Stomach gurgling, medically called “borborygmi,” is noise generated in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Think of a growling stomach.
Stomach noises can be normal. Just like your stomach might growl when you are hungry, your dog’s stomach might growl as dinnertime approaches, or (heaven forbid!) if you are late with his meal. Consider it a hint you need to up your catering skills.
Canine borborygmi can be a warning of possible illness. The noise could precede a bout of diarrhea. If you have changed diets, fed new treats, or your dog has made a trash raid, hearing stomach gurgling should put you on alert, especially if your dog’s gastrointestinal tract is normally quiet. Vomiting may follow, but diarrhea is more common and may occur up to hours later.
When Dog Stomach Gurgling Is a Warning
To create the gurgling sounds, the dog’s digestive system needs three basic components:
- Fluid
- Semi solids like food
- Gas (air or fermentation gases)
As the contents in the stomach and intestines move around during normal digestion, they churn. If things move rapidly, there can be noise. Thing of a quiet stream versus a river with rapids and the different noises you hear.
Stress can be a factor, too, as can reactions to some foods. A lactose-intolerant dog may have lots of stomach gurgling after having a dish of ice cream as a treat.
What You Can Do About Dog Stomach Noise
Even if a fair amount of stomach gurgling is normal, you may want to take actions to decrease it. If your dog tends to wolf down his food, consider a slow feeder, a snuffle mat, or use a scatter method for his meals. That will decrease the gas available for noise generation.
Track on paper when stomach noises are most common. Is it after a dairy product treat? Maybe only if he gets pork-flavored snacks? Some dogs have problems if their routine is messed up and do best when you hold to a strict schedule, such as dinner at 6 p.m. every night, not a range from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Be sure there is always fresh, clean water available to wash his meals down (change water and clean your dog’s bowl daily). Consider adding a probiotic to his meal help smooth out digestion.
Switching to small frequent meals may be best for your dog’s digestive tract. Change protein or carbohydrate sources in his food if indicated.
Dog Stomach Noises That May Require a Vet
You and your veterinarian should systematically rule out various health problems. For example, running a fecal test to rule out intestinal parasites is always a good idea. If the stomach noises are accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite or weight loss, a thorough veterinary workup is justified.
Dogs with obstructions such as swallowing a sock or corn cob can have borborygmi secondary to the blockage. The fluids and materials held up by the blockage can churn and generate noise. This is one of the most serious scenarios.
Dogs with any gastrointestinal problem, whether acute like an eating unusual treat or chronic like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), may have increased stomach noises. Your knowledge of what is normal for your dog is crucial to knowing if you need to be concerned about loud stomach noises.
Most cases of stomach sounds are no big deal, but if this is new for your dog or he has any of the symptoms listed above, have him checked out. Waiting can be a mistake.
