What is acid reflux?
Acid reflux is an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous condition caused by the contents of the stomach repeatedly entering the esophagus and returning to the stomach. In addition to increasing the risk of esophageal ulcers, this can also cause erosion of esophageal tissue.
It is difficult to observe this situation in a dog owner, because it is an inner feeling and it is difficult to observe through behavior. The clues to determine if your pet may have gastric reflux involve peripheral symptoms such as persistent bad breath, occasional vomiting after meals, and poor swallowing.
If your pet exhibits these symptoms, please arrange a vet visit as soon as possible. Although acid reflux alone may not be serious, the intrusion of acid can irritate the esophagus, causing narrowing, thinning and even necrosis. In addition, passive reflux may cause vomit to enter the lungs and may cause serious damage.
Acid reflux is the process by which stomach acid and digestive enzymes enter the esophagus from the stomach. This may be caused by abnormal weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter, improper gastric emptying and obesity.
Symptoms of dog acid reflux
Persistent bad breath
Vomiting
Suddenly, eating less
respite
Causes of dog acid reflux
Many times a dog’s acid reflux is similar to humans, but it is still a dog. Many times you cannot feed it as a human being.
Hyperacidity
Hiatal hernia
Eating inappropriate food (ie spicy human food)
obesity
Diagnosis of acid reflux in dogs
If you find that your pet is struggling while eating, exhibits abnormal behavior during or after eating, and persists in bad breath, please go to the vet immediately. If left untreated, acid reflux can cause many other discomforts.
The veterinarian may want to listen to the dog’s chest after feeding to determine if acid reflux may occur. If acid reflux is suspected, endoscopy can be done. Endoscopy involves sedating the dog in a long and flexible range and viewing the esophagus with a camera. This allows any ulcers, inflammations or tumors to be visualized and identified.
Obesity may also be the main cause-the increase in fat mass will compress the space of the gastroesophagus and force the acid of the esophagus upward.
Hypercalcemia may also lead to hyperacidity, which is easier to diagnose and can be confirmed by blood tests.
Dog acid reflux treatment
The most widely used treatment is to feed your dog easy-to-digest food. Such as ordinary chicken, rice and broccoli. Or turning whole grains into “grains” by adding a glass of water can help, but if this persists, use chicken and broccoli instead, which usually helps.
In rare cases, surgical intervention may be required to correct severe ulcers. This will depend on the nature of the underlying disease and the severity of the manifestation.
Endoscopic surgery can be minimally invasive and usually recovers quickly, so surgery can be performed under an endoscope. Any abnormal growth should be biopsied and tested for cancer.
