Is your dog having a problem with swallowing the food or often vomits it out? Well, these are the symptoms you should never ignore concerning pet animals. Vomiting bile or having difficulty in ingestion can be a huge telltale sign of acid reflux. But don’t worry about your dog starving, and read on to find out why.
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What Are Some Of The Best Dog Foods for Dogs Having Acid Reflux?
If your little companion is experiencing acid reflux, it’s a sign to let your canine’s stomach rest for some time. In such a condition, highly-processed foods are a strict no for your dogs. Instead, you can feed them fatty foods and fibers that are easy to digest. And be sure to follow up a good dietary routine since homemade diets don’t often have the required nutritional value. Additionally, avoid oily and spicy foods.
How to Know if Your Canine Friend Has Acid Reflux?
The name gastroesophageal reflux, also known as acid reflux in dogs, and as the name suggests, has to do with gastric fluids traveling up from the stomach and into your dog’s oesophagus. Puking could be a more common reflex in breeds with a shorter oesophagus. These fluids are kept out of the oesophagus by a muscle opening called the sphincter. In healthy cases, the muscle opening prevents the bile and other fluids from flowing into the track, but in acid reflux cases, the sphincter relaxes, removing the protective barrier.
Symptoms of Acid Reflux in Dogs
However, there are some common signs to check for in your dog before visiting the vet:
- Sticking out tongue to lick the air
- Puking out food
- Noticeable decrease in appetite
- Loss of weight
- Whining while attempting to swallow
- Excessive Drooling
- Other signs of discomfort
If your furry companion shows these signs, consult with a vet for a proper checkup and treatment.
Dietary Tips for Canine Acid Reflux
Along with the requirement of soft and easy-to-digest foods, your dog’s meal schedule needs to be specifically carved out for these days of poor stomach health.
- No Late-Night Meals: During sleep, your dog’s sphincter relaxes, which is also the primary problem here. So, if you feed them at night when bedtime approaches and their biological clock tells the muscles to relax the tension, chances are they’re going to vomit it all out.
- Lighter Dog Foods: Their stomachs need rest now more than ever, so putting in hard-to-digest items would only cause more pain and discomfort. You could search for the best dry dog food for acid reflux or the best canned dog food for acid reflux. Online options allow you to order the best-canned dog food for acid reflux.
- Smaller Meals (But More Frequent): Vomiting bile often happens when your canine companion is on an empty stomach. It could, however, be prevented by supplying them with smaller, easier-to-digest meals.
Knowing how to feed after finding the best possible alternatives for your dog’s diet can be life and time-saving.
Best Foods For Dogs Dealing With Acid Reflux
Your dog might want to keep its digestive juices at rest when suffering from acid reflux. Hence, avoid serving any food that involves difficulty digesting because of its rich ingredients. Rather try to give them a balanced diet with light food. These foods could prove to be beneficiary for your dog’s health:
- Boiled Chicken
- Rice
- Turkey
- Bone Broth
- Baked Sweet Potato (make sure it is peeled)
- Broccoli
Along with these foods, pay attention to your dog’s dietary requirements. And you could even consult your vet (and you should) about getting back to canned food for your dog since most of them are highly processed but also have a healthy amount of essential elements in their diets. Furthermore, you could even give them medication (prescribed) to increase the healing faster.
What Foods Should you Avoid Feeding your Dog During Acid Reflux?
While knowing what to feed is the key to protecting your furry friend. But also knowing the foods you must avoid when these animals suffer from such a phase is equally important.
Some foods you should never feed your dog during acid reflex are:
- Oily or Greasy Foods: While light fats are essential to sustain their health, oil and grease can have the opposite effect. These foods can widen the sphincter, allowing the contents to spill over again. Again, you need to avoid feeding these types of foods to your dogs as they’re difficult to digest.
- Preservatives: Any preservative or flavoring substance should be avoided to elevate your dog’s nutrition. Additionally, you could go for avoiding food colorings and additives as well.
- Spicy Items: Spice in this condition is never a suitable choice. These can very easily irritate the stomach and its lining, slowing down the digestion with it.
CONCLUSION
Acid reflux in dogs can be treated very well but should also be taken seriously if you want your canine’s health to improve faster.
- Vomiting bile, having issues while swallowing, licking the air, drooling, or regurgitating can be fine signs of canine acid reflux.
- Acid reflux is caused by relaxing a muscle opening located at the bottom of the oesophagus, known as the sphincter.
- The best foods for acid reflux are rice, boiled chicken, baked sweet potato, and other fiber-rich foods.
- The worst foods contain spicy or greasy items and preservatives, and allergens.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ 1: What to feed a dog with acid reflux?
Feed them foods that are rich in fibers, have healthy fats, and are easy to digest. Such foods will not irritate your canine’s acid reflux and will promote healthy stomach acid levels.
FAQ 2: What causes acid reflux in canines?
Your dog may experience acid reflux if it’s allergic to any food ingredient. Some common canine allergens are:
- Soy
- Gluten
- GMOs
We recommend feeding fresh foods to your dogs that contain fresh ingredients – high-quality, free of preservatives, colorings, and flavors to provide optimal nutrition to your pet.
FAQ 3: How do you know if your dog has acid reflux?
Your dog has acid reflux if it is showing any of these symptoms:
- Excessive salivation (drooling),
- Burping
- Regurgitation
- Foul-smelling breath
FAQ 4: What is the best antacid for dogs?
Famotidine, also known as Pepcid, is a drug that the most vets prescribe to treat various gastrointestinal conditions. It works by reducing the production of stomach acid in dogs, which can help treat stomach ulcers, acid reflux, and gastritis.
FAQ 5: Can I give my dog a human antacid?
Some dogs improve when given a human antacid tablet, such as Tums, before each meal. However, we recommend not to give any human medicine to your dog without consulting with a vet.
