It can sometimes be jarring when you hear your dog’s stomach making noises. Luckily, gurgling, grumbling, and other dog stomach noises are the typical sounds digestion produces. They even have a scientific name: borborygmi. The noise is nothing more than the muscles of the intestines moving food and water through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Most of the time, those tummy grumblings are nothing to worry about. Instead, they indicate that everything’s working as it should.
However, when accompanied by a lack of appetite, diarrhoea, vomiting, or other distressing symptoms, those sounds mean it’s time to contact your vet.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about your dog’s stomach noises.
Why Is My Dog’s Stomach Making Noises?
Your dog’s GI tract is always in motion. Food enters through their mouth, gets digested into smaller pieces in the stomach, has nutrients extracted through the intestines, and passes what’s left through the hind end. Smooth muscles throughout the intestines contract to move everything. This process is known as peristalsis, and each contraction produces a stomach noise. The sounds are perfectly normal—even when they get loud.
When you hear stomach sounds, it’s likely because your dog has an empty stomach. Usually, food and water create a buffer between peristalsis and the wall of your dog’s belly. But if your dog hasn’t eaten in a while, there’s nothing to muffle the sound.
However, sometimes dog stomach noises signal something more complex. “Other things we can look at are if [they have] any sign of maldigestion or malabsorption,” says Dr Lindsey E Bullen, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at Friendship Hospital for Animals. She says gas, maldigestion, and malabsorption are three medical problems that can accompany your dog’s stomach making noises. Some of these issues (such as gas) resolve on their own, but others may require a trip to the vet for further care.
Below are some of the most common causes of dog stomach noises besides hunger.
Your dog has diarrhoea
It’s common to hear stomach noises from your dog when they have diarrhoea. When your dog’s GI tract speeds up, too much water enters their intestines, and their muscles contract rapidly. This results in sudden large amounts of liquid poop and can create a loud gurgling sound in your dog’s stomach.
Frequently, diarrhoea is a sign of other medical conditions and be accompanied by the following symptoms besides a loud gurgling sound from your dog’s stomach.
- a bloated, distended, or painful belly
- dehydration
- increased passing of gas
- foul breath
- vomiting
- weight loss
- decreased or no appetite
- dark or black poop
- rectal bleeding
- an increased or even constant need to drink or eat
- straining to poop but not passing anything
Your dog ate something unfamiliar or disagreeable
Dogs like to experiment with food sometimes. Odds are, after your dog sneaks an unapproved snack, you’ll hear tummy grumblings. Additionally, you may decide to change their food from one to the other. You’ll then notice an increase in noises from your dog’s stomach. This is pretty common.
The protein and fibre levels in food items vary. So does the region of the GI tract where they’re processed. The more food the bacteria in your dog’s GI tract receive, the more gas they produce. This can lead to excessive gut sounds as your dog digests their new diet or food they weren’t supposed to eat. Depending on your dog’s sensitivity to ingredients, they may develop other symptoms after a dietary indiscretion, including diarrhoea, excessive gas, vomiting, dehydration, and a bloated belly.
Dr Bullen explains that dogs are unique, so certain ingredients might disagree with your dog’s digestive system. Consequently, she says some dogs rebound better than others when they’ve upset their stomachs.
Your dog has excessive gas
Gas is no fun for anyone, including your dog. You hear loud noises from your dog’s stomach, and a moment later, there’s a foul odour. Flatulence comes from a few different places, including:
- Aerophagia: gulps of swallowed air. This is especially true in brachycephalic or short-faced dog breeds, such as Boston Terriers or Bulldogs.
- Digestion: tiny gas bubbles are produced and released as food breaks down.
- Bacteria: the bacteria that live in the GI tract give off gas as they break down fibre.
Your dog’s stomach noises can be those gas bubbles moving around during digestion. The amount of gas varies from dog to dog and meal to meal. It’s a normal part of digestion and resolves on its own.
Your dog is vomiting
While it might not seem common, if your dog’s about to vomit, their stomach can loudly gurgle. This happens because the food and water your dog has consumed move quickly in the wrong direction.
Vomiting occurs when your dog forcefully projects food (digested or partially digested) from the stomach through the mouth. Pet parents will see their dog’s stomach heave before it happens. Additionally, your dog may drool and get a worried look on their faces.
Vomiting can quickly lead to dehydration. So, if you notice prolonged episodes of vomiting, contact your vet right away.
Your dog isn’t eating
Anorexia is when your dog stops eating. No food or water going into their GI tract means nothing to muffle the sounds of the muscle contractions needed for digestion. That makes it very easy to hear loud stomach noises. As a result, your dog’s tummy will continue to gurgle and growl even as they turn away from their food bowl.
When your dog doesn’t want to eat, especially for long periods, it’s a good time to call the vet. You’ll also want to watch out for lethargy and decreased energy.
What Health Problems Cause Dog Stomach Noises?
Hearing occasional sounds from your dog’s stomach is pretty routine. It’s part of the natural digestion process. However, there are some medical conditions where stomach noises are a symptom, including the following. If your dog has any of these conditions, contact your vet for the proper treatment.
- Parvovirus. Common in puppies and unvaccinated adult dogs, parvovirus damages the lining of the intestines, causing bloody diarrhoea and loud stomach noises. Other common symptoms of parvo are fever, appetite loss, and lethargy.
- Parasites and bacteria. Intestinal worms and pests like Salmonella and E. coli move into your dog’s intestines and hog all the nutrients. They crowd out the helpful bacteria in your dog’s belly and produce excessive gas as your dog digests their meals. This often leads to an increase in the sounds coming from your dog’s stomach.
- Colitis. This intestinal disease happens when the colon becomes inflamed or irritated. Colitis causes many symptoms, including diarrhoea, which can cause gurgling stomach noises. Causes of colitis include bacterial infections, parasites, allergic reactions, or even surgical procedure trauma. It may happen once or be an ongoing problem for your dog.
- Constipation. Sometimes, a dog may not poop, even after significant strain. Constipation doesn’t prevent the GI tract from moving, so you’ll continue to hear gurgles as your dog’s muscles contract and try to move things along. The longer your dog goes without pooping, the harder it’ll become.
- Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, or HGE, happens suddenly, causing vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. This disease is most common in young dogs, toy, and miniature breeds, such as Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers. Luckily, there are plenty of vet-recommended treatments available for HGE.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While the causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) aren’t known, the symptoms tend to be the same. If your dog has IBD, their intestinal lining becomes inflamed, and that irritation makes it difficult to process certain food ingredients. This inability to digest certain foods can cause loud gurgling stomach noises. Pet parents often need to work with their vets to try special diets and find the right combination of ingredients to help minimise that inflammation.
- Bowel obstruction. When your dog has an intestinal obstruction (bowel obstruction), parts of the intestine become entirely or partially blocked. The blockage can be caused by foreign objects, like toys and bones, gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV), excessive parasites, or tumours. Your dog tries to digest these objects, producing loud stomach noises. There’s no time to wait when your dog has a blockage—you’ll want to contact your vet immediately.
What Can I Give My Dog to Help Stomach Noises?
Dr Bullen says it’s important to remember that if stomach noises happen infrequently, it’s usually not a cause for concern since digestion is natural and normal. However, if the loud stomach noises persist for no discernable reason, you can try these easy home remedies to help keep those gurgles and rumbles to a minimum.
- Offer smaller, more frequent meals. “I am a huge fan of multiple small meals to optimise that digestive and absorptive capability,” says Dr Bullen. The GI tract can only handle so much surface volume. Smaller meals make it easier for digestive enzymes to break down the food.
- Utilise sensitive stomach diets. When looking for a solution to your dog’s loud stomach, sensitive stomach diets are often the first place to turn. These diets are easier for the intestines to break down, reducing the frequency of your dog’s gurgles and grumbles.
- Provide fresh water. Drinking water helps your dog’s GI tract keep food moving through their intestines and assists in muscle contraction. This can reduce how loud and how often your dog’s stomach grumbles. Dog water fountains are a great way to ensure your dog always has access to fresh water.
- Use a slow-feeder bowl. Dogs who gulp down their food also take in air, causing aerophagia. This extra air in your dog’s GI tract means loud noises from their stomach. Slow-feeder bowls or puzzle toys slow the eating process by encouraging your dog to remove individual pieces of kibble, helping reduce extra air consumption. Alternatively, Dr Bullen suggests using a muffin tin as a DIY slow feeder.
- Go for gentle walks after eating. Dr Bullen says exercise and other activities help stimulate your dog’s GI tract. But how much activity matters, especially if you walk after dinner? Dr Bullen recommends gentle, controlled walks. If you want to go for a run, save it for before the meal. Exercising immediately after eating also increases the risk of bloat in dogs.
- Try a calming treat to reduce anxiety. Stress interferes with digestion. The more anxious your dog is, the slower their stomach empties. That means less food and water in the intestines to block stomach noises—a relaxed dog means a happy GI tract. Calming treats may help keep the digestive process moving smoothly.
Takeaway About Stomach Noises
Hearing your dog’s stomach gurgling can startle you, especially in the middle of the night or when they’re sound asleep. But the stomach sounds are part of normal digestion. So it’s okay for you to sit back, reassured that they’re nothing out of the ordinary.
However, when those stomach noises become exceptionally loud and you see additional signs, it’s time to get your vet involved. “If you are noticing a trend that [the sounds] are increasing in severity or increasing in frequency—even if your pet is not bothered by it—that would be a change to definitely bring up,” Dr Bullen concludes.