Have you heard people talk about heartburn? Did you know that dogs can get it, too? Veterinarians call this GERD and it stands for “gastroesophageal reflux disease”. This lesson will help you learn about how heartburn happens in dogs (and humans) and what veterinarians can do to help dogs with GERD.  These are questions you will answer:

• How does food get to a dog’s stomach? What is stomach acid? 
• What is GERD and what are the mechanisms behind it? 
• How might we identify and treat GERD in dogs?

Take a sip of water out of a cup and think about the path it takes to your tummy (stomach)!

Have you ever wondered why your dog is vomiting, burping and/or coughing after eating? This could be due to gastric acid reflux (GERD). In this lesson, we will go on an adventure with Chicken Nugget to understand what’s happening in his stomach. First, let’s watch the following video to understand more about gastric acid reflux (GERD):

Chicken Nugget’s Tummy Troubles

Your teacher or parent can print the coloring pages for you.

Chicken Nugget’s story (word)

Chicken Nugget’s story (pdf)

Further exploration

Images were created by the authors and are CC for NC use