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BLOAT can kill a dog in
hours and is extremely painful!
It is ALWAYS an
EMERGENCY
situation!
Dedicated to Tyler and all the dogs who
died of bloat.
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) or bloat is a
serious, life-threatening condition of large breed dogs. Deep chested dogs
such as German Shepherd Dogs are particularly at risk.
Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air (although
food and fluid can also be present). It usually happens when there's an
abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach ("gastric
dilatation").
Stress can be a contributing factor also. Bloat can occur with or
without "volvulus" (twisting). As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to
360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus (food tube)
and at the duodenum (the upper intestine). The twisting stomach traps air,
food, and water in the stomach. The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the
abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal
organs. The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.
SYMPTOMS:
Typical symptoms often include some
(but not necessarily all) of the following, according to the links
below. Unfortunately,
from the onset of the first symptoms you
have very little time (sometimes minutes, sometimes hours) to get immediate
medical attention for your dog. Know your dog and
know when it's not acting right.
Bloated dog getting ready for surgery. The stomach doesn't
always fill up like this. Know your dog! Be safe; don't wait!
●
Attempts to
vomit (usually unsuccessful); may occur every 5-20 minutes
This seems to be one of the most common symptoms & has been referred to
as the "hallmark symptom."
●
Doesn't act
like usual self
Perhaps the earliest warning sign & may be the only sign that almost
always occurs
●
Significant
anxiety and restlessness One of the earliest warning signs and seems fairly typical
●
Hunched up"
or "roached up" appearance. This seems to occur fairly frequently
●
Bloated
abdomen that may feel tight (like a drum) Despite the term "bloat," many times this symptom never
occurs or is not apparent
●
Pale or off-color gums Dark red in early stages, white or blue
in later stages
●
Lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds in the tummy Many
dog owners report this after putting their ear to their dog's tummy
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Coughing
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Unproductive gagging
●
Heavy salivating or drooling
●
Foamy mucous around the lips, or vomiting
foamy mucous
●
Unproductive attempts to defecate
●
Whining
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Pacing
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Licking the air
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Seeking a hiding place
●
Looking at their side or other evidence of abdominal pain or
discomfort
●
May refuse to lie down or even sit down
●
May attempt to eat small stones and twigs
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Drinking excessively
●
Heavy or rapid panting
●
Shallow breathing
●
Cold mouth membranes
●
Apparent weakness; unable to stand or has a spread-legged stance
Especially in advanced stage
●
Accelerated heartbeat Heart rate increases as bloating
progresses
●
Weak pulse
●
Collapse
Akir after surgery
for bloat that saved his life. He was back to normal very quickly
PREVENTION:
Because no one understands the cause of bloat, there is no real way to
prevent it. However, there are indications that following a few simple
measures may help.
Above all, remember –
Bloat is an emergency situation in which TIME
is the key to a successful management.
Be Safe: Don't Wait!
- Simethicone (store
brand - Phazyme) should be kept in your cabinet at all times. It is an
anti-gas pill that can help to buy your vet some time should you think
your dog is bloating. It may even stop the bloat if in the beginning
stages. If you wait too long, the dog will not be able to swallow the
pill. Make sure you tell your vet you have given the pills.
- Don't exercise your
dog heavily 1 hour before or 1-2 hours after eating.
- Avoid single large
meals. Instead, feed 2-3 small meals a day
- Don’t let your dog
drink large quantities of water at one time.
Studies have shown significant new findings including the
importance of what you feed your dog and that surprisingly the raised dog
bowls are related to an increase in bloat also. Purdue University did a
study that and their latest research indicates that raising your dog's bowl
may actually increase your dog's chance of getting bloat by as much as 100%
or more!
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/update2.htm
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Risk
Factor |
Relative
Risk |
Interpretation |
|
Age in years |
1.20 |
20% increase in risk for each year increase in age
|
|
Chest depth/width ratio
(1.0 to 2.4) |
2.70 |
170% increase in risk for each unit increase in chest depth/width
ratio
|
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First degree relative with GDV (yes vs. no) |
1.63 |
63% increase in risk associated with having a first degree
relative with GDV
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Using a raised feed bowl (yes vs. no)
|
2.10 |
110% increase in risk associated with using a raised food bowl
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Speed of eating (1-10 scale) |
[for Large dogs only] 1.15 |
15% increase in risk for each unit increase in speed of eating
score for large dogs |
Table from Purdue University
NEW PERDUE BLOAT STUDY-
3/2009
Recent studies are shedding more light on
gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), otherwise known as bloat. It is the
second leading cause of death in large-breed and giant-breed dogs. GDV
strikes suddenly and has a mortality rate as high as 30%.
Research primarily at Purdue University has
identified a number of feeding management and dietary factors that increased
the risk of GDV. Following are some of the Study recommendations:
● Feed two or more meals a day
● Feed no more than one cup per 33
lbs of body weight per meal when feeding two meals
● Feed an energy-dense diet to reduce
volume but avoid a diet where a high amount of calories are from fats
● Feed a variety of different food
types, the inclusion of human foods in a dry dog food diet was associated
with a 59%
decreased risk while canned pet foods was associated with a 28%
decreased risk
● When feeding dry food also include
foods with sufficient amounts of meats and meat meals, ie: beef, lamb,
poultry and fish
● Fat should not be listed in the
first four label ingredients, nor should corn
● Citric acid should not be used as a
preservative
● Feed a food with larger particles
and include larger pieces of meat to the diet
● Avoid moistening dry foods, but
don’t restrict water intake before and after feeding
● Reduce a rapid speed of eating
(Note from GSRNE: Try using a Brake fast bowl, spreading the kibble on the
floor or on a cookie sheet, or splitting up the food into muffin tins to
slow the dog's eating)
● Avoid raising the food bowl
● Minimize stressful events
● Restrict vigorous exercise one hour
before and two hours after meals
Learn to recognize signs of GDV. They can
progress rapidly to shock and death. Get to your veterinarian or emergency
hospital the moment you suspect GDV
Click
here to download this information in MicroSoft Word
Other sources:
Journal of the
American Veterinary Medical Association
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2000.217.1492
This information is not intended to replace advice or guidance from
veterinarians or other pet care professionals. It is simply being shared as
an aid to assist you with your own research on this very serious problem.
As a GSD owner, we strongly urge you to become familiar with this threat.
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