My dog is vomiting and regurgitating. What conditions and 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

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.

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!

I would recommend having Beamer evaluated by a vet. It's not normal to have vomiting and/or regurgitation regularly, and that extra acid in the stomach could lead to problems in the future. Your vet may want to do x-rays or other diagnostics to check for megaesophagus or other issues with the esophagus and stomach. They may recommend antacids, a different type of food, or a hypoallergenic diet.

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!

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.

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