you have including the appearance of vomit and everything around your dog’s vomiting.
A complete physical examination will be conducted to determine the underlying cause. This includes the performance of several tests such as x-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests, urine, and fecal analysis, and endoscopy to investigate gastrointestinal obstruction.
The initial treatment involves giving your Great Dane an anti-nausea medication to stop the vomiting or antacids and stomach lining protectants.
Intravenous fluids may also be provided to control dehydration caused by throwing up and/or diarrhea which causes severe dehydration.
The treatment provided depends on the underlying cause. Depending on the severity of a Great Dane’s condition, they may be hospitalized for treatment and monitoring.
Medication can be prescribed for the treatment of disease, surgery for intestinal obstruction, or stomach tacking surgery for bloat treatment. If intestinal parasites are present, dewormers are provided.
Home care may also be recommended. Home care involves the provision of a bland diet which includes boiled white rice with chicken or a prescription diet for a dog with food allergies or intolerance.
How To Prevent Your Great Dane From Throwing Up White Form
There are several measures you can put in place to prevent your Great Dane from throwing up white foam. This includes:
Safekeeping of potential households toxins
Prevent your Great Dane from having access to potential household products that could be toxins to them when ingested.
Lock them up or keep them where your dog cannot reach them.
Stomach tacking for your Great Dane
Great Danes should undergo surgery commonly referred to as stomach tacking to prevent the fatal outcome of bloat.
This reduces the likelihood of occurrence which includes the throwing up of white form which is a common symptom of the condition.
Regular medical health check-ups
Regular checkups for your Great Dane will help to keep your dog in great shape because the veterinarian will be able to conduct complete medical examinations to ensure they are well.
If any diseases are caught early, they can be treated and managed which prevents severe outcomes of the diseases.
Prevent gastric obstruction
Keep away small items that can be swallowed by your Great Dane and cause gastric obstruction. This includes broken pieces of toys.
Prevention of indigestion
Prevent your Great Dane from eating human foods that they should not eat, from the trash, plants, and grass. This prevents indigestion and throwing up.
Switch to a healthy diet or prescription diet
Gastric inflammation can be controlled and minimized by feeding your Great Dane a healthy diet suitable for large breed dogs.
A dog that is allergic or intolerant to some food elements in their current diet can be switched to specially formulated dog food for a sensitive stomach or one lacking certain ingredients. A veterinarian may also recommend a prescription diet.
Summary
Great Danes can end up throwing up white foam, blood, bile, after eating, clear liquid, mucus, or yellow form.
Throwing up is common in all dog breeds but when it’s frequent it is a cause of concern.
If vomiting stops on its own and there is no presentation of other symptoms of illness your Great Dane should be ok and there is no cause for alarm.
Remember to always inform and consult your veterinarian of any form of dog vomit so that they can determine the underlying cause and make sure they are ok.