Canine Bloat
While preparing for my monthly post I often look around on the internet for topics to discuss in my training tip. This morning I came upon a Facebook post that included a video of a dog bloating. I’m not sure how many of you know about bloat (also called stomach torsion or GVD, gastric dilatation and volvulus), so I thought I’d share with you information about this life threatening condition.
Dog bloat is an emergency situation that without immediate medical attention is fatal. It is most often seen in large, deep-chested breeds like the Great Dane, St Bernard, Bernese Mountain Dog, German Shepherd, Weimaraner, Irish Setter, and Doberman, although any dog can bloat. It is a two stage condition; first the stomach fills with gas, then it can flip over, cutting off blood supply causing necrosis of the tissue and eventually death.
Symptoms of dog bloat may include:
• Distended abdomen
• Body posture with head and tail lowered and back hunched
• Extreme agitation, often with pacing and whining
• Heavy panting and difficulty breathing
• Excessive drooling, dry heaving and/or gagging
If you see any of these symptoms get to the vet immediately – This is an emergency!
While we don’t know exactly what causes bloat in dogs, these suggestions may help prevent it from happening to your dog.
• Don’t exercise your dog immediately before or after eating, wait 1-2 hours in between
• Don’t allow your dog to gulp large amounts of water during or after strenuous exercise
• Feed several small meals daily instead of one large meal. If your dog gulps his food use a bowl specifically designed to slow down his eating. These bowls are available at most pet stores.
• Don’t allow your dog to roll around immediately after eating
• Don’t change your dog’s diet suddenly, or feed your dog anything that causes excess gas, like beans, broccoli or cabbage
• Your vet may recommend gastropexy, a surgical procedure that tacks the stomach to the abdominal wall. This may not prevent bloating but will prevent gastric torsion (the stomach flipping over).
Please do everything we can to prevent your dog from experiencing this life-threatening condition! For more information on bloat talk to your veterinarian and check out these online sources:
Bloating akita video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1WrT2719yo&feature=share
Symptoms of bloat by Akita Rescue group:
http://akitarescue.rescuegroups.org/info/display?PageID=11156