Shoni has always burped a lot, almost every time I pick him up. Now he's 3 and seems increasingly to have a problem with food/liquid coming up with the burp. It usually hurts his throat and causes a lot of coughing afterward. It isn't like vomiting, there is no retching at all, just a sudden spill over. It has nothing to do with having just eaten or being too full. It happens even when he wakes up in the morning and should have an empty stomach. He doesn't have to be picked up to cause it. It happened this morning as he was stepping out of his crate. Can happen at any time.
He has had a large variety of different foods over the 3 years and I don't connect any certain thing he eats as the problem. He usually eats only once a day, sometimes twice in small amounts.
I'm starting to worry about this. I don't want to go so far as exploratory surgery or anything invasive unless it becomes really necessary. It hadn't gotten to the place where I've asked a vet about this--but is now getting there. I don't know that much about a dog's anatomy--esophagus and stomach, so maybe someone who does could suggest what the problem might be. I know I have a hiatal hernia that cause reflux.....!:blink:
He probably has a food intolerance or food allergy, just like the majority of people with GERD who are mis-diagnosed.
Have you tried giving probiotics and digestive enzymes for 3 months?
Suzan, he has had probiotics & enzymes since he was about a year old.An empty stomach can cause yellow bile vomit. It's very common in dogs in the morning if they didn't eat the night before. I also agree with Suzan that food allergies can cause problems.
The only way to find out for sure whether it is a food intolerance is with a strict 6 week elimination diet. If you have already done that and it is not food related, then I have no idea what is causing it.Suzan, he has had probiotics & enzymes since he was about a year old.
Brit, when he does this it isn't bile.
He has had so many different foods that it doesn't seem likely it is a particular intolerance.
If it's not bile, what is it? Is it undigested food? Water? And you said it used to be when you would pick him up but now it can be at anytime? Just asking for some clarification.Suzan, he has had probiotics & enzymes since he was about a year old.
Brit, when he does this it isn't bile.
He has had so many different foods that it doesn't seem likely it is a particular intolerance.
Thanks Crystal, I'll PM.You might want to change him to a plant based probiotic. Many dogs with digestive issues are lactose intolerant and many probiotics that are not plant based have lactose because of the way they are cultured. When I first got Jett, he would throw up his entire breakfast, totally undigested late in the afternoon. He's doing really well on Animal Essential Probiotics with Digestive Enzymes. I don't want to send you a sample from one of my bottles because once it's opened, it needs to be refrigerated and I don't know how I could send it to you in a refigerated container. But I can get you a smaller bottle, 100 mg, for you to try if you are interested. Just PM if you want to try it. I know how frustrating it is to have to try things that don't work. The two things may not be unrelated. I have a friend who slowly got very ill over the course of a couple of years with similar symptoms you are describing for Shonni. After countless tests and several trips to Mayo Clinic, it was discovered that her stomach was not digesting her food properly and the food was literally rotting/fermenting in her stomach.
Of course it isn't normal. I am interested in why. What anatomically would cause it in dogs. I'm personally TOO familiar with what causes it in humans. He has done it to some degree all his life but does seem to have some regurgitation more often now. He will be having his yearly soon so naturally I'll be talking to the vet.Regurgitation is not normal and you should consult your vet.
The vet wasn't much help. He said I could give Shoni 1/4 of a Prilosec tab. before a meal once a day or let him have Tums. He didn't think in Shoni's case that it was bad enough to X-ray or further test for. It has not been happening recently, so I only give him Tums occasionally and not anything like Prilosec.Dee, I'm wondering what your vet told you about Shoni's reflux problem. What you described is exactly what Bailey has been doing. He has done it for a few months now and it has gotten more frequent in recent months. I have had him on Animal Essentials probiotics for many months now (however I dont refrigerate it...didnt know I had to! the nutritionist at the store I bought it from said that it didnt need to be) I was wondering if you did see your vet and if you were able to solve this issue with Shoni. Thanks!
Thanks Dee. My vet didnt have many suggestions on ths either...other than keeping him on Famotidine for life...The vet wasn't much help. He said I could give Shoni 1/4 of a Prilosec tab. before a meal once a day or let him have Tums. He didn't think in Shoni's case that it was bad enough to X-ray or further test for. It has not been happening recently, so I only give him Tums occasionally and not anything like Prilosec.
I always give Shoni Missing Link on his food (which isn't a Probiotic) but nothing else at this point. I changed to Nature's Variety Raw frozen food and he has really liked that! I think there is probably enough natural occurring intestinal 'flora' in raw meat.
Sorry I'm not much help.
Thanks Suzan! I will definitely try the limited diet with Bailey to see if that helps or at least tells me what food/supplement ingredient he may be sensitive to. It might actually be fish because the last two dry foods I have had him on (Acana and Fromm) both are fish-based. But I try so many different foods, I cant be sure. Once he feels completely better (he had stomach blockage issues and just had surgery) I will try changing his diet. Thank you!This is just my opinion, not telling anyone here what they should do, just what I'd do if it were my dog.
I'd test for parasites if not already done if my dog had vomiting or reflux.
99% of GERD is caused by food intolerance, or intolerance to an ingredient in a supplement. I've never been a big fan of Missing Link, and I am very careful to choose oil supplements very carefully. No, not careful, I'm actually paranoid about rancid oils. I think it's a huge problem in supplements for humans and pets. So many products that have fatty acids/oils in them have rancid oils, which can cause all sorts of things. Look at the ingredients in Missing Link:
Flaxseed, Rice Bran, Primary Dried Yeast, Cane Molasses, Sunflower Seed, Freeze Dried Beef Liver, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Carrot, Ground Beef Bone*, Dried Fish Solubles, Ground Barley Grass, Dried Kelp, Freeze Dried Oyster
Why molasses? Too many unknowns. Like, what is dried fish solubles? Where are they getting the other ingredients?
If it were my dog who had reflux issues, I'd try feeding only one protein, like ground bison, and one starchy veg or tuber, like sweet potato or pumpkin for a 3 weeks to a month, nothing else, no supplements, nothing, except maybe Animal Essentials Calcium, then see what happens. Just my opinion. Not telling anyone what to do, just what I'd do.
