Just like in humans, occasional heartburn in dogs isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. But if your dog experiences it more frequently, it’s worth exploring potential solutions through changes in feeding routines – and if the heartburn is recurring and long-lasting, the causes should be investigated more thoroughly.
Read more about heartburn below! 🔍
What is heartburn about?
Heartburn is a general term for an unpleasant burning sensation behind the breastbone. ❤️🔥
In dogs, heartburn can show up as excessive licking, smacking and lip licking, swallowing, or chewing grass and sticks. Gagging and retching may also occur.
What causes heartburn in dogs?
Heartburn is caused by stomach contents seeping back into the esophagus – that is, reflux.
Behind reflux is a problem with the function of the lower esophageal sphincter, but diet can also affect the occurrence of heartburn. On the other hand, similar symptoms may also be related to other illnesses or digestive issues.
How can you get rid of heartburn?
There’s no one foolproof solution for heartburn. For some dogs, the following have proven helpful:
- very low-fat food
- moistening the food
- splitting the daily portion into several smaller meals
- if necessary, rule out possible food intolerances
What food would you recommend?
There can be several different causes behind heartburn – and therefore also several different solutions. Heartburn-like symptoms can sometimes also be caused by other digestive issues or illnesses. If you can identify the root cause, the solution may be found through dietary changes.
We usually recommend for dogs prone to heartburn a complete food with low fat content and a short ingredient list (which makes it easier to rule out potential ingredient sensitivities).
In our selection, for example, Derma/Insect and Digestion/Duck meet these criteria. In addition to the above-mentioned features, they have a fiber composition that supports digestion and contain prebiotics.
