My dog survived "bloat" last night

[undeterred]

No sleep for me and over $900 at the emergency clinic.
I never realized how common and dangerous this is. The stomach fills up with gas and can twist out of position causing extreme pain and eventually complications which lead to death.

I got him help within a few hours of the onset and thankfully he is resting comfortably tonight.

[kikiek]

1. I have never heard of that before. Do you know what caused the gas?

[undeterred]

I went to a company picnic yesterday with a pig roast

I brought him home some meat scraps. (He gets meat scraps all the time from my neighbors, including pork, no problems.) I had to buy Iams instead of Eukanuba but they aren't that different. So those were the changes. Plus it was 90 degrees, he was hungry, and he ate fast.

The emergency vet, who sees more of this than anyone in town, said there are lots of theories about cause but the only thing for sure is that some breeds, including large breeds, are prone to it. Dobermans too.

I've heard of it but never really worried about it...

[susanna]

7. Thank goodness your dog is okay!

Good for you, undeterred. I bet you were worried...I would have been frantic! It is great that you recognized it so quickly and got help. That certainly helped save your dog.

There's a great newsletter called the Whole Dog Journal, and they ran a very informative article on bloat recently. According to it, a few other risk factors include: 1) larger, deep-chested dogs tend to be more at risk (but it can still happen to small dogs!) 2) as dogs age, their stomach ligaments get weaker and don't hold it in place so well 3) close genetic tie to another dog who has experienced it 4) fed only one meal a day and 5) elevated food/water holders seem to be a risk.

I am always worried as I have a deep-chested Akita/Golden mix, and she can eat FAST. She is a senior dog, and over the past year I have broken up her food so that she eats when we eat; a bit at breakfast/lunch/dinner. I also replaced her elevated food/water bowl setup with regular ones.

Beyond that, I think the only thing owners can truly do is be diligent in observing their dog's behavior after they've eaten. This is probably the most important thing. The faster bloat is recognized and acted on (to the vet quickly!), the better the odds.

edited because lists are not a strong point

[undeterred]

9. My dog is large breed, older, and has been eating once a day

so I can alter his eating schedule at least.

He was having dry heaves for two hours but it never occurred to be it might be something serious until I posted here last night: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x3650080

Green Party Voter's 9:47 post made me think to call an emergency vet and they said BRING HIM OVER RIGHT AWAY. They had him diagnosed by 10:30 pm

[susanna]

14. I'm so glad you were able to get the help in time!

As to splitting up the meals, my girl originally had the larger meal once daily. Once she hit 10, I decided to switch to the three meals schedule. She didn't have a whole lot of trouble with it, though she was confused at first. I think she grew quickly to like the idea of getting food more often. (That said, I don't think she ever figured out that it was her normal meal split up into smaller portions. Thank goodness dogs don't do math.) :-)

[undeterred]

18. yeah, my dog is charming but he's no genius either

usually he gets treats on our walk in the morning and the big meal at night but I'll have to give him a smaller meal at night now so he is hungrier earlier in the day.

[susanna]

22. LOL - mine isn't exactly Mensa material...

...but she's got a canny intelligence all her own, usually knowing how to push all my "awwwww" buttons. I know you know what that's like!

[undeterred]

24. Oh yeah, I'm his harem girl

I bring water and treats along when we take walks in the woods. Whenever he wants a "picnic" he just lays down and expects me to wait on him- he likes to be hand fed by a woman in a scenic location. I'm utterly smitten with this lumpy old guy!

By the time I picked him up to go home today he had all the ladies at the clinic petting and fussing over him too. He has a way about him. :shrug:

Before this dog I had a border collie, who was much smarter, but not as easy to live with!

[susanna]

26. Oh yeah...he's got it made...!

I'm with you though - so does mine. My husband actually bought a full-size van (small engine, though, it isn't the biggest gas hog around) so we could take the dog on our camping trips.

So yeah, she pretty much gets the best of it all...within reason. I still get to tell her what to do most of the time LOL. :-)

[progmom]

2. How scary!

I know dogs who have died from this.

I am so glad you caught it early enough!!!
:hug:

[dooner]

3. is it a large breed dog?

I've heard it can happen to the larger chested dogs. Is it caused by eating too much too fast or anything?

[undeterred]

4. Yes he is a large chested dog

that gives the stomach more room to twist if it wants to. Eating too much too fast plus lots of water plus lots of activity can supposedly cause it, but the vet said he's had small breeds who did not do any of the above come down with it too.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Wow! you are VERY VERY Lucky! So glad your pup has survived.

What breed? Did they stitch the stomach in place to help prevent a recurrence?

I have heard some advice to put a tennis ball or something like that in the food bowl to slow down the eating, and to keep them from gulping.
Feed several small meals instead of one large one.
No heavy activity right after eating.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. Find out all you can about it so you can prevent a recurrence.

I believe that once it happens, your pup can be more prone to it.
I have a GErman Shepherd, and they are very prone to it. Several of my friends who have GSDs have lost their dogs to Bloat. It is a terrible way to lose a pup.

Bloat is the common term for Gastric Dilation-Torsion Complex.
This condition involves the swelling of the stomach from gas, fluid or both.
Bloat is a Veterinary Emergency!!!
There are no home remedies.
Symptoms can be subtle. Learn to recognize them.

* Paces around continuously, or, lies down in odd places
* Salavating, panting, whining
* Acts as if he can't get comfortable
* Acts agitated
* Unproductive vomiting or retching (the dog may produce frothy foamy vomit in small quanties)
* Excessive drooling, usually accompanied by retching noises
* Swelling in abdominal area (may or may not be noticeable)

If you see ANY combination of these symptoms, CALL YOUR VET and get the dog...there as fast as possible.

Bloat is LIFE-THREATENING. Do not wait until you see/feel an enlarged stomach!

http://personal.uncc.edu/jvanoate/k9/bloatfaq.htm

http://www.cybercanine.com/bloat.htm

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

http://www.greatdanerescueinc.com/bloat.html

[undeterred]

8. They have scared the shit out of me with fear of recurrence

and they scared the shit out of me with fear of death last night.

I didn't choose surgery last night as my dog is older, the surgery is expensive, this was the first time I had met this vet, and it was caught early enough to use a less invasive option. They stuck a needle into his stomach through his side to release the gas (his stomach was as big as a football and as hard as one) and they put a tube in through his esophagus to pump his stomach out. Lots of meds too.

His stomach was fully distended (dilatation) but not twisted (volvulus).

They are recommending the surgery (gastroplexy)to prevent the stomach from twisting- tacks it into place. I am planning on it but after the $900 bill last night its going to be a while.

Dobermans and Labs are very prone too- lots of the common breeds are.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Meanwhile..keep a close eye on him and implement the other options.

multiple feedings, calm feeding times, no exercise for a couple of hours before and after feeding, slow feeding..put some obstacle in the bowl so he cannot eat quickly.
I just read that you can give him some apple cider vinegar after he eats, or with his food. (I always put some in my dog's food..) That is supposed to help prevent this also.
Check out the links I posted and see what preventative measures you can try. Perhaps you can avoid surgery...especially if your pup is an older guy. Just watch him, and make sure his eating times are peaceful and carefully monitored. Be careful what you feed him.

[undeterred]

11. Thank you!

:yourock:

[BrklynLiberal]

12. No problem. I know how I would have felt in your place. So glad he is

ok.

[wildeyed]

13. Phew!

Close call.

My neighbors Saint Bernard died of this two weeks ago. They were out of town and had the dog at a kennel. Apparently, the dog bloated during the night and was dead when the staff came to work in the AM. Very sad.

[undeterred]

17. 1/3 of dogs die from it

If he had developed it during the day while I was at work, it would have been worse. And if I had waited until morning to seek treatment he might have died.

Sad, that poor St. Bernard probably went through a very painful night. Kennels should have someone who stays near the dogs so they could identify something like this which can happen quickly to a totally healthy dog.

[susanna]

25. I boarded mine with a VET once...not a kennel, a VET.

I had an unexpected, work-related and unavoidable 10-day, out-of-town trip. No family was around to take my dog in, so I boarded her with her vet who up until then had seemed fine to me. Her normal weight, and weight on drop-off for boarding, was 98 pounds (normal for her size/breed profile).

When I picked her up a week and a half later, she weighed...and I'm serious...84 pounds. I demanded to speak to the vet and ask what they thought a 14 pound loss over 10 days meant, and why I wasn't called (yes, they had my number and the number of a backup friend just in case).

He said, "oh, they just get homesick and won't eat, so mostly we just feed, walk/relieve them." I immediately found a new vet and told the original one why I left. The vet I blew off years ago keeps calling me and asking me to come back. From what I've heard, he's almost out of business and to be honest, I am not all that sorry for him.

[undeterred]

33. I don't find that hard to believe

I think they don't do well with big dogs. Usually they don't have kennels big enough. 5 years ago I had to leave my dog at the vet because of a last minute 3 day trip- the day I picked him up he must have pooped 10 times. I figure he hadn't pooped since I dropped him off, which must mean he hadn't been walked even a short distance.

More recently, I boarded him with a "wholistic" vet. They let him be free in the clinic because he is well behaved and they didn't want to confine him in a cage. I guess he would sit in the corner of a procedure room and watch the cats get their teeth cleaned! He spent the first night in the clinic, but after that they (husband and wife running the clinic)felt sorry for him and took him home. By the end of the week he was sleeping in their bed. Now that's what I call wholistic! Problem is that vet doesn't prescribe some of the meds my dog needs as they don't fit his philosophy- so I don't go there any more.

[susanna]

35. Kinda funny, what you wrote...

"the day I picked him up he must have pooped 10 times"

I know that feeling. When her Incredible Shrinking Dog experience was over and my girl came home, she filled my back yard with all varieties of poo. It was unnerving, to say the least, LOL. Even getting regular walks don't mean they'll respond to nature, unfortunately. I found this out through trial and error.

We now take our girl on trips with us, which brings problems all its own. She went on our honeymoon with us last year, and looks at us balefully now that we are home and there is no fireplace with a big rug, and by the way, where is the ocean outside the dining room?

Sometimes, ya just can't win. ;-)

[RummyTheDummy]

15. I had a Collie who died of bloat when I was a kid

Woke up and found her in the morning. She was older.
We have a lab now. We feed him a little in the morning and a little in the evening. He's not very active anyway as he is an indoor dog. Originally we started feeding him at night b/c he was usually so hungry by our bedtime 12-1 a.m. that he would want to go out and eat grass b/c his stomach was upset or would ocassionally dry heave or you could just hear his stomach growling. The vet suggested two feedings when I asked her about it. I was affraid he was getting bloat. I wasn't aware until this thread that mutiple feedings of modest amounts of food helped cut down the risk.

[undeterred]

20. Its worth reading up on

as labs are at risk too. But even the two vets I have discussed this with in the last 24 hours don't agree on causes.

I guess the lesson is remember how fast things can develop, and if the dog is showing any sign of distress, don't ignore it. Thank God I wasn't preoccupied with something else last night.

[RummyTheDummy]

27. Yes

The bottom line is observe, observe, observe.

[Withywindle]

16. I'm glad your pup's OK!

My doggie-sister (the one I grew up with) died this way suddenly when I was 13. Our beloved German Shepherd.


It was over 20 years ago and my dad still gets emotional when someone mentions her name. :cry:

[undeterred]

21. For about an hour last night I really thought he was going to die

And I just lost it. They didn't start the treatment right away and when I found out two hours later I yelled at the vet and all his staff... then they did it right away. They had other emergencies, of course, but it was killing me to think of him laying there in pain. It must be a terribly painful way to die.

And they are family to us.

[Withywindle]

23. It's a terrible thing...

It's a good thing you yelled.

We were in such a small town, we couldn't get hold of the one vet in time.

I'm so glad he pulled through!

[undeterred]

31. Some times you have to be a bitch

I wasn't a raving lunatic when I came over there at 10pm- about a 20 minute drive- but when they hadn't done the procedure by 1am I was furious.

Its a big city, and there were lots of animals there, so I know they were busy, but - don't tell me this is life threatening and then do nothing for 2.5 hours while my pet is suffering.

[driver8]

19. Basset Hounds are very susceptible to bloat. If you have a

Basset, keep an eye on your pooch.

[JVS]

28. Any risk of this disease happening to people?

[undeterred]

29. I've never heard of it happening to people

and I used to work for a gastroenterologist. I think being upright makes it anatomically less likely for us than a four legged animal. I think it happens to farm animals like sheep and cattle.

People can get "obstructed" in their lower GI tract though, and that would probably produce similar abdominal pain and nausea.

[JohnKleeb]

30. Used to happen to my dog all the time

What breed is he? Hope hes ok, its a scary situation, I remember once my dog didnt make it, hes been great since which is a nice story to it, hope your dog has the same ending.

[youthere]

32. I'm glad your dog is okay...

I've never heard of this happening with dogs, but I have heard of it happening with larger livestock (horses and cattle). Yikes! What a scare. Sounds like he deserves an extra special treat. Poor guy.

[undeterred]

34. thank you

I haven't known anyone whose dog this happened to but I had heard of livestock getting bloat.

'Dry heaves' just seemed like nausea to me- and usually dogs eat grass or do whatever they need to do. But if nothing at all is coming up its a really bad sign- I'm so glad I called a vet.

Interestingly this usually happens overnight after an evening meal- thats why so many animals who die of bloat are found dead in the morning. If someone checks on them at 10pm it would probably save a lot of animals. By morning there is a much greater chance of rupture and shock and its very difficult for an animal to recover from. My regular vet said he hasn't seen a case of bloat in over 5 years, but the emergency vet, who works overnight, sees 5-10 cases per month.