[Susan]

HI Don, try a lower fat diet 10% fat & under for kibble & 2% fat & under for tin wet foods…but kibble is the worst thing you can feed for this problem as the kibble expands when water is drunk…. I’d be having the surgical procedure done as dogs die from bloat….Has he been tested for IBD, Patch suffer with IBD with the stomach & small bowel problems poos are excellent but he has the swallowing & swallowing. (wrenching)… He has acid reflux coming up into his throat, If you can afford it have an Endoscope & biopsies done, then you’ll have a better idea what’s happening, with the Pepcid give 30-60mins before breakfast then 12 hours later the same 30-60mins before food also feed smaller meals thru the day, I feed 7am 9am 12pm 5pm & 7pm I have found lower protein & lower fat diets to be the best also try soaking the kibble to soften it, if he can eat wet food, it will be better as long as its not high in fat, I’ve been making turkey mince 99% fat free mince adding 1 egg mixing thru & making into little balls & putting in a baking dish & baking they cook real quick so don’t over cook cause the turkey balls are like rubber balls, I also boil a heap of pumkin & freeze 20g pieces that’s about 1 heap tablespoon & mix the pumkin with the mashed up turkey balls & Patch has stopped his swallowing & swollowing also make sure his dinner is split into 2 smaller meals & give the last one around 9pm so he has something in his stomach thru the night, this swallowing all started when I put Patch on a higher fat kibble then I put him on a lower fat kibble & he was better but it came back this January, so I’m starting to think Patch does not do well on kibbles, kibble is too processed for his stomach…also don’t feed wet food & kibble together, do 1 or the other…

also kibbles with insoluble fiber goes thru the stomach quicker, where kibbles that have more soluble fiber will just sit in the stomach, as soluble fiber delays emptying of the stomach…just email the kibble company & they will tell you the % of the insoluble & the % of the insoluble fiber… I have to feed Patch Vet Diet Eukaunba Intestinal low residue kibble, its low in fiber & the kibble breaks up quicker then other kibbles they just sit in the stomach, the Intestinal also soften within 1 min when soaked in cold water, always drain out any water… I test all kibbles before feeding them if they stay rock hard after 3 mins soaking, I don’t feed, Patch has his pain & then swallowing & swallowing, I’m finding home cooked diet is the best & it works out the cheapest & you know what they are eating…here’s a link about fiber & the best foods
http://www.webmd.com/diet/insoluble-soluble-fiber