bloat
Canine bloat can kill your dog if action isn't taken IMMEDIATELY. Please take a minute to memorise the symptoms in case your dog ever suffers with this potentially fatal condition.
Bloat is a true emergency - be prepared to drive to the surgery straightaway. The chance of survival decreases alarmingly if you delay getting the dog to the surgery more than 60-90 minutes after the first signs.
Bloat is a true emergency - be prepared to drive to the surgery straightaway. The chance of survival decreases alarmingly if you delay getting the dog to the surgery more than 60-90 minutes after the first signs.
what is bloat?
Bloat is also known as Gastric Torsion, or Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV). Bloat is caused by a rapid build up of gases in the stomach (dilatation). It stretches the stomach to the point that it cuts off circulation to the heart. In more severe cases the stomach can twist (volvulus). This exacerbates the cut off to circulation and can result in shock or cardiac failure resulting in death. Dogs can die from bloat within a mere hour of onset, which is why it is so important to act quickly.
symptoms
Symptoms may consist of just one or any combination of the following:
NB: Despite the name, not all cases of bloat will show a swelling of the abdomen: if other symptoms are present assume the worst and rush your dog to the vet.
- Your dog retches or makes hacking cough noises which produce nothing at all or small amounts of froth.
- Your dog tries to defaecate unsuccessfully .
- Hunching
- Increased salivation
- Pacing
- Heavy or rapid panting
- Your dog adopts the 'Sphinx' position.
- Your dog's tummy goes hard and/or swells up like a balloon and is as taut as drumskin.
- Trying to bite, or worry, the abdomen.
- Your dog is very unsettled and/or tries to isolate itself from it's family.
NB: Despite the name, not all cases of bloat will show a swelling of the abdomen: if other symptoms are present assume the worst and rush your dog to the vet.
treatment*Veterinary care only: Do not attempt to medicate or treat your dog as you will waste valuable time. Phone your vet to let them know you are on your way and get them there as quickly as possible. Your vet will insert a tube where possible to release gas from the stomach. If volvulus has occurred this may not be possible and an incision will have to be made directly into the stomach to release the gas. Usually the vet will perform a gastropexy; this is a surgery to stitch the stomach securely in place so that volvulus will not take place again.
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*The one exception to the veterinary care only rule, is to keep Infacol or Windeze gel capsules (active ingredient Simethicone) in the glove compartment of your car, and get someone else to administer en route to the vet. Do not get the Windeze chewable tablets, they contain sorbitol which is bad for your dog. Because the Simethicone is not absorbed into the bloodstream, there is little risk of overdose, so get as much as possible into your dog. Do not waste valuable time searching for these or going to a pharmacy to buy some, if you don't have them to hand and/or have hands free to administer them, concentrate instead on driving to the vets. Time is absolutely of the essence, 5 seconds can make the difference between life or death.
major causes
We still know very little about what causes bloat but the following have shown to be frequent pre-cursors:
- Genetic - dogs are 63% more likely to bloat if their dam, sire, offspring or litter-mate has bloated.
- Size and shape: Tall dogs with 'tucked up' stomachs are more prone.
- Recurrence - dogs are far more likely to bloat again if they have suffered previously, although with gastropexy the odds fall from 54.5% to 4.3%.
- Being exercised too close to mealtimes
- Stress, especially if it involves heavy panting. Common pre-cursors are car travel, dog shows, going into boarding kennels, having seasons, being around in season bitches, and mating.
- Drinking or eating too quickly
- Large meal sizes
- Consuming too much water with their meals
additional causes
These are factors where limited studies have been carried out that show a very small increase in the likelihood of causing bloat:
- Dry dog food with a high fat content.
- Dry dog food which uses citric acid as a preservative, especially if moistened.
- A word about raised food bowls: Initial studies showed raised bowls as advantageous because they slowed dogs down when eating, however subsequent studies show that they increase air intake which can also lead to bloat. Both studies were limited and flawed. The issue of raised bowls has had more posts devoted to it on bloat and health sites than any other topic. The differences that were found in both studies showed such a negligible effect (<1%) as to make no real difference.
prevention
- Absolutely the best prevention is to memorise the symptoms and to act quickly if you have the slightest inkling that your dog could be bloating. Invariably the thing that saves most dogs lives is prompt action - DO NOT HESITATE!
- Pre-emptive gastropexy. This is a surgical procedure where your vet stitches the stomach in place to prevent volvulus (twisting) from occurring. It is the most effective preventative but even so does not provide a 100% guarantee. Dogs that had previously bloated still had a 4.5% recurrence rate after gastropexy. I have been unable to find statistics relating to prophylactic (pre-emptive) gastropexy. Although it prevents volvulus form occurring, your dog can still suffer from dilatation, which can lead to suffocation, so be sure to act just as promptly if they show signs of bloating, and keep Simethicone to hand at all times.
- Never exercise your dog within an hour either side of mealtimes.
- Avoid stressful situations where possible, particularly at mealtimes. Where stress cannot be avoided, take steps to reduce it.
- Use special bowls to slow down rapid eaters. If you have more than one dog, feed them a good space apart to reduce stress.
- Check your dog food - if it contains citric acid or lists fat in the first 4 items, change for a better one. High protein low carbohydrate feeds have been shown to help reduce the risk slightly.
- Do not breed from a dog that has bloated or one whose immediate family members have been known to suffer from bloat. This may not help your dog but it will help future lines of Spinone.
- If your dog bloats, inform your breeder so that they can contact the owners of your dog's littermates and inform them that they are at greater risk. If you have bred from your dog, inform the owners of offspring to alert them to the heightened risk.
- If you are away from home, be sure to program the postcode of the nearest vet and/or emergency vet into your SatNav and their numbers into your mobile phone. Travel is a major cause of stress for dogs which can in turn lead to bloat. Do this for every dog show you attend or vacation you take.
NB Even when you adopt all best practices do not assume that your dog is immune from bloat. Sadly, we do not fully understand what causes this awful ailment and the healthiest, best protected dogs can still fall prey to it.
Help others to guard against this killer by emailing the following poster to your vet and asking them to display it. Print off copies and post in your dog training classes and puppy groups. The more people who know how and when to act, the more dogs' lives can be saved.
Click here for: Bloat Poster