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Dog Gastroesophageal Reflux

Submitted by Michael Adams on June 10, 2010

Dog gastroesophageal reflux is a common condition in dogs that causes a reverse flow of intestinal or gastric fluids into the esophagus. The condition is also known as dog acid reflux and it is an uncontrollable flow of gastric fluids to the esophagus. This happens on account of a brief relaxation of the sphincter located at the base of the esophagus.

This muscular opening controls the passage of food in the esophagus and momentary relaxation could result in the reverse flow of intestinal fluids. In addition, chronic vomiting may also result in a reverse flow of intestinal fluids into the esophagus. Dog gastroesophageal reflex is relatively common in dogs of any age though dogs that are younger face a greater risk.

Acid reflux in dogs should be treated immediately as it may result in several other problems for your dog. For instance, gastric fluids may contain bile salts and pepsin, in addition to other corrosive materials that could result in esophagitis, an inflammation of the esophagus.

Esophagitis can cause varying degree of damage in dogs with acid reflux. A mild case of esophagitis can result in an inflammation of the lining of the esophagus, while severe esophagitis can damage deeper layers of the esophagus. The most common symptoms of dog acid reflex is a lack of appetite, regurgitating food and a general lack of activity especially after meal times. In addition, if your dog is showing evidence of pain while swallowing (like howling or whining) or is losing weight, these can also be indicative of acid reflux. If you have observed any of these symptoms in your dog then it is essential that you treat the condition as early as possible. Dog gastroesophageal reflux may occur due to a number of factors. Improper administration of anaesthesia could result in dog acid reflux by causing the gastroesophageal sphincter to relax. In addition, congenital defects and young dogs in whom gastroesophageal sphinters are still developing can lead to a high risk of developing acid reflux. Dog acid reflux can be treated at home with the help of a few dietary changes. Ensure that you give your dog meals that are low in fat and protein to ensure that he/she can digest food easily. Food intake should ideally be minimized for about two days until symptoms subside. Following this, feed low protein dog food and low-fat diet. In addition, you can reduce the quantity of each meal and increase the frequency of meals to help treat acid reflux in dogs.

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