Heartburn is a common complaint in dogs. It causes stomach acid to rise from the stomach into the esophagus or even into the mouth and nose. The most common symptom is excessive salivation, smacking and licking. The dog often adopts a slightly hunched posture. You may notice a sour breath or your four-legged friend may even vomit.
There are many reasons for heartburn in dogs, but they often have to do with feeding, which is why you should be careful when BARFing your dog . Even just changing food can lead to heartburn, as your pet is used to a different consistency, for example, and therefore produces too much stomach acid. Other reasons include too long breaks between meals (often combined with otherwise regular feeding times), food that is difficult to digest or high in fat, too large amounts of food, certain supplementary foods, allergies and medication. In addition, illnesses such as gastritis can lead to heartburn in dogs.
If your dog is just starting BARF , it can help if you buy the meat in pieces rather than minced. This means the stomach needs more time and produces less acid. For a generally balanced diet, we recommend our BARF calculator . If you notice heartburn in your dog, we also recommend a visit to the vet. After all, certain diseases can never be completely ruled out until they have been examined by a specialist.
