If your dog keeps burping and burps, it tries to eliminate excess air or gases. This can be very unpleasant for the four-legged friend; we humans often perceive it as a noise and odor nuisance.
But what exactly is behind it? And what can we do about it? If your dog keeps burping, it is usually due to one of the 7 following causes.
The 7 main reasons why a dog burps
1. The dog loops
Belching often occurs in insatiable dogs. These four-legged friends can hardly wait to get their food and sling then literally down.
Some breeds, e.g Labrador Retrievers and Dobermansfor genetic reasons, do not have a pronounced feeling of satiety and gobble particularly frequently. In other four-legged friends, the behavior is more likely to be caused by a strong appetite or by stress, for example because they are afraid that another pet will compete with them to eat.
Dogs that gobble not only tend to be overweight, but they also choke more often. In addition, eating food too quickly leads to the formation of air bubbles, which are then burped out.
2. Too fast Drink
Also leads to increased air production in the stomach and thus to burping sounds drinking too quickly. This behavior can have very different reasons:
- When there is a lot of activity, the dog quickly gets very thirsty.
- On hot days they need water to regulate their body temperature, which means they pant a lot.
- But there are also some illnesses such as (bladder) inflammation, diabetes or kidney failure that cause a high level of drinking.
In addition to burping, drinking too quickly can also lead to vomiting in some cases – especially if the water is too cold.
Dog trainer Dirk Biller on proper drinking for dogs. Source: Stadtfelle dog school / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ3kqXn20oo
3. Stomach hyperacidity
In some cases, the stomach is also responsible for the dog burping. Then he becomes overly acidic. This can have various reasons, for example:
- Too much alkaline food such as vegetables, which “collides” with the four-legged friend’s stomach acid
- Frequent meals or snacks for which the dog repeatedly increases stomach acid production
- Wrong expectation of food, the dog produces stomach acid that is then not needed or not
- Chronic stomach diseases, hormonal disorders or side effects of medication.
At a Hyperacidity, As the technical term goes, gases are also created that are excreted upwards. The dog will then burp, which is why you will probably notice a sour bad breath.
4. nausea & Upset stomach
Sometimes a dog also feels nauseous, which can also be indicated by burping. Belching is often followed by vomiting.
The cause is almost always one Upset stomach. The dog has probably eaten something spoiled, which is usually:
- Dog food that has gone bad, especially wet food on hot days or
- picked up trash.
Spoiled food sources quickly cause gas buildup in the digestive tract. The gas is often excreted with flatulence, but burping is also possible.
Be careful when combining types of food
Even well-intentioned diversity in feeding can cause an upset stomach: For example, if you… wet and dry food at the same time If you give it, it's often too much for your four-legged friend's digestion. Begging dogs who are given something from the dinner table in addition to their kibble also get sick more quickly.
5. Intestinal problems
Also can cause both burping and flatulence Problems with the intestinal flora. The composition is then out of balance, “good” intestinal bacteria are outnumbered and have been displaced by “bad” microorganisms.
The result: Food is not broken down properly and gases are produced. This phenomenon often occurs with poor-quality food; food rich in protein can also be responsible. For this reason, dogs occasionally burp for a short time after a change in food or as a side effect of medication such as antibiotics.
6. Feed intolerance
More and more dogs are suffering from one Feed intolerance. The body develops an allergic reaction to one or more ingredients in the dog food. Digestive problems are very often the result.
These then manifest themselves, for example, through regular diarrhea, vomiting or constipation. Belching with corresponding belching is also occasionally a symptom of intolerances.
A feed intolerance can be caused by virtually any ingredient. These are often types of grain (especially with gluten) or certain animal proteins. Food allergy is closely related: In contrast to intolerance, this is not acquired but is innate.
7. Too many fiber
Every dog needs Fiber: They bind water, regulate the intestinal flora and promote digestion. Good sources of these indigestible food components include fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
However, it can also happen that your four-legged friend consumes too much fiber. Then exactly the opposite happens, digestion is hindered. The result can be not only flatulence, but also belching.
Sometimes this isn't even due to the food: For example, if a dog eats a lot of grass, he may also react by burping.
Burping dog: What can you do?
If your four-legged friend keeps burping, it can be very unpleasant not only for the animal, but also for its human family. Not only the somewhat disturbing noise, but also the sometimes quite unpleasant smells associated with it are quite stressful in the long run.
So what can you do about it? The correct solution strategy depends mainly on the probable cause.
1. Smaller portions give
If your dog is prone to burping and is a glutton, it may help him smaller portions admit. He often takes more time to eat, and the digestive system can also work better and more intensively.
This does not mean that you should reduce the total amount of food. Instead, you give to him more smaller meals a day. For example, instead of one feeding as before, there can then be two, a breakfast and an evening meal.
2. Anti-sling bowl
Also very proven Anti-sling bowls. These are designed in such a way that the dog has to do extra work to get his food.
These often involve some bulges and elevations in a pattern that make it difficult to eat food: the animal then has to use its tongue, for example, to reach its meal.
This slows down the eating process and reduces the likelihood of air bubbles or gases being produced. Furthermore, these bowls also promote the four-legged friends' ability to combine things.
3. Less stress for the dog
Since stomach problems and eating too quickly are also caused by stress, it can also be helpful to give your dog food during meals a little more peace to treat.
Often one already offers Change of feeding place Improvement: If the four-legged friend is exposed to little noise and hustle and bustle, he takes more time to eat and digestion improves.
If you have more than one dog or other pets, it can also be helpful to separate your four-legged friend for feeding: Food envy or fear that another animal might contest his meal is thus prevented.
4. Change on other food
If your dog eats normally but keeps burping, it's quite possible that this is the case feed used is responsible for it. In this case, switching is the best solution strategy.
It doesn't have to be a stressful switch from wet to dry food or vice versa. In the event of a likely intolerance, simply switching to a hypoallergenic dog food is often enough. Grain-free varieties are also a proven solution that stops many four-legged friends from burping.
Also pay attention to treats
Attention: There are also cases in which the dog tolerates its regular food well and Treats are the “culprits” that cause burping. So you should also consider changing snacks to take all possible factors into account.
5. The dog on the go observe well
If the dog “only” burps every now and then or shows digestive problems, it is highly advisable to keep a close eye on the four-legged friend at home and on the go. Often it is curious animals who want to try almost everything that they find edible that are affected by the problem.
If, for example, your darling wants to eat discarded food or even carrion, you must intervene immediately. The dog learns what is desired and what is not and ultimately benefits from significantly improved digestion.
Is burping a Reason for concern?
Many animal lovers become very worried when their dog starts burping repeatedly. For some people this is so big that they want to go to the vet straight away.
In most cases, however, it's not quite that wild. One is burping no illness, but at most a symptom of health problems. On the other hand, the conditions associated with belching are usually easily treatable.
Natural reaction of the body
This is one natural reaction of the body. It occurs when too much air or too many gases have accumulated in the digestive tract.
If these remained in the body, there would be a Bloated stomach and quite a bit of pain as a result. So they have to be eliminated. This often takes the form of flatulence with foul-smelling intestinal wind. But it is also possible that they escape “upwards”.
A dog cannot suppress this reflex, so scolding will not help. Instead, it offers the four-legged friend relief.
Usually no acute danger
If your dog “just” burps, there is actually no acute danger. The indigestion it causes can be unpleasant for your four-legged friend, but it is usually not life-threatening.
However, things look different when other symptoms are added. For example, if the dog not only burps but also vomits or has diarrhea, there is already a danger situation. You should be particularly alarmed if blood is excreted, the dog has a fever or has pale mucous membranes – this can also indicate poisoning or a life-threatening stomach upset!
When should you go to Vet?
If there are any other signs that indicate that the dog is in danger or is suffering, you should go to the vet immediately. However, if the dog “only” burps, it is sufficient to initially try to resolve the problem using proven solution strategies…