Dog bowing after eating

[Sswor]

What is this all about, then? During/following eating a meal, like a play bow but not playful, front paws close together, resting on the elbows, bottom in the air. Staying like that for a few seconds, then return to normal stance. Then repeat. 2 or 3 instances of this and then normal. The need is pressing enough to leave the food bowl to perform, but return to bowl to finish meal with nearly no hesitation.

What the heck?? Please don’t tell me the dog is dying I cannot take it.

Ps. I could take him to get checked out tomorrow morning. Dog is 4yo and 25# with history of sensitive GI.

[Sswor]

Someone said gas, eating too fast, minor indigestion, keep an eye on dog today but likely nbd aka not dying.

?

He drives me to drink.

[S1969]

Well I agree that it is likely a GI symptom, but there are so many possibilities it’s impossible to know. If it is while he is eating I wonder about something like megaesophagus?

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_megaesophagus

[Marshfield]

Acid reflux/minor GI cramping

[snowblaze]

The vet told me it’s a sign of abdominal pain. My dog was doing that when he had pancreatitis.

[Sswor]

To update, there was no reoccurrence of this behavior the rest of the day or this morning. So that’s good.

To clarify, he performed the bow after his first bite of breakfast. Took a bite, spit it out, looked at his food dish as if he had been burned by too hot food (his food comes out of the fridge), walked 3 steps away, bowed, held it for one-one-thousand, returned to food bowl, tentatively tried a bite, seemed fine, ate a few more bites, stopped, bowed, one-one-thousand, returned to bowl --before I could take it away–, and finished. Then went to living room and bowed for several one-one-thousand seconds. The stood up, went to his bed for after breakfast nap and everything has been normal since then, including 2 meals.

So I’m thinking though not megaesophagus but something with the esophagus because it first happened with the first bite of food. As if he was burned, so whatever it was hit him when he went to swallow, as a burn would be felt if you were eating fast (as a dog does). I’ve had a dog with pancreatitis and that does affect appetite at the food bowl but an acute bout would be felt during primary digestion phase, not upon swallowing. At least this is my thinking.

But then he’s always horking up a potato chip that he tried to swallow whole and he didn’t attempt to do that at all so clearly the food was allowed to pass so maybe never mind.

So yeah, bowing would indicate upper stomach pain. You wouldn’t expect to a dog to bow with throat pain–would you? It was just so very odd.

[Miss_Fortune]

Megaesophagus would not be the first thing that would come to mind. Some type of abdominal discomfort/pain. You didn’t mention any vomiting upon eating or drinking, and that is one of issues you see with mega. I had a Border collie pup diagnosed with mega. and turns out it was just a hernia…

Have you wormed him lately? Parasites, especially hookworms, can cause major irritation to the gut, not to mention masquerade as sensitive gut. If it were my dog, I’d start out dosing him with some strongid. It’s totally safe, and you can get it OTC from Amazon…1cc per 5lbs.

[kmm11289]

My Beagle mix does this once in a blue moon (maybe once a year)- not necessarily during/around mealtime, but I know it means his stomach isn’t well. He starts with the bowing, then will frantically start licking the walls, and if I let him outside, he will frantically eat grass.

When he goes through this, it always resolves itself within a matter of hours. I think it may be acid reflux related, but I’ve never brought him to the vet for it, since he always bounces back to his normal happy self, and it doesn’t happen often. Also, I do give him some of his kibble to try to help settle the acid reflux, and that seems to help, which adds to my theory. I dread seeing him bow, though, because the poor little guy gets so frantic! He’s dramatic, though- its the Beagle in him.

[Sswor]

No, no vomiting. No surface licking either. He was last dewormed in late fall so not likely related. He had a very bad day 24hrs earlier with falling ice and snow on the roof but we were all clear for a good 18hrs prior to the bowing incident. If it had hit the morning prior I’d say his phobia messed up his tummy but he ate that morning with no problems.

I’ll update if I learn anything, otherwise it’s filed under “noteworthy”.

@kmm11289 does your beagle have any other sensitive GI issues? Thanks in advance for anything you chose to share.

[kmm11289]

@swwor- No, normally he’s rock solid! Those beagles- they eat whatever they get into, with limited repercussions. Hope your guy is feeling better.

[Sswor]

@Marshfield

Acid reflux/minor GI cramping

So incredibly late of me but thank you. This makes the most sense. If you were so inclined to spend anymore of your free time on this topic, would you like to see a 4yo dog with this symptom, and a history of GI sensitivity, receive a follow up exam from his vet? Or would I be at risk of being filed under “hysterical owner”? I feel I have some tendencies.

[hoopoe]

Another thought is position discomfort; front end
loading, head neck shoulders

[Sswor]

Elevated feeder? He’s currently eating on the floor.

[Marshfield]

@Sswor

So incredibly late of me but thank you. This makes the most sense. If you were so inclined to spend anymore of your free time on this topic, would you like to see a 4yo dog with this symptom, and a history of GI sensitivity, receive a follow up exam from his vet? Or would I be at risk of being filed under “hysterical owner”? I feel I have some tendencies.

If you’ve seen an increase in frequency, my best recommendation with be upper GI endoscopy with potential biopsies of esophagus and stomach. Food allergies can be associated with reflux esophagitis as well as essentially autoimmune lesions at the esophageal sphincter

[Sswor]

@Marshfield

If you’ve seen an increase in frequency, my best recommendation with be upper GI endoscopy with potential biopsies of esophagus and stomach. Food allergies can be associated with reflux esophagitis as well as essentially autoimmune lesions at the esophageal sphincter

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with me (us). I am going to monitor the situation and have a conversation with my vet. I appreciate your time a great deal.

[Sswor]

Update: Couple of days ago dog pooped out a piece of fabric from a stuffed toy. No idea if related but figured it was note worthy enough to update the thread. In my mind, it’s quite related but could be total coincidence. There’s been no reoccurrence of bowing or any other symptoms.

[S1969]

@Sswor

Update: Couple of days ago dog pooped out a piece of fabric from a stuffed toy. No idea if related but figured it was note worthy enough to update the thread. In my mind, it’s quite related but could be total coincidence. There’s been no reoccurrence of bowing or any other symptoms.

Interesting. It might have been stuck in the back of the throat or esophagus. Hopefully that’s all it was and no new issues!