gag while eating

Glider13 · Feb 17, 2024

i have a 4 year old male that for as long as i can remember has occasionally while eating gagged as though he were hacking up a hairball.(i dont think hes ever had hairball).and Very recently the frequency has elevated and today i noticed it occurred while he was laying on my bed with no food around that i assumed til that very moment he was sleeping. its only occurred the one time im aware of so far. im always home and hes very loud when this occurs you can hear it clean through the house. Had it always been an occasional while eating i wasnt so concerned but today got me worried. am i overreacting.

FeebysOwner · Feb 17, 2024

Hi and welcome to TCS! Have you ever spoken to your vet about this? There are lots of possibilities when it comes to eating and gagging - eating too fast is a typical one. The thing is that you are now seeing it happening more frequently, up to and including the same thing when he is not eating, so it could mean that whatever is behind this is progressing. Does he have any other unusual behaviors related to chewing, swallowing, or breathing?

I wouldn't get overly freaked out about it just yet, but it probably warrants a vet checkup to see if they can suggest some tests that might be appropriate for what he is doing.

IndyJones · Feb 18, 2024

Could it be reverse sneezing? This is caused by an irritant at the back of the throat would be food or spit in this case.

di and bob · Feb 18, 2024

I wouldn't get too worried until you have him checked out. That could wait until his next visit unless it increases or he can't actually swallow. Have the vet look into his throat. If he has been doing it for as long as you can remember, it is most likely something congenital, or he just eats too fast and occasionally chokes. My cats do this at times too, but not as often. If he is acting normal, eating, drinking, and using the litterbox, it is most likely something benign. This coming up suddenly would have me more worried.