Why does my dog cough, gag, and struggle with her grain-free food?

Hello. If the Nexium & Primperan seemed to work & Moka is much more comfortable, she probably had some gastric reflux from something she ate. But she is an older Golden, so doing a geriatric workup on her would not be a bad idea. Blood work & a urinalysis would be baseline & show if there is anything to be concerned about. Until you have her seen, you might feed her lightly & with a bland diet using things like plain boiled chicken & rice, or even some low fat cottage cheese. Hopefully, all will be OK. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, you are correct that there is concern that no grain foods may potentially linked to heart disease, and the FDA is now investigating that. Personally, I recommend feeding Gypsy Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. I feed my own dogs Iams and they love it. I hope this helps!

It's going to be hard to notice symptoms before it's too late - but signs that would be concerning are panting at odd times, decreased exercise capacity, rapid breathing while resting, and coughing. There are prescription diets that are hydrolyzed - which means the food is mechanically or chemically broken up in to such small pieces that the immune system no longer recognizes it as chicken or pork (etc). I would recommending asking your vet if one of those diets would be appropriate. If you can't find another diet that works for Padfoot, it's important to know that the risk of heart disease is low, even though it's higher for grain-free or boutique diets than others, so you have to weigh controlling allergies that cause immediate harm with the possibility of heart disease.

He needs more fiber in his food. I do not recommend grain free food now since they have found an increase in heart disease in dogs that eat grain free exclusively. The research is ongoing but if he has flatulence and constipation I recommend switching diets. I use Hills food or recommend Nutro Naturals. You can also add plain canned pumpkin to his diet for added fiber but that may not help the gas. Vomiting blood once could be from a bone or stick. If it continues then that is a serious medical problem that needs veterinary care. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Riley. I'm sorry you are having problems with him and not getting answers. That must be very frustrating for you! It could be an esophageal issue and it may be further testing would be a good idea. I'd speak to her vet about doing an endoscope of her esophagus and stomach to try to diagnose what is causing her issue. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your questions about Bindi. Some older dogs can develop a gagging/coughing after eating or drinking possibly due to fibrosing of the soft tissue but I'm not sure that an exact cause is identified. Since there can be many causes of coughing and gagging in general, having Bindi examined by her veterinarian will just make sure that everything sounds and feels normal. I do not suspect the gulping of the food causes the coughing. The weight can contribute to breathing difficulty (as well as other health issues) but I wouldn't pin all the signs on just her excess weight. Certainly getting her weight to a healthy level is better for her in general. There are special bowls you can find that have large, tower like objects build into the bowl that force the pet to eat around them and slows things down. Dog food that has a doughnut shaped kibble can also slow down eating. Try a special bowl in combo with the special shaped kibble. I hope this helps to lead you in the right direction. Please post with any additional questions!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be secondary to an allergy, a reverse sneeze or coughing. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. A thorough examination will help rule out multiple causes and even considering having x-rays performed would help rule out multiple causes. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.