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Any condition which inhibits the movement of food from the mouth to the stomach can pose a problem for your dog. Chewed food, referred to as bolus, is pushed to the back of the tongue where the swallowing reflex will propel it through the pharynx and esophagus. Continued action of the throat muscles pushes the bolus down the esophagus into the stomach. Swallowing difficulties, known as dysphagia, can be caused by many neurological and muscular conditions, as well as physical obstruction, pain, and inflammation. Short term problems will not pose a serious issue for your dog, although there may be an increased risk of choking. Chronic conditions will cause weight loss and nutritional deficiency and may be a sign of a serious degenerative condition. Dysphagia is more common in young dogs since many causes are congenital and will present themselves when puppies start to eat solid food.
Difficulties with the swallowing process in dogs can result from obstruction or from weakness and lack of coordination in the muscles. Veterinarians define this condition as dysphagia. Although not immediately life-threatening, in the long term it can lead to serious health problems.
Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,500
Average Cost
$850
Types
Dogs may have difficulty with any of the phases of swallowing.
Oral dysphagia - difficulty with the first stage of swallowing, moving food to the back of the mouth.
Cricopharyngeal dysphagia - difficulty moving the bolus from the pharynx to the esophagus.
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Causes of dysphagia can be structural or functional. Physical obstructions, including pain, can present a problem, or the muscles which control swallowing may be weak, uncoordinated, or defective. Some common causes include:
Esophageal stricture - a narrowing of the esophageal muscles as a result of repeated or long-term inflammation.
Congenital esophagus abnormalities, usually present at birth, but some may develop later; many are found more often in certain breeds, although they may appear in any dog
Cricopharyngeal achalasia - condition in which the esophageal muscles are abnormally constricted and don’t allow proper swallowing, more common in Golden Retrievers, and Cocker or Springer Spaniels
Vascular ring entrapment - condition in which the esophagus and trachea are partially trapped, more common among German Shepherds, Boston Terriers, and Irish Setters
Esophageal diverticula - pouch-like structure on the esophagus
Any degenerative nerve or muscle disease
Polymyositis/Inflammatory myopathy - idiopathic inflammatory muscle disease in which immune cells infiltrate muscles causing weakness, more common in Boxers
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Your dog’s symptoms can sometimes indicate which part of the swallowing phase is creating a problem. If the difficulty is in the oral phase, food will likely remain in the mouth. Gagging, retching and multiple attempts to swallow will usually indicate a problem with bolus entering or leaving the pharynx, while regurgitation, coughing, and aspiration suggest problems with movement along the esophagus.
The veterinarian will discuss your dog’s symptoms with you. He will then perform a thorough physical examination followed by a clinical feeding test. He will evaluate each stage of swallowing as much as possible during the examination, and check for inflammation. Unless the cause is obvious, X-rays will be taken to determine if there is a physical obstruction. Contrast dyes may be added to your dog’s food so that the vet can determine where the bolus is getting stuck. If the problem appears to be neurological or related to muscle weakness, further testing will be needed to evaluate tissue degeneration.
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If there are complicating problems like aspiration pneumonia, this will require immediate treatment. Your dog may need fluids and additional oxygen, and may spend several days in a veterinary hospital to recover.
Other treatments will depend on the cause. Foreign bodies can sometimes be easily removed. If they are more deeply lodged, surgery may be required. Surgery may also be required if an esophageal stricture has developed, and many congenital physical abnormalities can also be corrected with surgery. This will likely be minor surgery, but there is always a certain amount of risk. Your dog will spend several days in the hospital, and may be on a special diet during recovery.
Some conditions can be treated with medication. Infections may clear up with antibiotics. If the issue is acid reflux causing inflammation, antacids along with diet modification may be able to fix this problem. Medications which are causing acid reflux or are getting stuck in the throat may need to be changed or administered differently. Some muscular and neurological conditions can also be treated or at least reduced with medication. If the problem is due to a serious degenerative condition your dog may eventually need to be euthanized.
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Many dogs will make a complete recovery from short-term problems and some long-term problems can be effectively corrected with surgery. If the problem is not correctable, diet modifications can sometimes help. Very small mouthfuls of food will make it easier for your dog to swallow, and maintaining an upright position can alleviate some problems. You may need to monitor your dog during feeding time. A liquid diet may also be prescribed by the veterinarian. Your dog will likely recover and live a fulfilling life with dysphagia, but it will depend on the underlying condition which causes it.
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Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,500
Average Cost
$850
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Ask a Vet
German Shepherd
Two Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
my dog whimpers a lot when swallowing anything, including dry and wet food and water too. earlier today we were playing fetch with him with a piece of wood and he caught it and immediately started whimpering loudly and after that is when his trouble swallowing started. what could this be?
Jan. 10, 2021
Owner
Dr. Linda S. MVB MRCVS
0 Recommendations
This is abnormal and does warrant a vet check. Potential considerations would include a fractured tooth, dental abscess, foreign body, neurological disorder etc. The sooner we gave him checked the better.
Jan. 10, 2021
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Goldendoodle
Three Years
Unknown severity
2 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
About two weeks ago our dog started gulping (hard swallowing) nonstop out of nowhere. We took him to an emergency vet and they X-rayed his stomach and throat -neither showed blockages. They prescribed him something to coat his throat (almost like pepto) and generic Prilosec OTC for 7 days. During that time, all of his symptoms subsided. However, two days after his script ended, symptoms reappeared. We are taking him back to his vet in a few days but is there anything we can give him in the interim? (Pepto, Prilosec, etc.) also, is it worth taking him back or should we just treat the symptoms?
Dec. 23, 2020
Owner
Dr. Sara O. DVM
2 Recommendations
If the Prilosec seemed to help, I would start that backup. I would follow up with the ER vet and make sure that there is nothing else going on.
Dec. 23, 2020
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ASPIN
Five Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
What to do if my dog hard to swallow food, vomitts, and stops eating, viscous saliva
Sept. 28, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. If your dog is vomiting, not eating, and salivating, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. He may need medication or treatment to help him.
Oct. 7, 2020
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Dachshund
Thirteen Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My vet is a friend and she said he has old rollin g dog and would be okay up to 2 weeks. We are on day 8 the only improvement is he stopped rolling uncontrollably. rolls to the side and falls down. He's having a hard time eating and drinking because his tongue is coming out the side of his mouth so food sits in his mouth. he gets some in but its hard. he's has lost a lot of weight. I and giving him an IV once a day. He was throwing up but now he is just like spitting phlegm a little. He is making a gargling noise.
Sept. 27, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay in my response, this venue is not set up for urgent emails. It sounds like he is not recovering normally from what we call Geriatric Vestibular Disease, and likely needs to be seen by a veterinarian. Since I cannot see your pet, it would be best to have them seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be causing this, and get treatment if needed.
Oct. 13, 2020
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Australian Cattle Dog
Four Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My FIL’s ACD/collie mix seems the be experiencing difficulty swallowing. He is drooling, including foam or bile, not eating, panting and drinks a lot of water be maybe isn’t actually getting it. Behaves fairly normally otherwise.
Sept. 25, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay in my reply, this venue is not set up for urgent emails. Since I cannot see your dog, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 19, 2020
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Pita
Pit bull
6 Years
Mild severity
2 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
In the middle of the night, my 6 year old pit bull got up and kept making sounds like she wanted to throw up and then kept trying to swallow. We gave her water, and she licked the bowl clean but kept making those noises. She calmed down for a bit but kept licking everything in sight and trying to swallow. Now she is calmer but still making the hard swallowing motion and burping. I don’t know how to help her and she’s scared. Help please!!
Simba
Chow Chow
One Year
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
My y dog suddenly having difficult drinking water and eating. He eats rather slowly and sometimes half his food falls off from his mouth. He drinks water very slow but he takes out a lot of saliva that the water becomes foamy. His behaviour otherwise seems normal. He running around barking and playing. Just been drooling a lot and pawing at his face.I don't know whatb is going in with him. He is a year old chow chow.
Kylie
wheaten terrier
11 Days
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
My 11 year old wheaten terrier started having episodes of swallowing and gulping the past year. It happens most often at night when she'll seem to get into a frenzy and walk over for comfort. If I pet her she calms down but continues to swallow and gulp as well as occasionally licking the carpet / nearby pillows. Just recently she's been swallowing and gulping intermittently for about 72 hours. My vet believed it to be acid reflux, but giving her pepcid has not helped her these past few days and I hate for her to be so uncomfortable. Even giving her the pecid in a treat, she went into a gagging/swallowing frenzy. What can I do to keep her comfortable till her vet visit next week and what should I do in the future?
Jessie
Whippet cross
4 Years
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
My dog has started to sit back and look at her food as tho reluctant and then after few mouthfuls has difficulty swallowing briefly then con tines to finish her meal normally. Also started to be anxious when left or at bedtime
Jessie
Whippet cross
4 Years
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
My dog has started to sit and look at food before eating as though reluctant and then after few mouthfuls briefly has difficulty swallowing, sits again then continues to finish her food normally. She has also started getting anxious at bedtime or being left
Swallowing Difficulties Average Cost
From 367 quotes ranging from $300 - $3,500
Average Cost
$850
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© 2020 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
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