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My dog regurgitates only after evening meals. Why and what can I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Mastiff | Female | spayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 120 lbs

1 year old English Mastiff regurgitates only after evening meal. She has been seen by a vet and they recommended eating from an elevated bowl and recommended her dog food. We have been doing this and it continues to happen. She eats the same in the morning but not regurgitating. Wondering why this is only happening at evening feeding and what we can do about it.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 17th, 2017

Poor girl. She may have a condition that is causing this such as megaesophagus. I am not sure if your vet has ran any tests yet, but I would recommend starting with thoracic radiographs and perhaps even a barium series will need to be done to detect a possible megaesophagus. Form there the vet will prescribe medication if this conditon is confirmed. The main concern with a pet that regurgitates is aspiration pneumonia. This is why they suggest to elevate the food bowl to allow gravity to help keep the food down. However most owners have to make a gruel (water mixed with food and then puréed) and also give pro-motility drugs (i.e. Metoclopramide) in addition to help manage this condition.
Here is more information on megaesophagus if this is confirmed to be the cause of your pet regurgitation episodes. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3480

I hope this helps you with Cozy’s regurgitation episodes. Best wishes and take care.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 1st, 2019

    Poor Kiwi. So when this happens, do it just come up without any abdominal effort? Like it just "falls" out? If so, then this may be true regurgitation and could be a sign of megaesophagus. I would definitely talk to your vet about this. If your vet thinks this is the cause, they may recommend some x-rays. It is recommended to feed these dogs in a elevated position. You have build or buy a "Bailey Chair" which is used for this purpose. They are suppose to eat small frequent meals and kept in the bailey chair for ~30 minutes after eating to help with digestion.


    If there is abdominal effort then it is likely vomiting which could be caused by acid reflux. I would feed her last meal about 30 minutes prior to bedtime and then give her an antacid medication at bedtime. This helps to decrease the acid in her stomach overnight to help prevent the morning vomiting. I would ask your vet which antacid would be safe for her and what dose they suggest. I hope this helps !

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
Why is my large dog regurgitating undigested food? What tests?
Hi. Regurgitation differs from vomiting in that the expelled material almost always originates from the esophagus—the tube that moves food, water and saliva from the mouth down into the stomach. Vomiting is preceeded by retching noises, where as regurgitation is a passive event where you only hear a noise as the material comes up. The most common cause of regurgitation is megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is a generalized enlargement of the esophaguswith a decreased to absent motility which is required for moving food and liquid down to the stomach. It is diagnosed most commonly by a lateral x-ray of the chest where the esophagus goes from the beginning of chest area into the stomach. If it is vomiting, it is unfortunately a vague sign that can occur from many possibilitites.  It can be from a dietary indiscretion, a food sensitivity, a GI infection,  pancreatitis, metabolic and endocrine conditions, foreign bodies in the intestines, and more.   The best thing for vomiting would be to get blood work and abdominal x-rays done. Good luck
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
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My dog is vomiting and regurgitating. What conditions and tests?
Regurgitation can be a sign of esophagitis, which can occur secondary to severe vomiting, a stricture or other obstruction in the esophagus, reflux, or megaesophagus, a condition where the nerves and muscles of the esophagus do not work. It's hard to know what the additional testing would be and what diseases your vet thinks are most likely without knowing exactly what tests were runs and what the results were. I think it would be best to ask your vet for more information.
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Why is my dog hacking up mucus and regurgitating undigested food?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Burger. The first step is to determine if he is vomiting or regurgitating as they have different causes. Vomiting is signified by retching and abdominal contractions. There may be signs of nausea that precede an episode. Regurgitation is the passive expulsion of esophageal or stomach contents. The material will slip up often times surprising the animal. You can try to video an episode to show your veterinarian. If he is regurgitating you will want to take chest x-rays to look at the size and shape of his esophagus. A dilated esophagus known as megaesophagus can result in pneumonia on the animal frequently chokes on its food. I hope this information gives you a starting point!
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My puppy is throwing up food after eating and napping, what's wrong?
Regurgitation can happen with over-activity but if this is happening regularly it needs to be assessed. Conditions like megaesophagus can cause regurgitation, especially in puppies. I would suggest having her examined by a veterinarian to make sure there is no underlying illness causing this problem.
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My dog has a hiatus hernia. How can I help her with regurgitation?
You could talk to your vet about a GI specific diet, as this may help reduce inflammation in the GI tract. It also won’t hurt anything to deworm him, and may help if he has Physeloptera (a stomach worm). If he is well controlled on his medications (omeprazole) and a GI diet, it’s probably fine to leave it at that. Regurgitating once every few weeks is not a huge deal... if it becomes more frequent or other symptoms (including weight loss) develop, talk to your vet about further diagnostics and treatment. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
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My dog regurgitates food and chokes. Is this a serious problem?
I would definitely be worried about this. It appears that you have managed this well over the years, but without treatment, this can lead to her choking. Considering this has been going on her whole life, it's likely due to some congenital deformity involving her esophagus. There are usually good treatment options for the various defects that can occur in the esophagus, so it's worth getting her specific condition diagnosed. For this, you will need to schedule an appointment with a veterinarian, who will likely want to do a few tests to find the cause of the regurgitation. I hope that helps and Olivia gets better soon.
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My dog has megaesophagus and vomits. What food and feeding tips?
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Rooney has been diagnosed with megaesophagus. This means that the esophagus is abnormally enlarged/dilated, and does not move food down toward the stomach appropriately. This can make dogs more prone to regurgitating their food or water, meaning the food or water falls from their mouth after eating/drinking. Dogs with megaesophagus are more likely to develop aspiration pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. The type of food is not as important as how you feed Rooney. It will be important to feed Rooney in an upright position, and offer him meatballs of wet dog food one at a time. There are specific dog feeding chairs, called Bailey chairs, that you can purchase online, that help dogs with megaesophagus eat upright. I hope this is helpful!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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