What Should You Do When Your Dog is Dry Heaving At Night?

If you notice your dog dry heaving at night, it can be highly alarming to discover. It’s easy to wonder if something’s gone seriously wrong and if your next visit to the veterinarian might come with extremely bad news.

While there are a few possibilities on what can cause dry heaving at night, it’s essential to approach the situation calmly and examine the symptoms closely.

Many issues can cause dogs to start dry heaving at night. For example, puppies might dry heave if they’re too hungry at night. In other cases, some adult dogs might dry heave at night because they have dietary sensitivities.

In any case, investigating the cause of your dog’s dry heaving at night is important. When you know what’s causing the symptom, you’ll have a great lead to help your dog recover.

Is My Dog Dry Heaving?

Before examining the possible causes of your dog’s dry heaving, you must confirm that you’re observing the right symptom. If your dog is dry heaving, they may appear to vomit repeatedly without anything coming out. You can generally distinguish coughing from dry heaving due to the distinct noise while gagging presents similarly to dry heaving but lacks the convulsions.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Dogs Dry Heaving at Night?

1. Your Dog Has an Upset Stomach

The most common cause of dry heaving in dogs is stomach upsets and nausea. If your dog ingests something that they have an allergy to, has an empty stomach, or even develops stomach ulcers, they can often develop symptoms like dry heaving.

Generally, these issues are easily resolved by providing your dog with the right food and caring for their health. Even if you suspect the underlying reason is minor, taking your dog to a veterinarian for a check-up is a good practice for keeping them in the best health.

It’s also worth reducing any potential sources of stomach upsets, if possible. Dogs who wolf food down are prone to developing symptoms like dry heaving. If your dog gulps their food, you should use slow feeder bowls with smaller portions to mitigate the behavior.

2. Your Dog Is Suffering from Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus

One of the most unfortunate causes of dry heaving at night is gastric dilation-volvulus, commonly known as canine bloat. If food and gasses are trapped in your dog’s stomach, the stomach may eventually rotate and cut off the blood supply to your dog’s internal organs.

Canine bloat is known to be extremely deadly. If you notice that your dog is suffering from symptoms like pale gums, lethargy, or an increased heart rate in addition to dry heaving, you should take them to the veterinarian as soon as possible for an emergency checkup.

3. Your Dog Is Suffering from Tonsillitis or Pharyngitis

A common cause of dry heaving in dogs is conditions like tonsillitis and pharyngitis. These conditions cause swelling in the tonsils or pharynx, and as a result, your dog may begin dry heaving as breathing, eating, and drinking begins to trigger their gag reflex.

As with the other conditions, taking your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible is crucial for having the best outcome with tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Veterinarians can prescribe crucial medications like antibiotics and steroids, effectively curing the condition and restoring your dog’s comfort.

4. Your Dog Has a Blockage in Their Throat

If a foreign object blocks your dog’s throat, they may start to dry heave. One of the most common and alarming causes of dry heaving is when a dog accidentally swallows a small object, and it partially blocks the airway. This accidental swallowing is usually accompanied by gagging and drooling.

Another issue that can cause a dog to start dry heaving is when a tumor grows in their throat. Any form of cancer or growth in the throat can start to interfere with your dog’s ordinary functions, like eating, breathing, and drinking. In turn, it can significantly impact your dog’s quality of life and cause symptoms like dry heaving.

If you believe that a growth or foreign object in your dog’s throat may be the cause of the dry heaving, you must take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible for treatment.

5. Your Dog Is Sick

Dogs sometimes begin dry heaving at night because of an illness. The most common diseases that cause dogs to start dry heaving are distemper and bordetella (also known as kennel cough). These diseases are both highly contagious and present with a few other symptoms.

If your dog is suffering from distemper, you may notice that they start to cough frequently. They may have a fever, become slightly lethargic, or have yellowish discharge from their nose and eyes. This disease is commonly spread through airborne transmission, but luckily, most dogs can recover from it well.

Another common disease that can cause dogs to start dry heaving at night is bordetella. This disease, also known as kennel cough, is commonly spread when dogs are kept in confined spaces like kennels with lots of other dogs. If your dog suffers from kennel cough, they may also seem lethargic and start coughing frequently. Luckily, many dogs can recover well from this sickness.

These aren’t the only illnesses that can cause dry heaving, however. Bronchitis, pneumonia, and other respiratory illnesses are all known to cause dogs to start dry heaving at night.

How to Address Your Dog Dry Heaving at Night

The most important thing you can do if you notice that your dog is dry heaving at night is to take them to the veterinarian as soon as possible. While not all causes of dry heaving are deadly, many are known to be extremely serious — and time is of the essence if you want to rule these deadly diseases out.

One of the common causes of dry heaving, gastric dilatation volvulus, is extremely deadly. Until you’ve visited the veterinarian, you can’t entirely rule out that your dog might be suffering from the disease. And because this terrible condition cuts off the blood supply to your dog’s internal organs, it only takes a small amount of time to become fatal. To survive bloat, dogs require surgical intervention within hours.

Regardless of the cause of your dog’s dry heaving, they will benefit from veterinary attention. If your dog is suffering from a disease like kennel cough, your veterinarian may be able to keep your dog comfortable by prescribing medications like anti-inflammatories. If a foreign object or growth is stuck in your dog’s throat, your veterinarian may be able to provide crucial emergency care.

Use the Right Resources to Keep Your Dog in Good Health

It can be terrifying if your dog exhibits alarming symptoms and you’re not sure what’s happening with its health. If you want to keep your dog in the best health, one of the most important things you can do is regularly take your dog to a veterinarian. As long as you rely on professional advice, you can rest assured that your best friend is in the best hands.