Noisy, Grumbly Tummy....

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

I am having a problem, and not sure where to start....

 

About mid April, when the new spring grass was just growing in, I was having a little issue with all of my dogs eating grass.

My two greys would eat the grass, and the next thing I knew, I would hear grumbly tummies.

 

So, for the next few weeks instead of letting them hang out in the yard, I would walk them so I would have more control over what was actually ingested while outside.

 

 

NOW: even though I am watching them carefully, for the last four weeks or so, Gunner and Lexy seem to be taking turns with:

 

Waking up between 3 and 5am with stomachs grumbling so loudly that I can hear it across the bedroom.

They ask to go out, but really all they want to do is eat grass in the yard...

After letting them out,

I usually give a Pepcid, or Tums, or Pepto Bismol tab, I then take them for a walk to distact for a few minutes, and within a couple of hours it goes away.

They are eating and drinking fine, they are playing, no big 'D", other than the grumbly tummy they are fine.

 

I spoke with my vet about this at Gunner's check up this past week, and he seems to think it may be a virus, that is going back and forth between Lexy and Gunner... I am not sure I believe that.

 

What should I do?

 

PS They both had excellent check ups.... stool fine... only recommendation was dentals for both. Lexy goes in 2 weeks, Gunny in 4

 

Last week was Lexy's turn. It is 6:20am, and I have been up with Gunner since before 5am... Now he is resting comfortably and I am wide awake!

Any suggestions?

Edited May 31, 2010 by Hollys2hounds

[JohnF]

My dog has that from time to time. It's called 'borborygmi'. The dog either swallows air with the food, the food makes gases and the intestines push it all along. The link explains it with humans http://health.howstuffworks.com/stomach-growling1.htm

Sometimes your dog may have an irritated or inflamed stomach/intestines that may even attempt to hold stuff back for a while and then let it all go in a rush. Sometimes the food may just be 'wrong' for the dog. Some have high metabolisms and need to eat more frequently. Watch too that your dog hasn't picked up something like Giardia or other nasties from puddles.

[Tracey]

My decidedly unscientific experience with this has been that our Greys try to eat grass when their tummies are upset and usually their tummies are upset because they are empty (if you've ever gotten sick to your stomach from being really hungry you know what I mean). I remedy the situation by giving them a snack. It quiets their tummies and gets them to stop eating grass.

 

Obviously there could be other more problematic reasons for rumbly tummies and grass eating, but I find that when it happens on a regular basis and they seem fine otherwise, the reason above is usually why.

[Guest Sweetreba]

My female has the same problem. Her tummy rumbles a lot. I notice when she gets this she eats the grass, otherwise she leaves it alone. Also she doesn't eat as well for that day. I give two of the Pepto Bismol tabs and that usually takes care of it. Petey has it rarely but man can hers get loud. I can hear it from another room.

[Guest jettcricket]

Hey Holly....my little Hollie gets this too and JohnF's post makes sense to me. Hollie acts for the most part normal although in the beginning when we first got her back and it would happen she wouldn't eat for me...

 

Like you I'd give her a pepcid and within about an hour she was fine and the noises would stop.

 

But yes, their tummy's do get loud. She's been good now for the past month or so...I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

My greatest concern is the frequency. I really don't think it is a virus, but this is happening weekly to one or the other...

:(

[Guest jettcricket]

<br />My greatest concern is the frequency. I really don't think it is a virus, but this is happening weekly to one or the other...<br /> <img src='http://forum.greytalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://forum.greytalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif' c

 

 

 

 

 

 

lass='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

Maybe you could try giving them a cup of food at lunch time and cut back their normal portions when you do fed them. See if it makes a difference.....

 

Also my vet told me that dogs eat grass cause they like it..not because their belly's are bothering them.

 

Or trying giving them a pepcid before they go to bed at night and see if that helps.

Edited May 31, 2010 by jettcricket

[Guest Energy11]

Have you tried Gas X (generic is fine)?

 

Sound like excess air/gas in their stomachs, and that is the purpose of "Gas-X". Couldn't hurt to try!

 

Good Luck!

[Guest Swifthounds]

What are your feeding times?

 

Empty tummies are often the scape goats for the grumbly tummy problem, but that's almost never the actual cause. If you feed a "snack" it will tend to lessen the occurrence, but not because it keeps the tummy from being empty, though that tends to be the likely conclusion.

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

Usually I feed at 6-7am and then 6-7pm.

 

Could they be eating too fast?

 

They get snacks usually before bed, or in the evenings.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Hollys2hounds

[Guest Swifthounds]

The reason that some dogs develop excess bile that they eventually vomit up is that they will "learn" when feeding time is and will, in anticipation of food, begin to develop stomach acid. Dogs are adapted to increase stomach acid in anticipation of food because, unlike humans they don't have a digestive process that starts in the mouth. They don't have digestive juices in their saliva and they don't have grinding teeth. They simply grab, tear and swallow. The stomach does the rest.

 

The big difference between the wild, where they have to catch food, and a home where it's plopped in a bowl is the predictability of food. With some dogs, once they learn when food is going to appear, they will predictably produce excess stomach acid in anticipation - sometimes an hour or two or more. Sure, at 3 am you're snoozing and not thinking about food, but they have been sleeping all day, and don't need to sleep at night quite the way that we do. They awaken, and nothing fun is going on, so they anticipate food.

 

The key is to randomize feeding times so that it's less predictable. It can be hard to do with the morning feeding time. Night time is usually easier. You can break the daily portion into three segements and add a later, third feeding. You can play with the meal sizes so that they aren't always the same. Once it stops being predictable, their brains will reset and the tummies will follow suit.

[Time4ANap]

We've been through this several times with Rocket. New grass chutes in the spring are like his Salad Bar. As soon as the grass is a month or so old, he is no longer interested.

 

The tummy rumbles actually wake us up in the middle of the night. Depending on how they sound we use a couple of options.

 

High pitched sounds like gas - 1 Gas-X tablet and a piece or 2 of bread.

 

Loud Rumbling - Just bread if he's sleeping through the rumbles and doesn't appear to be in any distress, or 1 Pepcid tablet and some Bread if he's up pacing with the rumbles.

 

Sometimes we just do one or the other depending on the time of day / night, how long ago he had something to eat etc. , but the majority of times it is middle of the night when this happens. Usually after we give him one of the above, he goes back to bed and sleeps just fine.

[Guest Swifthounds]

The reason that some dogs develop excess bile that they eventually vomit up is that they will "learn" when feeding time is and will, in anticipation of food, begin to develop stomach acid. Dogs are adapted to increase stomach acid in anticipation of food because, unlike humans they don't have a digestive process that starts in the mouth. They don't have digestive juices in their saliva and they don't have grinding teeth. They simply grab, tear and swallow. The stomach does the rest.

 

The big difference between the wild, where they have to catch food, and a home where it's plopped in a bowl is the predictability of food. With some dogs, once they learn when food is going to appear, they will predictably produce excess stomach acid in anticipation - sometimes an hour or two or more. Sure, at 3 am you're snoozing and not thinking about food, but they have been sleeping all day, and don't need to sleep at night quite the way that we do. They awaken, and nothing fun is going on, so they anticipate food.

 

The key is to randomize feeding times so that it's less predictable. It can be hard to do with the morning feeding time. Night time is usually easier. You can break the daily portion into three segements and add a later, third feeding. You can play with the meal sizes so that they aren't always the same. Once it stops being predictable, their brains will reset and the tummies will follow suit.

[Guest Energy11]

We've been through this several times with Rocket. New grass chutes in the spring are like his Salad Bar. As soon as the grass is a month or so old, he is no longer interested.

 

The tummy rumbles actually wake us up in the middle of the night. Depending on how they sound we use a couple of options.

 

High pitched sounds like gas - 1 Gas-X tablet and a piece or 2 of bread.

 

Loud Rumbling - Just bread if he's sleeping through the rumbles and doesn't appear to be in any distress, or 1 Pepcid tablet and some Bread if he's up pacing with the rumbles.

 

Sometimes we just do one or the other depending on the time of day / night, how long ago he had something to eat etc. , but the majority of times it is middle of the night when this happens. Usually after we give him one of the above, he goes back to bed and sleeps just fine.

 

 

I LOVE the idea of the Gas X or Pepcid with the bread! Wondeful idea, and it obviously works! :-))

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

Thanks everyone.

Great ideas and advice as usual!

 

I gave a Pepcid tonight before bed, and I am playing with the time / and portions of their feedings.

[Guest jaws4evr]

Our GH 100% has "grass belly" every time she has those alarmingly loud tummy noises. She usually goes for the tall "blade", and will either eat enough that she barfs it right back up again, or it'll sit in her stomch and squeal and gurgle like there's no tomorrow. She always refuses to eat her dinner when she has "grass belly", but as soon as it either moves into her intestine or she throws it up, she's fine again.

 

If we don't let her eat grass, she doesn't get gurgles, and does not throw up. I'm not convinced she eats grass "because she has to throw up". I think she just likes to munch, and it makes her sick

[FRISBYSMUM]

Frisby eats grass every day and always has done. We walk with two young labs and the three of them stand there grazing like a herd of cows. Every two weeks or so, Frisby wakes in the morning with the rumbly tummy and refuses to eat his breakfast until I've taken him for a good long walk and then he's usually fine. With him the rumbles are not related to grass. He loves his grass, which is fine, until it doesn't quite come out the other end and I have to help.