My Shih Tzu vomits at night. Will a bedtime snack cause accidents?

There could be a few different things causing his vomiting. It can be from a virus, a foreign body, an intestinal upset or even pancreatitis. I would recommend bringing him to the veterinarian for some testing to make sure it is just an intestinal upset. They can discuss with you antacids and a prescription bland diet. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Once I have ruled out other concerns such as parasites and blood work to rule out other concerns I usually dispense a medication called metoclopramide. This stimulates the GI tract to keep moving which usually decreases bilious vomiting. I am usually able to use once daily, but it can be used up to three times daily. I would encourage you discuss this possibility with your veterinarian. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi there! Yes, dogs, like humans, are mammals, so they do have that whole "rest and digest" phase when they're relaxed and sleeping. Feeding a night time meal a few hours before bed time is always best. This is also helpful because they will be less likely to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. However, some dogs will benefit from a snack before bed time, as they do get an acid stomach if they go too long without eating. It all depends. I usually tell owners to feed their dogs their total daily calories, split into 2 servings or meals as close to 12 hours apart as they can. In addition, I recommend trying to make that last meal a few hours before bedtime as I mentioned above. If your dog has trouble with an acid stomach, you may want to add a snack, or give 1/3 of the evening meal before bed. You may notice some vomiting in the morning on an empty stomach if this occurs. I think it varies with all dogs, but the above is what I recommend. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck to you and Wolfgang!

[Vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) in dogs has multiple causes and can sometimes be a symptom of a greater underlying condition. In the absence of additional symptoms (lethargy, [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/), loss of appetite, abdominal pain), most cases of vomiting can be managed at home with a bland diet fed in small frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Gradually transition over 5-7 days to the regular diet afterwards. If vomiting persists for 24 hours or more, or if new symptoms develop, a visit to your veterinarian is recommended. That said, what you have described may be a condition known as bilious vomiting syndrome. The exact cause is unknown and it can affect dogs of any breed or age. Too long of a time between meals is thought to contribute to the condition. [Bile](https://www.petcoach.co/article/diseases-of-the-gallbladder-bile-duct-in-dogs/), which is quite irritating, may enter the empty stomach and can cause vomiting. Pet parents report a foamy, yellow vomit late at night or early in the morning. Since Tickles has been [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-deal-with-chronic-vomiting-in-dogs) so frequently, an [exam with your veterinarian](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-does-your-veterinarian-look-for-during-a-physical-exam) would be recommended to either confirm bilious vomiting syndrome or to diagnose and treat another cause. Blood work and abdominal x-rays may be suggested after the exam. A bland diet and antacids may be dispensed. Offering a small meal just before bedtime may help as well.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your questions. The amount of exercise you are currently giving Hugo should be just fine and is not in any means excessive. The vomiting could be due to the food so I would consider switching his diet altogether and see if this helps. Many cases (roughly 65%) of vomiting / diarrhea can be directly related to the diet or an imbalance of the normal intestinal bacteria. If Hugo is otherwise healthy but vomiting, I would recommend changing his food to something such as Science Diet or Royal Canin and feed this for 4 weeks. If he continues to vomit or worsens, I would have a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It may not be that Louie is hungry but that the stomach acid has built up overnight. You were doing the right thing by feeding him right before bed. My advice would be to try a different food and see if that helps to decrease the acid production. Try Royal Canin labrador retriever diet. If that does not help you might talk to his veterinarian about starting an anti acid at bed time. Probiotics can sometimes help these guys as well. I recommend Forti Flora. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. Vomiting in the morning as you are describing could a few different things, but the most common would billious vomiting. This is when they are hungry and the stomach is empty, so they actually vomit due to acid build up. Try feeding her a small snack before bed, or moving her dinner later than 6pm, and see if the vomiting stops. If it does, great, if not then she may have some other medical condition and an abdominal ultrasound would be recommended. Good luck with Sara.