[Rita M]

Susan , hi just a question …. Has your Patches had anymore episodes of gulping and swallowing? When was the last time ? My dog Ace just had another episode a week and a half ago so now the vet has him on Prilosec twice a day and metronidazole twice a day. I am considering seeing a neurologist if he has anymore episodes.

[Rita M]

HI all …. just an update … Ace finished his 21 days of the two antibiotics and prilosec, then two days later it happened again … yes the frantic licking swallowing and all… i called the vet and she told me to do another 21 days of the triple treatment.

my question is .. does it ever stop ?? or do you have episodes with your dogs every now and then ?? Also do you leave your dog in a crate when you are at work ?? and if you do how long is he confined . I just hate the thought that he will eat something and not pass it … but as this only happens occassionally i would hate to have him crated all the time while i am at work . What do you do?

[Rita M]

Hi all as promised here is my update after seeing the internal medicine specialist at the vets. She asked many questions and I explained everything with my detailed notes on times and what happened. The vet could not say exactly what was wrong as she was seeing a perfectly healthy dog in front of her, she was open to trying a treatment of the triple therapy of metronidazole , amoxicillin and omeprazole for 3 weeks , rather than do the endoscopy as that would be very expensive(1500-2000) as compared to 50.00 for the medicines.

She has not ruled out some behavior issues (separation anxiety, or over excitably) causing everything , but wanted to try the medicines first. I am to call her in three weeks to discuss how things have gone , earlier if any problems.

I asked about his food and she did not think I needed to switch to a grain free food as she did not think this was caused by that.

Of course Ace my dog was happy with all the attention but I could see this was stressing him too…. And he was not eager to eat when we got home even though it was pass his normal dinner time . Hopefully he will be hungry tomorrow .

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Rita M.

[Rita M]

Thank you all for your comments I have an appointment with an internal medicine vet next Wednesday for a consultation. I will keep you updated on what he says

[Rita M]

Anon101 I have been to the vet many times for this condition and they (I have gone to 2 different ones) both look at me as though I do not know what I am talking about because they see a perfectly health active dog in front of them and the blood tests and X-rays show nothing . As these attacks as I call them only happen occasionally I do not know what is causing them and yes I keep track of foods eaten , and anything unusual that might be different .
So that is why I am coming here to try to get help on a possible diagnose or an idea of the direction to point me in. I am not looking for free medical help.

[Rita M]

Hi just found this forum and was glad to finally find others going through what I am with my dog. Ace is a border collie mix who started the crazy double swallowing/gulping then frantically licking the floor , bedding everything. He would continue this and has eaten rugs bedding waterhog rugs anything really , then finally throwing up. This was all while I was at work . The first time it happened was maybe 3 1/2 years ago. That time he ate lots of a Berber rug runner ….. Boy was I scared when I came home and saw that. We spent that night throwing up and pooping strands of Berber fibers!
This happened again a year later, no rug to chew so he ate his bed! And the stuffing inside! Again happened while I was at work , and I spent the night running him outside to throw up.
In the last six months 4 times he has done the frantic licking at night and I have been able to get him outside and walk him a bit to stop him.
I have gone to the vet and had blood work and X-ray done ….nothing . Of course he is fine when I go and the vet has never heard of this happening. She did give me Prilosec and famotidine for acid reflux and this just because I asked for it.
She says the next step would be an ultra sound and maybe some anxiety medicine like prosaic ?
Are these really gonna help? Have any of you found anything that works and stops these attacks from happening? Thanks for any comments.

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