Medication and probiotics didn’t work for us and we tried that for about a month, but here’s what did work for our pit-husky mix:
1. Feed 3-4 small meals a day, and no fatty or rich foods or table foods. We started with 4 per day, and by day 4 we went to 3 a day.
2. Feed a lower fat lower protein dog food that is Not grain free. I have slowly stopped trusting dog food manufacturers who don’t publish the origin of their ingredients and feed Nature’s logic, Open Farm, and Honest kitchen, so I didn’t think I could improve here. But she is our picky dog, and we were adding chicken breasts or thighs with skin (ugh) to her food. Without the addition of chicken, she didn’t want to eat. The pet food store suggested Dr. Harvey’s canine health mix as an alternative to Honest kitchen’s mix. This is a mix that requires you to add muscle meat, organ meat (for taurine), and a healthy oil- I use olive oil or krill oil. For protein, I add skinless chicken breast (and a small portion of ground turkey liver, hearts and gizzards). I follow their recipe for low protein, which amounts to about 1.5 grams of protein for each pound that my dog weighs, which doesn’t sound low protein to me. She LOVES it, but most of all, her GERD, acid reflux, gulping, and burping up water is under control. I buy frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Costco ($1.77 per pound), and do a big meal prep once a week, freezing half. It’s expensive, but cheaper than the vet.
It’s been about 6 months, and we’ve been able to slowly go back to 2 meals a day, but 3 is probably better. She had an episode a few days ago after I fed her too many Ziwi peak treats, but other than that, she’s good!
