Dog Can't Stop Regurgitating

My two-year-old Rottweiler and German Shepherd started having regurgitation problems six months ago.

We have taken her to the vet and spent about $1,200.00 so far on barium x-rays, pills to aid her digestion, Pepcid AC for stomach ulcers, etc. Nothing is working.

We have been taking her food away at about 4:00 p.m. every day in an effort to stop her from vomiting overnight, but it hasn't helped. She still throws up whole food at 1:00 a.m. It is very frustrating and I am at my wit's end. I just don't know what to do.

We are feeding her a food called "Go Natural" that contains human-grade salmon and costs $60.00 a bag. We switched to this food from "Nutro Max Sensitive Stomachs" which is about $8.00 cheaper a bag, so we aren't feeding her low-grade dog food.

Our vet says our dog is regurgitating her food, not vomiting it. She hasn't been losing weight, but she will just all of a sudden throw up without warning. We've wondered if it could be nerves or something like that, but in the middle of the night when you are in a dead sleep your nerves should be at their best, shouldn't they?

Please help us,

Penny

Expert Reply

Hi Penny,

Sorry to hear about your problem. You've obviously gone to great lengths to try to solve it.

Has your vet explored the possibility that your dog may have some kind of food allergy? There may be something in the commercial mixes, no matter how high-grade they are, that provokes you dog's digestive system to regurgitate.

Have you ever considered trying your dog on a natural diet? This would involve feeding your dog many of the same foods we eat, with the exception of certain foods that are known to cause a negative reaction in dogs. Some natural diets allow your dog to have bones too, but in your case I'd avoid those because they poses a choking danger during regurgitation.

I think allergies and a natural food diet are topics you should discuss with your vet. In the meantime, you could try offering your dog some boiled lamb or chicken and rice instead of the dog food, and see if that causes her to regurgitate. If she keeps it down you may be on your way to a solution.

Please let us know what happens next. We get many questions on this topic, and what you learn might help others in a similar situation.

~~Kelly

Could Endoscopy Help Dog?

It's Penny again with the regurgitating Rottweiler.

Do you think an endoscopy would find anything? The vet doesn't think it is a food allergy. We have done x-rays, but they don't show everything, do they?

How can the food sit in her throat for that long? Our vet thinks that it doesn't even make it to her stomach, but it can be hours before she vomits it up. I just wonder if the endoscopy is my last chance? The downside is it costs about $800.00. Have you heard of much success with this procedure?

~~Penny

Expert Reply

Hi Penny,

I'm not a vet myself, but I can tell you that an endoscopy can be far more revealing than an x-ray in this type of situation. Does your vet recommend it?

I hear you about the cost. Veterinary care can be expensive, but when a dog's in trouble, what can you do? Since you're clearly an established client your vet may be willing to let you pay the bill in installments.

I'm curious that your vet thinks the food is lodging in the throat, but your dog isn't immediately forcing it back up or losing weight. I wonder if there's some sort of malformation of the esophagus?

One further thought. Does your vet work alone or as part of a staff? Maybe a consultation with a second vet would be a good idea? A fresh set of eyes might help solve the problem .

~~Kelly

Why Does My Dog Spit Up?

Hi, my dog keeps gagging and spitting up a white mucous-like material. This has happened on a daily basis for the past week and has happened before but not as frequently.

Her eating/drinking habits are normal, and she plays like nothing is wrong. I'm thinking maybe she ate something bad outside, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

~~ Mahogany

Expert Reply

Hi Mahogany,

This is the same problem I've had with some of my Toy breeds. If I understand your description correctly, your dog is only spitting up clear mucous, not actually vomiting food or grass. If so, it's an annoyance, but nothing to worry over as long as she still eats and drinks normally.

If your dog is like mine, it can happen at any time of the day, but more often or not, the spitting up occurs after a trip outside. Mine will especially spit up if they've eaten snow during winter, something they love to do!

I have not been able to isolate a cause, but as I've mentioned, my Toy breeds, a Shih Tzu and a Toy Poodle, are the main culprits. My Standard Poodles don't do it at all and they are exercised in the same area.

Sorry I couldn't give you a conclusive answer, but at least you know you don't have anything serious to worry about at this point. If it would turn into full vomiting, then I wouldn't hesitate to take your dog to the vet.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly