What is wrong with my Maltipoo?

Hi

I have an almost three-year-old Maltipoo weighing 15 lbs.

In August he started licking the air excessively. It then turned into constant licking, swallowing and gurgling in the belly, almost like he was going to vomit and more severely during the night.

He has been to the vet twice and has been on: Pepsid AC, Prilosec, tums, plain yogurt in food, benedryl and another medication from vet for motion sickness.

Nothing has seemed to work. He is healthy in every other way, he eats, poops, and plays. He is a bit anxious as he barks at every dog, person he sees through the window.

Could he have acid reflux? I am looking for another suggestion for this problem as I am fearful he is damaging something internally.

Any help would be appreciated.

Anon, by email


Alison Logan, vet, advises...

I can understand your worries as you have an otherwise normal dog who is exhibiting strange behaviour which has not improved with treatment.

It sounds as if your vet is thinking along the lines of gut pain and discomfort, given the things you have tried, and the signs you describe do sound like acid reflux and colicky pain. I wonder what you are feeding him and how often? Dogs with acid reflux often fare better on frequent small meals so that there is always something for the gut to be digesting, especially offering a little food as you go to bed to keep it occupied overnight. There may also be an element of food hypersensitivity, triggering bowel pain and spasm – that could be investigated with a food trial under veterinary supervision.

Further investigation is possible, such as blood tests to check his general health and rule –out other causes of nausea. An endoscope could be passed into stomach under general anaesthesia to examine the lining of the stomach for ulceration, for example.

I would certainly take your dog back to your vet, not least because he will think that your dog’s problem is all sorted because he has not seen you again. It would also be interesting to know whether his weight was stable or whether he was losing weight.

Have you thought of trying a Dog Appeasing Pheromone collar for your dog’s anxiety?

Will home cooking help my dog's acid reflux?

Can anyone help me with home cooking for dogs (as opposed to providing a raw diet)? I am anxious to try this with a poorly Keeshond with acid reflux. I am having difficulty on finding guidance on the best balance of food and supplements to feed.

My Keeshond's reflux problem was identified after an endoscopy with a camera which showed the problem in the oesophagus.

I'd be very grateful for any information on home cooking, and also to know if anyone has any experience with treating acid reflux in their dog.

Thank you,
Dennis, by email

Isuru Gajanayake BVSc CertSAM DipACVIM MRCVS

American Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine

Small Animal Clinical Nutritionist

Willows Referral Service

Solihull, West Midlands

advises....

Dear Dennis,

I am sorry to hear about your unwell Keeshond.

I hope I can answer your questions about home-cooking for dogs. This is not as straight-forward as it may initially seem but it is possible. The difficulty in cooking a balanced home-cooked diet for dogs lies in that dogs have different nutrient requirements (compared to people) and for this reason making a diet using human supplements invariably results in a dietary imbalances. To provide a balanced home-cooked diet for dogs, you will need dietary supplements specifically designed for dogs and a veterinary nutritionist to balance the diet.

Not knowing the details of your dog and his/her problem it is difficult to speculate, but your dog may have a medical condition that may be the underlying cause for the acid reflux. We typically investigate a problem like this with an ultrasound scan of the abdomen and by taking biopsies from the stomach and intestine (using a scope). Some of the underlying conditions (such as inflammatory bowel disease) are treated with modified diet and medical treatment, whereas other conditions may require surgery. I appreciate that this may raise more questions than answer them but I hope this is nonetheless useful to you.