My dog is gulping, licking, and restless. Could it be acid reflux?

Hypothetically speaking , yes. However, I don't think we see if that often. If you are concerned your dog has gastric reflux, talk to your vet about a trial on famotidine. (Pepcid AC). See here for dosing information: (click on the chart for full view of drugs and dosages) https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pharmacology/systemic-pharmacotherapeutics-of-the-digestive-system/therapy-of-gastrointestinal-ulcers-monogastric

He may have picked up something like a toad or insect that tastes bad and gotten a toxin in his mouth causing the behavior you are describing. Make sure he’s drinking water as that will rinse out the mouth. If he won’t drink that try chicken broth. If he continues not to eat then I’m concerned and recommend a veterinary exam. Most likely if it was from something that irritated his mouth he should improve in another day or so. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sky.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bandit. If he has not already had one, I would recommend having an ultrasound of his belly by a board certified radiologist. This will help diagnose any concurrent problems such as inflammatory bowel disease or something else that is contributing to his symptoms. Depending on his results, a prescription diet may help to improve his symptoms. I hope this information helps!

Poor guy. This sounds like Bennett may be experiencing some acid reflux. Typically this affects pets when they have an empty stomach (at night) or early morning. Ask you vet about doing a trial run with some antacids to see if this helps. You can also feed him a late night snack (small meal) to see if this helps Otherwise consider having some bloodwork ran to check his organ function for any further clues. I hope that Bennett is just experiencing acid reflux and can be managed well soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hello. Acid reflux can result from several things, not just the production of acid in response to food in the stomach. Esophageal disease/motility disorders, diet, over-secretion of pepsin & non-specific inflammation can all contribute to the problem. It may be as simple as switching to a sensitive skin/stomach formulation of dog food, or an actual GI diet or one geared toward allergies such as Prescription Diet z/d. Adding an acid reflux medication such as famotidine or omeprazole is often a pretty safe option to try. Talk to your vet about what might be the best option for Gemma. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Indigestion / reflux can be a life long problem so Pepcid AC may need to be given for the rest of Darby's life. Changing food to a hydrolyzed protein diet such as Hills Z/D or Royal Canin Ultamino may also help reduce the reflux as it may be dietary related. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

The most common reason that dogs will have exaggerated swallowing without any obvious reason is if they have irritation in their esophagus. This can occur from a number of reasons. Sometimes these dogs have had an episode of vomiting that has irritated the esophagus or sometimes they have some acid reflux from their stomach into the esophagus which is irritating the esophagus. Since it has been going on for 3 months, it is worth having your vet evaluate it. I would recommend taking a video of an episode for your vet to see during the appointment time. Your vet may recommend an acid reducer like Pepcid or Prilosec or may recommend a prescription medication to coat the esophagus like Sucralfate. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.