Is your canine's abdomen rumbling? Our veterinarian clarifies when it's time to seek medical attention.
Heard your pooch's stomach growling like a machine gun lately? It can be a cause for concern, especially if it's accompanied by loose stools, vomiting, or a lack of appetite. That annoying noise? It's called borborygmi, a fancy word for the gurgling, rumbling sounds that come from any animal's stomach due to moving liquids and gas in the gut.
While some stomach noises are part of the digestion process, excessive rumbling can indicate health issues. Here are some common scenarios when your dog's tummy might be making a racket.
At Night
Dogs usually spend the longest time without food at night. This leads to a build-up of stomach acid and, sometimes, nausea. If you notice the gurgling at night, it might mean the acid is building up in your pup's stomach. You may even see them vomit early in the morning, before their breakfast. Redistributing meals throughout the day and perhaps offering a small meal before bed can help ease this issue.
After Eating Grass
Dogs sometimes nibble on grass, and it's not fully understood why they enjoy this green treat. Some theories suggest it might help with nausea or indigestion, or it may just be a habit. While harmless most of the time, excess eating can cause irritation or a blockage in the stomach or intestines.
Accompanied by Vomiting or Diarrhea
If your dog is vomiting, passing diarrhea, and making excessive stomach noises, it can be a sign of inflammation or infection in the stomach or intestines. Other causes could be a gastric infection, a change in diet, or your dog scavenging something it shouldn't.
Accompanied by Not Eating
Gurgling sounds can also occur when your dog is feeling sick, bloated, or in pain, causing a loss of appetite. If your usually ravenous dog is turning down their favorite treat, pay attention.
Causes of Stomach Gurgling
While there are several possible causes of stomach gurgling, here are a few common culprits:
- Dietary Indiscretion: Eating something they shouldn't while out on a walk or at home can irritate your dog's stomach.
- Changes in Diet: Quickly switching dog food can shock your dog's gut and lead to gas or an upset stomach.
- Too Many Treats: Give your furry friend too many rich, fatty treats, and they might face uncomfortable digestive side effects.
- Pancreatitis: Eating fatty foods can trigger a condition called pancreatitis, characterized by severe pain and vomiting.
- Parasites: Intestinal worms can irritate the gut and disturb digestion.
- Normal Digestion: Remember that some noises during digestion are perfectly normal, as long as your dog's eating and drinking normally and shows no other symptoms.
When to Worry
If your dog's stomach is making noises but appears healthy in all other aspects, it's likely nothing to be concerned about. However, if your pooch is acting unwell, seems to be in pain, or shows other symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea, seek veterinary help immediately.
Feeding them a bland diet of appropriate foods like chicken, rice, scrambled eggs, or white fish can help in mild cases. Spreading meals throughout the day can also help prevent an empty stomach. But if symptoms are severe or your dog appears to be in significant pain, don't try to take matters into your own hands. Consult a vet instead.
Stomach gurgling, while common, can be a sign of various health issues. If in doubt, a veterinary check-up is always the best course of action to ensure your canine companion's wellbeing.
- The repeated groaning sound from your dog's stomach might be a cause for concern, especially if it's persistent, accompanied by symptoms like loose stools, vomiting, or loss of appetite.
- At night, when dogs are not eating, the build-up of stomach acid can cause excessive gurgling, which might result in vomiting in the morning.
- Munching on too much grass occasionally may not be harmful, but excess consumption could irritate the dog's stomach or cause a blockage in the intestines.
- If your dog is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and making excessive stomach noises, it could signal an inflammation, infection, or gastric issue in the stomach or intestines.
- If your dog refuses its favorite treat and shows signs of sickness, bloating, or loss of appetite, the noises might be a result of these conditions.
- Common causes of stomach gurgling in dogs include dietary indiscretion, changes in diet, overindulgence in treats, pancreatitis, parasites, normal digestion, and excessive grass consumption.
- While some stomach noises are normal, persistent gurgling, vomiting, diarrhea, or observable discomfort in the dog should prompt an immediate visit to a veterinarian for a thorough examination and appropriate care.
