My dog regurgitates food and chokes. Is this a serious problem?

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.

Since he is so young and this isn't the first time he has regurgitated I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Oliver. There are congenital issues that can actually cause an animal to regurgitate. Your veterinarian may want to do some chest X-rays to rule in or out these abnormalities. I would just make sure that he is actually regurgitating not vomiting since the list of differentials would be different for both. In the mean time you can try watering down Oliver's food so he has to chew it more and potentially sit him up after he eats. You can also add some wet food to the dry food to see if that helps. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear about Bongo! I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian for this issue to determine the underlying cause for the problem. We do worry in young dogs with these symptoms about a condition called megaesophagus, which is where the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach is abnormally wide and can cause food to not fully pass into the stomach and then to be regurgitated back up (often being mistaken for vomiting). We also worry about things like intestinal parasites, and things like dietary sensitivity/intolerance. The vet can examine her and get a detailed history on her symptoms and may recommend testing such as a fecal exam to check for parasites and x-ray to check for stomach or esophagus abnormalities.

He likely aspirated some food. If it's just one day of hacking, then it's OK to wait and see if it clears in the next day or two. However, we always worry about aspiration pneumonia, which can be more serious. If the hacking persists for more than two days and is not getting better, then it's best to take him to the vet. If your dog has always done this, then I would not be too worried about a condition causing him to gag when eating. However, if this gagging is recent (within the last year), then I would get him checked-out by a vet. I'm particularly concerned about laryngeal paralysis, which can happen in older dogs and cause them to aspirate their food and water. I hope that helps and Anubis gets better soon.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the first part of the gastrointestinal system (oesophagus). regurgitation could be a sign of oesophageal pathologic enlargement. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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!

Hi you are correct with Czar that his could be megaesophagus (ME) and less likely choking from something stuck in his throat. Choking would be a very acute and violent episode. ME is something that would continue to happen at most meals. There are some other medical reasons for Czar's clinical signs as well like a hiatal hernia (abnormal position of the stomach) and other defects he could have been born with. Regardless it is extremely important that he been seen by his veterinarian for a diagnosis. They can take an X-ray to look for ME, something stuck in the throat, or a congenital defect. Also, the doctor can get him on medication to help with the vomiting/regurgitation. Best of luck with Czar