Bloat Can KILL Your Dog

In the last month, I’ve read five grief-crushing posts in different FB groups I belong to, where people have lost their dogs, one as young as nine months, to the dreaded medical emergency, commonly known as bloat, or the medical term, gastric dilatation volvulus, (GDV). What makes this more earth-shattering is that bloat is pretty much preventable, and yet most people are completely unaware of what this medical and surgical emergency is all about until it happens to their dog.

I’ve owned dogs for over 30 years, and bloat can happen to any dog, but it most commonly occurs in deep-chested dogs, such as the Great Dane, St. Bernard, Weimaraner, German Shepherd, Doberman, Akita. In other words, dogs who are taller than they are wider.

Bloat happen when gas and air build up, and as the abdomen expands, it presses on other organs, which constrict and stop the blood flow back to the heart, sending your dog into systemic shock. At the same time, the stomach flips, causing further pressure on organs, which can cause the dog to collapse. Bloat is extremely painful for a dog, and unless you get the dog immediately to the vet, there’s an extremely good chance your dog will die.

What can cause bloat in dogs?

1. Diet. Kibble that is high in fat content, where fats are listed as one of the first four ingredients in dog food rather than a protein such as beef, chicken can be a cause. Kibble expands in your dog’s stomach. Put a small amount in a bowl, add water and wait ½ hour and you’ll understand.
2. Feeding your dog only once a day, instead of minimum twice a day can be a contributing factor because of the amount of food the dog intakes at one feeding.
3. If your dog is a fast eater, and/or has a high strung, nervous temperament.
4. The dog running around immediately after eating. While some mild exercise may not be harmful, say the dog walks around the backyard or trots up to the fence, which is entirely the opposite of having your dog run around the backyard playing fetch the ball, jumping into a swimming pool, or running and jumping in general. NOT a good idea.

What does bloat look like? How will you know your dog has it?

Your dog will look miserable, and you may be able to tell the dog’s abdomen is distended and painful to the dog if you touch it. Your dog will be disoriented, panting and will have trouble walking, if it can. The dog may be salivating, drooling, nauseous, trying to retch and vomit, but nothing is happening. If you touch the dog, he’ll be whining and crying, because again, bloat is very painful for dogs.

What if your dog has bloat or you suspect it does?

If you see the symptoms mentioned above, drop everything and call the vet immediately, tell them you suspect bloat, and rush your dog to the clinic. You don’t change clothes, you don’t put your makeup on, you don’t phone five people. Do not “wait and see” or “wait it out” because your dog, if it has bloat, and depending on when you first noticed your dog’s symptoms, can literally be dead in two hours or less.

Once you’re at the vet, and if it is bloat, the vet will immediately try and stabilize the dog from shock, and then once stabilized, perform surgery. Now, be aware, that even with the surgery, your dog can still die. And also, be aware that this surgery will cost thousands of dollars.

What can you do to prevent it?

1. First, if you do feed your dog kibble, make sure the kibble is a meat protein first, such as beef, lamb, chicken, or others.
2. Feed your dog(s) twice a day. If you feed kibble, mix in some wet canned food, and add 1/3-1/2 cup of water on top of that. My Shepherds weigh in the range of 85 lbs. and they get 1-1/2 cups of kibble, then 1/3 can of wet and ½ cup of water, sometimes more at each feeding.
3. Do not let your pups run around after a meal, i.e., no let’s play fetch, or go swimming or jogging, or taking that one mile walk. Pups need to rest for about an hour after eating.
4. If you have a fast eater, which I have two, get those puzzle dog bowls to slow down their eating.

So please, be careful with your pups. Here is a link to a YouTube channel, Veterinary Secrets, where Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM, explains in depth, better than I, what exactly bloat is and why it is so incredibly dangerous for your dog.

If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below, or you can contact me directly.