When you pay attention to your dog, you get to notice even the slightest changes in behavior and demeanor. It could, therefore, strike you as odd when you pet’s stomach starts producing abnormal sounds. What does a dogs stomach making noises mean and are they painful or dangerous? Why is my dog making gurgling noises from the stomach early in the morning or at night while asleep? We seek answers to these questions, explore the causes of stomach noises in dogs as well as their remedies.
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Dogs Stomach Making Noises
What could cause a dog to make loud gurgling or squeaking noises? Unknown to many, it is normal for a dog to make some noise within their abdomen. Also referred to as borborygmi, intestinal noises are produced when gas moves from one point to another within the intestines.
This movement is normal and occurs regularly. In most cases though, it is inaudible and the noise can only be heard if you place your ear on the dog’s abdomen. From this, it can be deduced that soft and quiet dog stomach noises are normal. Additionally, dogs produce gases during the digestion process. These then move around and the sound thus produced is of the resulting gases moving around.
While the above scenario holds in most cases, it is not always that the noises will be as a result of normal occurrences and inaudible. Some dogs will experience loud gurgling stomach noises that can be heard from across the room. This normally happens when there is a large amount of air in the intestines or where there is a huge increase in activity in the intestines. At times, the cause could be a simultaneous occurrence of both. The causes of these vary and are discussed later on in this post.
Are the gurgling sounds dangerous and do these noises from a dog’s stomach cause pain? Just like in humans, the loud noises resulting from hunger may only be a little uncomfortable but not painful. This is, however, not the same where a health condition is the cause of the sound. In such cases and where additional symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea and vomiting are evident, your dog may experience pain.
Dog Stomach Making Loud Noises Causes
When a dog shows symptoms it hasn’t been showing, the first question the owner asks is “what could be wrong?” When a dog stomach is making loud noises, any of the causes discussed below could be to blame. Go through them to see how to deal with the condition and how to avoid the experience.
Hunger
According to dogster.com, hunger is one of the most common causes of audible dog stomach noises. When a dog is hungry, it does not contain reasonable amounts of food within the system. As a result, the ratio of gas to solids is high.
Additionally, the intestines also begin to indulge in activity in anticipation for food. This results in dogs stomach making a loud noise. This is especially common early in the morning before the dog feeds. When this happens, the remedy is to feed the dog.
Dietary Indiscretion
Dogs love to feast on nonfood items. They will break into trash cans, chew on furniture as well as anything their mouth fancies. Where the effect is mild, you may hear the dog’s stomach making some gurgling noise. In more severe cases, the noises will also be accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.
Air Ingestion
When a dog gulps their food or water too fast or swallows excessive air during play or other activities requiring heavy breathing, it could lead to a dog’s stomach making noise. In such situations, the dog will mostly expel the air through flatulence or burps.
To keep this kind of stomach noise away, you will need to avoid the excessive swallowing of air. You can achieve this by using special feeding bowls with barriers at the center. You could also place a ball in the regular dog bowl to slow down their eating pace.
My Dogs Stomach Is Making Noises and He Won’t Eat
When a dog’s stomach is making noises yet your dog won’t eat, this could be due to indigestion. In addition to the noises, he will exhibit other symptoms such as constipation and vomiting in addition to the lack of appetite.
Indigestion in dogs may be caused by ingestion of foreign objects, dietary indiscretion or a change in the dog’s diet. To prevent stomach upset, introduce new dog food gradually, incorporate more fiber in their diet and keep them away from things they should not be eating. Where foreign objects have been swallowed and the dog faces the risk of obstruction, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Dog Stomach Gurgling at Night while Sleeping
Where a dog makes increased stomach noises early in the morning and at night even when sleeping, this could be as a result of increased acidity in the stomach. This condition is referred to as bilious vomiting syndrome.
It is common in dogs with a high metabolism rate, excessively active and high-strung dogs. Since these conditions predispose them to use up all food, their stomachs end up being empty at night and in the morning before they feed.
Within the duration, there is the production of gastric acid yet there is nothing to absorb it. This results in irritation in the gastrointestinal system causing stomach upsets, nausea, vomiting of yellow bile as well as gurgling noises in a dog’s stomach.
If your dog is prone to this condition, you can prevent it by offering bedtime snacks. If the condition is serious and this does not help, talk to your veterinarian so they can prescribe medication to help stop the vomiting.
What to Do about a Dogs Stomach Making Noises
What if your dog’s stomach is making noises20, what should you do? When should you seek veterinary care? How worried you should be regarding your dog’s popping sounds emanating from the stomach should depend on accompanying circumstances and other additional symptoms.
- For morning gurgling sounds, try feeding your dog and see if they stop. If you see them indulge with enthusiasm and have no problem feeding, the problem could have been an empty stomach.
- Where the dog is producing stomach noises and exhibits additional symptoms such as loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea, this could be more than mere hunger. Contact your veterinarian for treatment.
- In cases when the dog’s stomach making noises is a regular occurrence, use your discretion to determine if veterinary care is necessary. The presence or absence of other additional symptoms could also offer guidance on the same.
References
- Dogster.com: I hear Gurgling Sounds in my Dog; should I Worry?
- Petmd.com: Dog Stomach Noises: What Do they Mean?
- Dogupsetstomach.com: Dog Upset Stomach Noises
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My dog makes grumbling noises and asks to go out. What I realized only now is that it happens only at night, between 3-5am! He usually just goes outside and is eating grass. Now I think that he is just getting hungry. I’ll be giving him food before going to bed now on and we’ll see if it helps. Thank you for the article!