[Jennifer G]

Thank you Vanessa. I am glad your dog found a cure for the issue and is getting what she needs.

[Susan]

Jennifer G yes please get the Endoscope & make sure you get the biopsies done as well cause Patch stomach looked fine when vet did the Endoscope but when the biopsies results came back it was a different story, Patch had Moderate to Chronic Lymphocytic Gastritis with associated spiral bacteria infection (Helicobacter) I wished I did the Endoscope + Biopsies, 1 year before, I thought I could fix the problem & I put poor Patch thru 1 year of bad acid reflux or even if the vet gives you the Metronidazole Losec & Amoxicillin for 21 days as soon as Patch takes the Metronidazole after 2-3 days his acid reflux stops, Patches vet now writes out 5 repeat scripts of the Metronidazole & as soon as Patch starts grinding teeth & swallowing for a few days & the Zantac or the liquid Mylanta isn’t working, I know the Helicobacter is back again & give Losec & the Metronidazole for 7 days, maybe start cooking the raw diet instead of feeding raw, they need a healthy stomach to eat raw, I put Patch on raw diet thru a Naturopath but I had to add probiotic & digestive enzyme but Patches acid reflux got worse again when he was burping up water from the raw, the raw must of been digesting real quickly cause of the digestive enzymes & he was bringing the raw back up & swallowing it, regurgitating it, so I started cooking the raw diet, it was heaps better now I feed kibble for breakfast & cooked diet for dinner I buy lean pork mince make into rissoles with some parsley boiled sweet potatoes broccoli & zucchini I change things sometimes, but I’ve stopped the cooked chicken breast, he kept having a red hot swollen back paw & was licking & licking the back paw& was scratching & burping real bad after eating the cooked chicken breast so maybe he’s sensitive to chicken….

[Talei H]

Hi all,
I’m back, but thankfully, not because we’re experiencing a gulping episode! A few days following my last post, Lilo experienced yet another bout of the “gulps.” We were at our wit’s end, because these episodes had never before occurred so close together, and because we felt just absolutely helpless. It’s been about a month and a half now, and so far, she hasn’t been plagued by this mysterious ordeal since. I’m not certain that we’re out of the woods permanently just yet, but I think that I’ve finally begun to pinpoint some of her specific triggers, and just wanted to share these ideas with the rest of you in case you find they might be applicable to your pup(s) as well.

As I mentioned before, our Lilo (Corgi) is an extremely anxious dog, and always has been despite our relatively low-key lifestyle. I’ve begun to suspect that her gulping (and the gastrointestinal issues that accompany these instances) are in some way related to her anxiety. The last two episodes (back in April 7th when I last posted, and again a few days later) occurred following some high-stress situations. I would normally attribute these incidents to coincidence, but I began to think back to previous bouts of gulping over the last year or so. I recall that the majority of her gulping issues were preceded by a particularly stressful situation. For instance, we took her with us on an overnight stay back in February, and because we couldn’t bring her with us at all times, there were times where she’d need to stay in the hotel room. In hindsight, I suspect that our decision to bring her into an unfamiliar setting, crate her, and then immediately leave was not the smartest, but I had no idea it would have such a traumatic effect on her. We were only gone for an hour or so, and when we returned, I immediately noticed the dreaded gulping, and just overall extremely anxious behavior. As with all previous episodes, this one resolved itself in about 24 hours, but I felt guilty during the entire overnight stay. In April, when we began removing everything off the walls and packing in anticipation of moving, Lilo again began to display signs of anxiety and ultimately, gulping (along with everything else that comes along with it: licking the carpet, pacing, devouring grass, panting, etc.). A few days later, we were the victims of an unfortunate car break-in at our apartment complex, and my fiance was of course, extremely angered by this when he found out and Lilo picked up on this. I should mention, she is incredibly sensitive to our voices – if we speak in even a slightly perturbed or anxious tone, she bolts and hides and we often have to coax her back out. It’s very strange, but even when we’re having a normal or semi-serious chat about something, she mistakes it for us being upset, and hides. So naturally, when one of us is actually upset or stressed out about something, she freaks out. We try our best to be mindful of our tone when she’s around. It sounds silly, but we definitely don’t want to stress her out if we can help it. It’s a very agreeable household around here 😉 But in all seriousness, I’ve been able to link almost every gulping episode to a “high-stress” situation, and am about 90% sure stress is the culprit.

As for the remaining 10%, well, it could be any form of digestive upset. In the apartment complex we lived in previously, Lilo used to pick up all sorts of mysterious droppings and whatnot while we were out for a walk. Despite my efforts, she’s extremely quick, and if she wants something she’ll find a way to beat me to it. For example, goose/cat feces were a frequent occurrence, which may have caused significant digestive upset and acid reflux. Now that we’ve been in our new house, she has her own yard to frolic in, and of course we keep it very clean. Again, it may be a coincidence, but I think it’s worth taking into account. Also, when we do try to administer Pepcid or Maalox to combat the supposed acid reflux, it does nothing to help, and in fact makes the situation worse because it gives Lilo diarrhea the following day. This led me to question whether the gulping was indeed caused by acid reflux, or whether it was a coping mechanism of her anxiety, which I’ve read can be a symptom.

I’m a firm believer that you should ALWAYS consult your vet if you suspect anything may be seriously wrong with your beloved pet. We have done so on multiple occasions, but as the vets seemed to be convinced there weren’t any abnormal physical ailments affecting Lilo and causing her gulping/acid reflux, I’ve resorted to trying to pinpoint and connect these instances to emotional triggers. This is not to say that there isn’t an underlying cause buried deep down somewhere, but the overall inconsistency in their occurrence (anywhere from once a year to once a week) have me wondering if the cause is mental, not physical. She is incredibly healthy overall, and she eats high quality food. Regardless of the cause, vets do not seem to take this issue seriously, which is something that really bothers me. For those of you with extremely anxious dogs, this may be something to consider. I understand how awful it is for both human and dog to endure these episodes when they do happen, and the feeling of being helpless while your best friend ultimately suffers is indescribable. I hope these insights help!

[joan r]

Just found this forum……….So relieved that I am not the only one with this weird problem.
My 10 year old Golden has been dealing with this for about 2 years now. We have done the Cerenia, peptid, cisapride, erythromycin on a daily basis with meals but nothing really stops this “thing” from coming back eventually. I am so frustrated because it is so hard to watch.
He, too, has a UTI that has been hard to get rid of.
Did the endoscopy and they took out some carpet. Then emergency surgery for a foreign material in his abdomen because when this does come on he will chew anything.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Joan, is he on an ant acid medication now every 12 hours? & do you feed cooked meals instead of kibble??
Kibble can make the acid reflux worse I’m finding, kibble has too many carbs that are soluble fiber & sit in the stomach…. Soluble fiber slows digestion then causes the acid reflux…google “foods that ferment” or “Vegetables that ferment” they are soluble fiber, stay away from them foods that are soluble fiber foods… like oats, barley, rye, peas, legumes, http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Factsheets/Food-Sources-of-Soluble-Fibre.aspx
That’s why some vet prescription diets work, they have more insoluble fiber.. I learnt this from the Hills Nutrition lady when I first rescued Patch & found he didn’t get his acid reflux when he ate Hills Z/d Ultra but he got itchy skin & smelly like yeast & poos was tooo soft, so I had the find a kibble that didn’t have tooo much soluble fiber & more insoluble fiber…low fiber diets. around 3%-fiber.
“Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon & Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb seem to work for Patch, some days I only feed 1 meal that’s kibble & a cooked meal, that’s lean chicken breast with sweet potatoes or lean pork mince made into rissoles & sweet potatoes..1 serving of sweet potatoes has 2.2grams of insoluble fiber & Patch is doing perfect poos finally…
Try feeding 1 cup chicken breast or lean turkey & 1/4 to 1/2 a cup boiled sweet potatoes… I put thru a blender & blend for a few seconds…. I cook then freeze in sections & take out when needed..

[joan r]

Thank you, Susan. He has been on HIll’s canned ID and WD food for the past 5 years. He doesn’t do well on the zd………….gives him very loose stools…………….but as I am reading the forum responses, I am getting less stuck on the idea it has something to do with the food. Afterall, it happens randomly………..he can be fine for a month and then all of a sudden out of the blue he has an episode…………..it is still a mystery to me. Just doesn’t make sense but thank you for your advice and let’s keep in touch!
Joan

[Jenni M]

My doberman started with the gulps at about 2 years of age. She has been raw fed since puppy-hood- which surprised me as most cases seemed to be dogs with conventional kibble diets. I’ve seen theories that say the “gulps” could be neurological, emotionally triggered, diet related, and so on. Since I fed a raw diet, and exercise her frequently, I did worry it might be genetic. I never got my vet to test her though, as that route seemed frustratingly inconclusive/expensive for most the owners online.

Some people have had success with antacids, so that was my first test. An appropriate dosage of Pepto-Bismol worked to stop her gulps every time. However, research has led me to believe pepto itself is not a healthy option. Some studies suggest that antacids actually exacerbate the issue…. so the solution mentioned, among other things, apple cider vinegar. The hard part is making it palatable, so to get her to eat it I mix it 40/60- 30/70 with water, and mix in some ground meat to make a soup. It worked! I use about 1/3 of a cup (Braggs Apple Cider) for my 75lb girl. I have reduced the episodes down to almost non-existence- and avoid known triggers (fatty meat like chicken skin or heavily marbled beef).

For those interested in the information, I’d recommend reading the research on Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD in people. Specifically those that have taken the natural route to ‘fix’ their symptoms. The similarities to the gulps in dogs is interesting.

[joan r]

thank you, Jenni M…………………………Did your doberman eat everything in sight when these episodes occur?………..My golden was lucky not to have another emergency surgery to take out the blouse and sweater he ate………..they got it out with a scope………..when I am not home now, I have to crate him and it is so sad. I am going to try your suggestions……..I am beginning to believe it is neurological.
Please keep me posted.

[Vanessa C]

Joan R.
I would consider trying to treat for a neurological issue. I think my dog was on her way to getting an obstruction (the last thing she ate was a 6″ strip of carpet she tore up). I was at my wits end with her after all of the GI medications weren’t helping, so I decided to trial phenobarbital for focal seizures. I figured it was a shot. My vet agreed, and we started it a few months ago. Since then she has had one “breakthrough” episode, and I kind of think she dropped her pill that day. She was having terrible “episodes” every other week, sometimes days in a row prior. I’m am so relieved to have stopped them. We keep her at the low end of the therapeutic range, and that seems to work. It does require bloodwork to monitor liver health and the phenobarbital levels. But it’s cheaper than an exploratory surgery!

[Acroyali]

For years, one of our dogs fought this problem, and we kept him on Pepcid as a maintenance and would switch to Cerenia if things got bad. Surprise, after so long the pepcid stopped working at the recommended dosage and we needed to switch to a higher potency. Endoscopy showed inflammation. The symptoms got worse. As much as I love my vet in general, the diagnosis “IBD” and being offered z/d and cerenia for life was just plain not good enough for us.
Like Jenni M, we decided long term, drugs weren’t a good option for us, and we did the Apple Cider Vinegar as she suggested and it worked. While the flare ups still happened, things got better. We worked closely with a homeopath who was able to pinpoint the rest of the symptoms and select a remedy that knocked it out for good. Upon reading about GERD (Dr. Becker has excellent articles on this, as does the ottawa valley dog whisperer), it was mentioned that high stomach acid has the same symptoms as LOW stomach acid (just like it does in humans). Our dog was actually experiencing low acid, and we were treating his stomach as if it were highly acidic and we were giving him MORE things to reduce his stomach acid which he didn’t even have. That itself led to mild pica and vomiting as, without any stomach acid left, he was unable to break down his food and it had nowhere to go but up. (It also makes me think twice before popping a pepcid, myself.) I’m extremely grateful for conventional veterinary medicine, as it truly does save lives (you can’t fix a broken leg with coconut oil and herbs.) But when something, conventional or not, isn’t working, it’s time to look elsewhere and try something else. JMO.

[Carlene]

No matter what I try, Gotti will not go near anything with ACV mixed in. Oh the challenges…

[Susan]

Hi Carlene, I do not use ACV for Patch, it can make acid reflux worse & burn the throat when the stomach acid comes up into the throat, as my daughter discovered when she was pregnant & I told her to have 1 teaspoon Braggs ACV it made her symptoms worse, its so hard to tell are you or is the animal not making enough Hydrochloric acid or making too much Hydrochloric acid??……
Do you know what I do, I buy the red delicious apples that are sweet & not acidity… I cut out 1/4 of the apple & wrap the rest of the apple in cling wrap & put the apple in fridge for next day, I peel the 1/4 of the apple piece & remove any seeds then I cut into little pieces I have a piece & I give Patch a piece I started giving 3 small pieces every morning when he would feel sick & have his symptoms of acid reflux & eat grass, some mornings the pieces of apple made him worse & other mornings he was OK, I have stopped the apple pieces cause we had more bad days after eating the apple then good days but it showed me that Patch is making too much Hydrochloric acid the days he was worse & the days he was OK after eating the pieces of apple he had no acid…… its called Hypochlorhydria (Lack of Stomach Acid) there’s a really good human group on F/B called “Fast Tract Diet (official Group) run by Dr Norm Robillard, he’s written a few books how to have a healthy gut, SIBO, Heartburn Diet, what foods to eat & avoid.. I’d say it would also apply with a dog the diets… I’ve emailed him a few times about Patch & what to do, you have to avoid feeding foods that have Soluble fiber & ferment in the gut & high fat foods… https://www.facebook.com/groups/FastTractDiet/

[Jean P]

Hi Carlene, did you ever get a diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis? Just today I think I have found this to be the cause of our Jake’s gulping episodes for the past 5 years. The youtube videos gave me chills because they are exactly what he does, and I have had countless Vets not know exactly how to treat etc. Feel like I am having a hallelujah moment!!

Jean

[Susan]

Hi Jean, what medications is your dog on for acid reflux? since putting Patch on Losec (Omeprazole) a stronger ant-acid medication Patch has improved heaps nilly 100% it all
depends on what he’s eating now….
When he eats his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, he does real well,
no swallowing or grinding his teeth, he grinds his teeth I’d say when the hydrochloric
acid comes up into his mouth, then he grinds that yucky taste away then he swallows & swallows..

I’ve notice when I feed him a high carb diet over 40% in a dry kibble especially the vet diets that are for Intestinal health he grinds the most & when I looked most vet diets are 50-60% in carbs……also kibbles with rice, oats, barley, beet pulp makes his acid worse they’re soluble fibers they sit & ferment in the stomach…
Change your dogs diet, change a few things around, feed something else for breakfast & then watch him, is he better or worse..
I cant feed wet tin food he starts grinding his teeth, even the wet tin Vet Diet foods &
some are only 1.7%max in fat so it must be the carbs, fish oils & beet pulp in the vet diets causing the swallowing grinding from the acid reflux coming up…cause when I make his meal lean pork & sweet potatoes he’s fine…. Patch can’t have any fish or salmon oils in a dry kibble or wet tin foods….the Australian made Taste Of The Wild has no Salmon oil we have Canola oil instead, probably cause fish & salmon oils go rancid quicker when the bag is opened & the oxygen hits the kibble…..

[Robin S]

Hello fellow distraught pet lovers and owners,

We bought two sibling basset hounds nearly a year ago and have been having this problem with BOTH of them on and off. Heart-wrenching for all of us.

I am a wannabee herbal and nutritional practitioner with our own family. Although we’ve taken the dogs to the vet, I’ve also done research and tried different herbal remedies.

Hoping our continued experience can help others as we continue to seek answers and comfort for our beloved pets.

Here it goes..

One, both our dogs take turns getting this. The male fairs worse than the female. We originally thought it was bloat and took the male to an animal emergency hospital, costing $600.00. They took x-rays that showed it WAS NOT bloat. We then took him to the vet and they did lab work and said their was a small amount of some kind of bacteria…forgot the name. He prescribed an anti-biotic for him. The female then got it and he prescribed one for her. They were both fine for awhile andthen it starts all over again. The antibiotic did not work as well for her. We’ve also tried de-wormers throughout.

So I started treating the symptoms. The interesting thing is even tho’ both of them get this, I have to use different herbs and protocols to effectively (if not temporarily) ease their pain and discomfort. All very interesting..

These are what I use:
For Paulette: 1/2 human ginger root capsule with her food helps her nausea. When we don’t do this her symptoms start up again. If she gets it full on I’ve been giving her Parasite Dr. from PetAlive. This calms her and also makes her sleepy. I’m hoping it also helps to cure her. She is currently non-symptomatic.
Baggins, the male is in a full symptomatic bout these past 4 days. Thought we’d try a store bought parasite medication. It has not worked as it had in the past. So, we’ve been treating the symptoms. This is what works for him:
Avena Sativa, oat straw helps to calm him down. Bromelain reduces the gas and bloat build up his gut. We have also skipped a feeding this time. He’s sleeping peacefully at the moment.
With his next feeding I will start the Parasite Cleanse that I also give to Paulette, continue the oat straw and bromelain and add marshmellow root. Marshmellow root coats and soothes the easophagus and stomach lining.

As we continue to try different things for our pets as well as pray for them, our family, especially me, has to learn to live with the symptoms. I have to know that this isn’t life threatening and so far they have always come out of it. We have started to confine them to just the kitchen when symptomatic as it is a small area, has linoleum instead of carpet and is easier to clean up vomit and anything else. Sometimes he’ll stop the licking/gulping and look at us and whine for a bit. When the symptoms die down a bit, we bring him and lay on the floor holding and petting him til he goes to sleep.

That is most of our story so far.
Looking for commonalities and patterns and lack thereof as well…
Both our dogs take turns getting this.
It seems cyclonic…every month to six weeks..
Changing food does not affect it…or does so temporarily..
We are not alone, as seen here and elsewhere on the web, this is a newer and undiagnosed canine disease or disorder. We’ve had dogs all our lives and have never experienced anything like this. I have friends whose dogs do this as well.

Hoping to learn from all of you and be another shoulder to lean on for support,
for our pets,
Robin

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Robin S.

[Dennis M]

Hi Robin,
So sorry to hear of your dogs’ troubles. It’s been a while since I posted my experience but here’s what I can tell you. After over 8 years of seeing our wheaten terrier experience this gulping issue, and trying to treat as a GI event with all sorts of meds and different foods, we finally found a remedy. We took him to a neurologist and after an exam, discussing the history with me, and seeing a video of the event, the doctor felt it very well was a partial complex seizure. We have been treating him with Keppra over the past year and it works. It’s possible the presentation of these symptoms could be other things, but I’d urge you to consult with a neurologist for the possibility of seizure if nothing else you’ve tried has worked. Happy to provide details etc if you or anyone else has questions. Hang in there!

[anonymous]

What a lot of you describe (symptoms) sounds neurological, for best results, ask your vet to refer you to a veterinary neurologist.
I am assuming the dog has not responded to treatment by your regular vet within a reasonable amount of time. There are effective medications available by prescription that will put a halt to the suffering. The first step would be to get further testing, maybe by a specialist, and hopefully that will result in an accurate diagnosis, from there you can evaluate your treatment options.
Yes, it might be expensive, but, what isn’t expensive nowadays? Better than buying a bunch of stuff that is not scientifically proven to work.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by anonymous.

[Cassie P]

Just wondering has anyone tried giving 1/4th chewable gas x and half a tums at the onset of symptoms? My dog had these same issues that you all describe and this is the only combination to make her stop the gulping and swallowing. About 10 minutes after she chews the gas x and tums, I pat her belly, she starts passing gas and goes to sleep. I know this may not work for every issue on this thread but it’s worth a try if any of you haven’t tried it already.

[anonymous]

What is her diagnosis? Noone here should advise you to give a dog over the counter meds that are intended for humans. They are not veterinarians, and even if they were, they have not examined the dog.
If her condition is neurological, food, over the counter meds, supplements will not help.
Take her to the vet and see what he advises.

[Cassie P]

I worked with a veterinarian and there are safe human medications that are fine for dogs. Feel free to google it for yourself- a partial list includes coated baby aspirin, pepto bismol, tums, has x (no xylitol), alprazolam, etc.. there are a lot of people who can not afford or do not live near a veterinary clinic so yes if you are at your wits end trying to help your dog a 1/4th chewable gasx and half a regular tums is not going to hurt! You’d actually be surprised at how quick this helps. As I stated previously, my dog was exhibiting the SAME symptoms as everyone else here and it worked for her.

[anonymous]

That’s not the point. Unless the medication is specifically prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog in question, I would not give it.
I am an RN, I was not allowed to give a co-worker even a Tylenol, or I would face disciplinary action and potential termination.
“First do no harm”
PS: Do what you want, I am just expressing my opinion based on my knowledge, take it or leave it.

[Cassie P]

I’m not here to bicker with anyone. The point is, no one can pin point what this issue is veterinarians and owners alike. I’m offering my experience with this and people can use their own judgment to see if it works for them as well as it has for me. I wish everyone the best of luck with whatever this is.

[anonymous]

Another thing to consider, if the dog has an adverse reaction to anything you have given without the recommendation of a vet (in writing) you have no legal recourse as far as blaming the company, especially if the product does not specify that it is intended for veterinary use.

[Sabema]

Hi Cassie,

I’ve had the same good results with my Tucker. At the onset of gulping I give him 1 Benadryl and 1 Pepcid AC – this is the only combination that drastically reduces the duration and intensity of the episode. This combo was also ok’d by our long term vet.

Some years ago, based on info from this board, I switch Tucker to Hills Prescription Z/D food. Our gulping episodes went from 1-2 times per month to 1-2 time every 6-8 months.

[Cassie P]

http://www.walkervalleyvet.com/otc-meds.htm For everyone else who is willing to step outside of guidelines to help their pet, here is a link by a veterinarian. Thank you Sabema I’m so glad you found something that helps your fur baby 🙂 sometimes we need to think outside the box and figure out what works best for us and our dogs. I hope everyone has a blessed day!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Cassie P.

[Sabema]

Cassie,

You are correct, we know our pets best and sometimes it takes a new approach. I went to several specialists for YEARS trying to figure out what caused the gulping episodes and most of them had never even seen the symptoms before. They all said it was Kennel Cough, which I knew to be 100% incorrect. That resulted in countless cycles of antibiotics that he didn’t need to be taking before I said enough. Our issues were food related the whole time.

This forum was a godsend. Vet’s (or Dr.’s) are not all knowing, all of the time.

[Acroyali]

Cassie, one of my dogs developed a gulping/coughing/gagging sound that happened any time, day or night, with no rhyme or reason. It got so bad that he began vomiting whenever it would happen. We, too, went to vets, specialists, did X-rays, bloodwork, scopes etc. They said it was IBD. I disagreed and consulted another vet, who suggested we take him OFF the acid reducers and try something else as he felt the dog had a horrible case of GERD (acid reflux) that had gone out of control, and damaged his stomach lining as well as his esophagus. His problem was he didn’t have *enough* stomach acid, so the acid reducers were covering up the symptoms temporarily, and making the actual problem worse and the lack of stomach acid explained why he was unable to eat anything I gave him without throwing it up during times he was having an episode. The vet prescribed few key supplements, a few homeopathic remedies, and helped me devise a meal plan of cooked food for him to make myself while we helped his gut heal. The vet did advise me, as he apparently advises anyone with a dog that has any kind of stomach problems, that smaller meals are key and larger meals should be avoided. He also suggested I re-seed his gut with good bacteria via probiotics, and make bone broth from organically raised chicken legs and give him several tablespoons per day (lots of naturally occurring L-glutamine that helps heal and seal that gut.)

[Cassie P]

Acroyali you are correct also, see the point I was trying to make above is we as pet owners need to find what works best for our own dogs. My experience was my dog started gulping and swallowing, she looked freaked out Wanted outside to swallow any leaves and grass she could find. I knew that meant her belly was upset and her instinct was to eat grass so she could vomit. I stayed up with her for hours all night with this happening. We were stationed in Virginia with no vet clinic for miles. I just had to pat her belly to help her pass gas and try to sooth her best I could. She went to the vet after the episode because it NEVER happens at the vet office anyways. She was perfectly healthy. I changed her food to dye free 4health and it lessened those episodes tremendously. But she still has her moments when it starts again I’d say maybe once every 3-4 months. Out of nowhere that swallowing gulping so I gave her half a tums 1/4th gas x (she’s 90lb lab) and within ten minutes she wasn’t freaked out anymore and started tooting. I never give her any Gasx/tums unless has these episodes so I know she has plenty of the good acids and gut bacteria. It’s what works best for my dog just like you both above have found what works best for your dogs. That’s what makes this thread so helpful to frantic pups and owners alike. We can share our experiences and be here for moral support. 🙂 and just maybe help a pup in the future. There’s no guidelines to follow at 2am when your dog wakes you up basically having a panic attack gulping air. It freaks us all out and we just want to help our babies. I’m not a RN or a doctor but I do love animals with all my heart, have rescued rehabbed and raised many dif species so I have a general understanding of what I need to do. So yall with that said, don’t give your dog a Tylenol(it’s toxic) but if your human best friend starts her period or has a headache give that girl a Tylenol without worrying about getting permission first lol!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Cassie P.

[Leslie M]

Katie, my standard schnauzer is 5 and has recently begun this behavior. She swallows repeatedly, lick everything, scarfs down things like dust bunnies, leaves etc., but I’ve noticed her belly sounds hollow, she has rapid breathing, and seems frantic. I’ve tried percussion while she’s laying on her left side,and whenjoy I can stand her on her hind legs for a few minutes at a time. Fortunately, there’s a sudden long belch, some pootie toots, and the problem seems resolved. This has happeNed 4 times in the last 2 weeks, and never before in 5 years.
I have been searching for others with this issue, as my vet cant come up with a cause or remedy. I can’t take any more chances that this may be what I assume can bring on a bloat episode, so I’m changing to home made food with only a small amount of her kibble, just for vitamins and mineral content. I’m also going to try the 1/4 tab of tums after every meal, it ALWAYS comes on 2 hours after eating. She has a cup on food 2 times a day now, so 1/2 with brown rice, chicken carrots, celery and green beans (which she LOVES) will suplement the lesser amount of kibble. I hope we hear more of what works on this site, since we can’t get definitive diagnosis from our beloved vets. It seems this is becoming prominent with more junk thrown into kibble. Anything for a buck. I’ve seen carpet in one prominent dogfood brand, so I’m very choosy. My dogs are working dogs, and are very dear to me.
Thanks for all the great advice and sympto.s, please keep them coming.

[Cassie P]

I’m not a vet so this is just my advice. Maybe try giving the tums at the onset of symptoms instead of every day. As was stated by another user when an antacid is given too often the body cant producing the adequate amount of acid needed for proper digestion plus tums contains calcium so over-doing it isn’t good. If it was me and all you’re wanting to try is tums, id wait till you see the tale tale sign of panic and swallowing air start then give her the tums when you know she needs it. I believe it’s a type of indigestion similar to what humans get when air builds up in our belly and hurts so bad. If your comfortable trying 1/4th chewable gas x since she does start tooting and feels better (just like my dog) I do think it’d help. I wish Katie all the best and please let us know what you try and if it helps 🙂 PS is her food & water bowls elevated a bit off the floor so the food doesn’t have to travel as far upwards to be swallowed? I’ve read that helps also.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Cassie P.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Cassie P.

[anonymous]

What a lot of you describe (symptoms) sounds neurological, for best results, ask your vet to refer you to a veterinary neurologist.
I am assuming the dog has not responded to treatment by your regular vet within a reasonable amount of time. There are effective medications available by prescription that will put a halt to the suffering. The first step would be to get further testing, maybe by a specialist, and hopefully that will result in an accurate diagnosis, from there you can evaluate your treatment options.

Example: Complex Partial Seizures (aka Psychomotor or Behavioral): Seizures: are associated with bizarre or complex behaviors that are repeated during each seizure. People with complex partial seizures experience distortions of thought, perception or emotion (usually fear), sometimes with unusual visual, olfactory, auditory and gustatory sensations. If dogs experience the same things, it may explain the lip-smacking, chewing, fly biting, aggression, vocalization, hysterical running, cowering or hiding in otherwise normal animals. Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distress, salivation, blindness, unusual thirst or appetite, and flank biting are other signs. There is an obvious lack of awareness though usually not lack of consciousness. Abnormal behaviors may last minutes or hours and can be followed by a generalized seizure. Complex partial seizures are usually associated with secondary epilepsy. (excerpt from) http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/FAQ.html

[Allison M]

Hey guys, have any of you guys ever looked into the possibility of sialadenosis in your dogs? It’s a salivary gland issue that causes gulping, excessive salivation, and vomiting. You can read about it here: http://www.vets.co.il/sialadenosis-in-a-dog—case-report
And here: http://vet.uga.edu/archives/sevpac/archive/sevpac2012/38-Boone.pdf

[Lindsey C]

THANK YOU for this incredibly productive discussion thread! My 3 year old, female dog has been having vomiting episodes (initially diagnosed as GERD) once or twice the past few months. I’d noticed that she had been gulping a lot when she was in the throes of one which is how I found this thread. I also was curious about the few individuals who mentioned concurrent UTIs with this gulping and GI issue as my dog has had a lot of UTIs/incontinence and GI problems (usually at the same time). My dog just had three episodes in one week (with only two “stable” days of not vomiting) so we have been in and out of three different vets. I stuck to my intuition that something was seriously wrong with her and, sure enough, it looks like she has Addison’s Disease. I just wanted to post this as a possibility in case it matches anyone else’s experience out there. If dogs are in an Addisonian Episode, it requires immediate medical attention to stabilize them. You can read more about it here: http://www.addisondogs.com/addisons/ . Thank you again for all the comments and good luck to everyone – it it so stressful when your dog is mysteriously ill but it is so nice to see others helping each other out with their own experiences!

[Katie r]

My poor boy Brody (border collie) has the gulps 😟
He use to have it every few weeks or couple months but today is the 6th day. 1at day was very bad. Gulping and licking and panicking.
He has 3-4 small meals a day on a disgestion support vet food. But that night he was bad. He got himself hot and anxious and tryied panting but the gulps stopped him and it was like wind sucking.
I was told by my get to not let him eat grass but he was in such a state I let him out. He ate grass like a horse. Gobbled it down… but only certain patches. Then made himself sick.
I took him back to bed but every 15min or so it would start again. I gave him pepto bismol from the moment this started and it didn’t help at all. He was sick 3 more times. I was up all night.
At some point I fell asleep and just awake but thank god he was nice and quiet and relaxed.
for several days after he was not himself and had a few gulp episodes but nothing like the other night.
Then last night he started again.
At about 11pm so I gave him some pepto and a hand ful of food and put him to bed. Every 2 hours I had to do this.
it’s not 12:30pm and he’s still having issues.
I have the vets at 3:20.
I go away in a week and so scared to leave him. This boy is my life.

[anonymous]

I would call the vet clinic and see if they can fit you in earlier today, especially if you are a regular client there, or I would consider going to the emergency vet, now.
I would refrain from giving the dog any more over the counter meds until he is properly diagnosed and a vet tells you to do so.
Good luck, give us an update…if you think of it.

[Susan]

Hi Katie, please don’t give the Pepto Bismol any more, it has been band in Australia it has Asprin in it & another drug, I’ve forgotten name.. if human or dog has ulcers this can be dangerous, I keep liquid Mylanta in the fridge for Patch when he’s doing what your poor boy is doing, I give 5ml 1 teaspoon & finally we get some sleep, he needs a vet ASAP & probably a stronger ant acid medication like Prilosec for a week, I’d ask about having an Endoscope + BIOPSIES this is the only real way to get some answers thru the biopsies, Finally after a diet change & patch being put on Losec, Patch hasn’t had another bad episode again, touch wood..

[Christie]

My mom called me this morning telling me that her 2 year old dog has been gulping and licking at the carpets/floors. This happened last year and it turned out that she had ingested fibers from a carpet runner that were long and that she couldn’t vomit them up or pass them. She had to get surgery to remove the items. Since then, she’s watched like a hawk. Which is why my mom can’t see why it’s suddenly happening again.

I wonder if she was having stomach issues and she ate the carpet BECAUSE of it. Or if she happened to ingest something again and it’s her way of trying to get rid of it.

[joan r]

I know exactly what you are talking about. My golden retriever has had these episodes for years now. After three surgeries my vet advised me to crate him when I am not home. He still has the gulping and incessant licking occasionally but he is in a crate, without a pad, when he is alone. He won’t ingest anything (clothing, carpets, leashes etc.) when I am there.
He is on medications and has been for , at least, 5 years. It hasn’t gone away.
He has had every test and none of my vets can figure it out.
If you want to know the medications he is on, let me know.
Good luck!

[Susan]

To Christie, change diet see if this helps, when my boy starts with his licking, swollowing, acid reflux, I rotate to another kibble that agrees with him, with low carbohydrates, I never keep him on the same food, he seems to react after 1-2 months of eating, when Spring starts my boy becomes a mess a again, I saw vet the other day, vet said it’s to do with his allergies, cause every March Patch is always bad the beginning of Autumn with his IBD mainly stomach problems….
I live Australia just finished the hottest Summer ever….now we are having Cyclones….

[Dennis M]

Hi Christie / Joan / Susan,
You might not have seen my post somewhere in this thread a while back, but I would strongly urge you to take your dog to a neurologist. Our dog has the same gulping and swallowing issues reported on this message board, and for years (close to 7 to be exact) we thought it was either IBD, allergies to food or environment, or reflux, that was causing the gulping episodes. Our regular vet couldn’t definitively say either. Since we operated under the aforementioned GI diagnoses, we unfortunately made all these false correlations with various changes in his diet and with GI medications — this food or that med (i.e. Pepcid, Sucralfate) would “work” but then he’d have another event and we’d hit a setback. Since our diagnosis of partial complex seizure was made, it all makes sense now. The diet and drugs never had any impact on his seizures — it was the seizures that would go “dormant” for a while which gave us false hope we had found the right combo of things.

Please know I’m not attempting to diagnose your dog, but based on the descriptions of these events, seeing a neurologist might be the best decision you ever made. It was for us!

[anonymous]

@ Dennis M
Thanks for the update. I agree 100%

From my previous post
What a lot of you describe (symptoms) sounds neurological, for best results, ask your vet to refer you to a veterinary neurologist.
I am assuming the dog has not responded to treatment by your regular vet within a reasonable amount of time. There are effective medications available by prescription that will put a halt to the suffering. The first step would be to get further testing, maybe by a specialist, and hopefully that will result in an accurate diagnosis, from there you can evaluate your treatment options.
Example: Complex Partial Seizures (aka Psychomotor or Behavioral): Seizures: are associated with bizarre or complex behaviors that are repeated during each seizure. People with complex partial seizures experience distortions of thought, perception or emotion (usually fear), sometimes with unusual visual, olfactory, auditory and gustatory sensations. If dogs experience the same things, it may explain the lip-smacking, chewing, fly biting, aggression, vocalization, hysterical running, cowering or hiding in otherwise normal animals. Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distress, salivation, blindness, unusual thirst or appetite, and flank biting are other signs. There is an obvious lack of awareness though usually not lack of consciousness. Abnormal behaviors may last minutes or hours and can be followed by a generalized seizure. Complex partial seizures are usually associated with secondary epilepsy. (excerpt from) http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/FAQ.html

[Christie]

Susan, she was transitioned from Purina One to Fromm’s Weight Management about 2 weeks ago. When she had this issue last time, there hadn’t been any changes to her diet.

I wonder though about the neurological possibilities. Back in January or February, she had an episode where she couldn’t control her bladder for 2 days. And at one point, my mother said she kind of stared off and slumped like she was having a seizure for a few seconds. The vet did tests and chalked it up to a bladder/UTI and gave her antibiotics.

[anonymous]

As some of us have mentioned, it may be best to go to a specialist (veterinary neurologist) for testing ,an accurate diagnosis and treatment options

I am assuming the dog has not responded to treatment by your regular vet within a reasonable amount of time. Why not ask your vet for a referral? That’s what I would do.

[Robert J]

Hi everyone. To molzy that originally posted this forum or about the dog gulping and swallowing did you ever find out what it was or what the vet said. For the past week or two my dog has been doing the same thing it’s usually right after she eats her meal she starts gulping and licking and acting like she’s having some kind of trouble breathing or she jerks her head and then she has to go outside to eat grass like crazy. I thought it was maybe acid reflux but it happened so fast right after she eats I thought maybe she’s getting error in our stomach hurt eating too fast but maybe she panics I don’t know and maybe the grass that she didn’t eating his turn into a vicious cycle and it irritates her stomach so she has to eat more grass to come but come at the last time. But that usually happens right after she eats like within 20 seconds even though the other day she you’ve got some yellow bile stuff and then her tummy was grumbling one morning but the vet gave her a nausea shot and she did better after that and so far she’s doing okay well she still acts like she has hiccups maybe she’s eaten too fast

[Susan]

Hi Robert, what is she eating & is she gulping her meals?? I sit down in lounge room on lounge, I put patches heavy glass bowl on a little stool thing, so his stomach is level with his mouth/throat when he’s standing, then I only add about 2 kibbles at 1 time, if they’re small kibbles, don’t feed any big kibbles, they’re harder to digest, Patch has to chew the kibble, as soon as he chews the kibble I add another 2 kibbles, I put a paper towel folded & folded again cause Patch gets all spit coming out of sides of mouth & makes 1 big mess & the paper towel soaks up his spit, I also get another paper towel & wipe his mouth as he’s eating, I’ve had to teach him to chew his kibbles, treats, he just swallowed any kibbles, treats, then his vet said start sectioning the 1 cup of kibble & feed slowly & now he finally chews & doesn’t gulp & swallow….. it has made a really big difference, it takes about 20mins to feed him, then we go for a 15min walk after he eats & he does farts & poo lol…also start feeding her about 4-5 smaller meals a day, sounds like she had the pain or acid reflux before she ate her food to be running out & eating grass & after eating food it has made the problem worse, kibble isn’t good for dogs with acid reflux or any stomach problems….
“Holistic Select”, “Canidae” Pure Meadow, Life Stages Platinum & “Taste Of Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble are very easy to digest kibbles….You may need a acid reducer ask vet can you trial a 1-2 week on an ant acid med & see does it make any difference also change diet, I had to put Patch on Prilosec, 1 every morning, with the change of diet & the Prilosec made a real big difference..
Have you tried cooked meal?, feed 1 very lean protein & boiled sweet potato, feed the cooked meal when she is normally the worst?

[Susan]

To Christie, I really doubt your mum’s dog has Neurological disorder. You wrote how this happen last year when she had ingested carpet fiber/runners & she couldn’t vomit them back up & needed operation to remove & then when she had the bladder problem & the vet did do test & chalked it to UTI, did the antibiotics fix the UTI probably..

Fromm kibbles have tooo MANY different ingredients & too many different proteins….
I just had a look at the Fromm Weight management formula & it has 5 different proteins, five that’s a lot especially if the dog has a sensitive stomach/bowel & then it has barley, sweet potato, cheese, oats, white rice, brown rice, pea protein, applesauce, broccoli, beans, millet, potatoes, carrots, cranberries, blueberries & the fiber is 7%, too high…my dog would not be able to eat any of the Fromm formulas too much is happening in the Fromm formulas, dogs do best on a simple kibble & you add fresh healthy foods….

Your mum needs to look for limited ingredient kibbles with 3-7 ingredients only & limited ingredient wet tin food -4% & under for the fat% if a wet tin formula & just 1 protein maybe 2 proteins but with a kibble 1 protein is best, this way there’s less ingredients to cause any stomach problems…..I would be making sure her diet is a really good quality diet… Feed the limited ingredient kibble for breakfast & a cooked meal for dinner, whatever your mum is cooking or if what your mum is cooking a meal that’s too hot or rich then open a tin of good quality dog food….
What breed is your mum’s dog & does she have anxieties?

[anonymous]

@ Robert J, and others faced with these issues.

You could try one of those dome in the middle dishes that are designed to slow down her eating…….wet her kibble with water prior to serving.

But, honestly, something is wrong, and I would ask your veterinarian what further diagnostic tests are needed or to refer you to a specialist.
The sooner you get a correct diagnosis the better, and you can begin treatment. Read the previous posts in this thread, there may be more to it than gastrointestinal upset.
Her behavior is not normal and obviously the dog is in distress.
I would refrain from trying over the counter meds and such or making drastic changes to her diet, unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined your dog..

[anonymous]

@ Robert J, and others faced with these issues.

You could try one of those dome in the middle dishes that are designed to slow down her eating…….wet her kibble with water prior to serving.

But, honestly, something is wrong, and I would ask your veterinarian what further diagnostic tests are needed or to refer you to a specialist.
The sooner you get a correct diagnosis the better, and you can begin treatment. Read the previous posts in this thread, there may be more to it than gastrointestinal upset.
Her behavior is not normal and obviously the dog is in distress.

I would refrain from trying over the counter meds and such or making drastic changes to her diet, unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined your dog..

[anonymous]

@ Robert J, and others faced with these issues.

You could try one of those dome in the middle dishes that are designed to slow down her eating…….wet her kibble with water prior to serving.

But, honestly, something is wrong, and I would ask your veterinarian what further diagnostic tests are needed or to refer you to a specialist.
The sooner you get a correct diagnosis the better, and you can begin treatment. Read the previous posts in this thread, there may be more to it than gastrointestinal upset.
Her behavior is not normal and obviously the dog is in distress.

I would refrain from trying over the counter meds and such or making drastic changes to her diet, unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined your dog.

[anonymous]

Addendum to my last post:
You could try one of those dome in the middle dishes that are designed to slow down her eating…….wet her kibble with water prior to serving.

But, honestly, something is wrong, and I would ask your veterinarian what further diagnostic tests are needed to get an accurate diagnosis or to refer you to a specialist. So that you can begin treatment as soon as possible.

I would refrain from trying over the counter meds and such or making drastic changes to her diet, unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined your dog.
There are a variety of medical conditions that can cause the symptoms described, I hope you get some answers soon.

[Author]

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