You have certainly noticed bubbling, gurgling and gurgling from your dog’s stomach, for example while cuddling or because it woke you up at night?
You are rightly asking: “Where do these come from Stomach or intestine noises in my dog? What’s that Stomach rumbling in my dog to mean?»
In this article we want to take away some of your worries, give you tips and explain to you what loud gastrointestinal noises are all about!
In a nutshell: This is where stomach noises come from in dogs
If you hear stomach or intestinal noises in your dog, this can have many causes.
The normal digestive process makes noises, just like a feeling of hunger or possibly a change in diet.
In addition to these harmless reasons, excessive and extremely loud intestinal noises in dogs can also indicate various diseases. For example, gastritis, pancreatitis, poisoning, worms or inflammatory bowel disease.
Want to find out why your dog’s tummy is growling? It is best to contact a vet to be sure!
Are you planning a vet visit? With dog health insurance, you can save a lot of money at the vet because the insurance covers up to 100% of all costs.
We can recommend PetPlan insurance because it allows all dog breeds and can be taken out easily within a few minutes.
Causes: This is what the stomach noises mean in dogs
If the dog’s belly growls, this can have different causes.
Some of these are harmless, while others can also indicate diseases. So it’s important to keep a close eye on your dog, find out what you’re doing and go to the vet if anything seems strange.
Harmless causes of gastrointestinal noises in dogs
1. Natural digestion
When your dog digests his food, it is not uncommon for this to be accompanied by bubbling in the digestive tract. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. The chyme is broken down, the rate of absorption increased and excretion prepared.
If your dog is completely relaxed and his digestion and elimination are working properly, you don’t need to worry.
2. Your dog is hungry
This cause is not even that harmless! Hunger can be really uncomfortable. Please feed your dog regularly and species-appropriately so that it does not go hungry.
If the stomach growls mainly in the evening, it could be that the last meal before bedtime was too far away.
3. Consequences of a change in diet
Changing the food, for example from dry food to BARF or vice versa, can also lead to loud gastrointestinal noises in the dog. The digestive tract has to get used to the new food. However, the gurgling in the stomach should not be a permanent condition, but should calm down again after a few days.
Tip:
Whenever you are unsure, consult a vet as a precaution. Do you already know the online vet Dr. Sam? After you have contacted us, a free initial consultation will take place via video call.
Here you can get rid of all your questions, learn to understand your dog better and talk to Dr. Sam discuss what to do. The veterinarian portal is also available to you almost around the clock, 365 days a year for other matters! Maybe this is something for you too?
Serious causes of gastrointestinal noises in dogs
Of course, you should always take it seriously when your dog shows atypical behavior! But as you’ve already learned, the stomach noises don’t always mean something bad.
Nevertheless, they can also indicate pain or illness, for example:
1. Stomach pain & bloating
Every dog owner knows their own dog best. You will definitely find out quickly if your dog has a stomach ache. As a rule, the stomach is then hard and your dog has little desire to move.
Maybe he needs a lot of cuddles. Stomach pain and bloating are often accompanied by loud gastrointestinal noises and can cause your dog severe pain.
2. Your dog ate something wrong
If your dog has ingested something that is not good for him, this can also lead to loud stomach rumbles. Pay attention to what your dog eats and, above all, what he tolerates well and what not!
3. Serious gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Here the stomach is attacked by too much stomach acid, which is very painful for your dog. It is often accompanied by loud noises in the digestive tract, vomiting, feeling unwell, diarrhea and listlessness.
4. Worm infestation
A worm infestation is often only late or hardly recognizable from the outside. Inside your dog, however, things are going wild and this leads to loud noises from the stomach/intestinal area.
Typical signs of a worm infestation are weight loss despite the same feed ration, diarrhea and constant growling of the stomach.
Danger!
If your dog has worms or you suspect gastritis, do not hesitate, but contact your vet directly! In both cases, your dog can be helped if it is recognized in good time.
There are a number of other possible causes of your dog’s stomach rumble. For example:
- poisoning
- Food intolerance / allergy
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- gastric torsion
- medication
- Disturbed intestinal flora
- liver and kidney problems
- stomach cancer
- Swallowed foreign body
- pancreatitis
- consequences of anesthesia
- intestinal obstruction
When should I see a vet?
Because the causes of your dog’s stomach rumblings can range from harmless to life-threatening, here’s the real deal sensitivity asked.
Ask yourself: «How does my dog affect me?»
Is he alright? Does he seem limp? Is his digestion working properly? is he eating well Does he answer? When and how often does the stomach gurgle? Is the stomach hard? Can you localize the noise more precisely?
Are you planning a vet visit? With dog health insurance, you can save a lot of money at the vet because the insurance covers up to 100% of all costs.
We can recommend PetPlan insurance because it allows all dog breeds and can be taken out easily within a few minutes.
Alleviate abdominal pain in dogs: home remedies and tips
If your dog’s stomach is rumbling from time to time, maybe he’s had a bit of a full stomach or he’s eaten something hard to digest, you can do his Gently massage your stomach.
You probably know yourself how pleasant it is! Your dog will definitely enjoy it too!
Also ask your loved one always enough water available and keep an eye on him at all times.
One hot water bottle can also be beneficial for stressed dog bellies. It just can’t be too hot! You can also wrap it in a cloth or simply put it in its basket.
Also light food is a good idea if you have an upset stomach. Oatmeal, soft-boiled rice, Moroshe carrot soup, psyllium husk, boiled chicken – there are many foods that will get your dog back on his feet right now!
Here’s the best way to make yourself clever again!
Prevent gastrointestinal problems
- One balanced and species-appropriate nutrition as well as enough exercise are the be-all and end-all for an all-round healthy dog! So if you feed your dog well and provide it with all the important nutrients, you can prevent gastrointestinal problems.
- feed your dog no nonsense like chips, chocolate, alcohol or other foods that are harmful to him (and actually also to us!).
- Make sure your dog has any intolerances or allergies and refrain from feeding him foods of this type.
- Also, your dog should always have access to fresh water – Needless to say!
Conclusion
Gastrointestinal sounds in dogs are not uncommon. They are part of normal digestion and in most cases you don’t need to worry.
However, if you notice that something is different than usual and your dog is not doing well, please contact a veterinarian!
You can take your dog with one species-appropriate and balanced diet, light diet, abdominal massage and hot-water bottle support at home, but you should rule out that the stomach noises have serious causes!
Extremely loud intestinal noises and constant, persistent grumbling can indicate intolerances, poisoning, worm infestation, gastritis, pancreatitis, an intestinal obstruction, stomach cancer, a disturbed intestinal flora, inflammatory bowel diseases and many other life-threatening and serious causes.
That’s why it’s great that you’re finding out more here!
Are you planning a vet visit? With dog health insurance, you can save a lot of money at the vet because the insurance covers up to 100% of all costs.
We can recommend PetPlan insurance because it allows all dog breeds and can be taken out easily within a few minutes.