Commonly referred to as "bloat," GDV occurs when a dog's stomach fills with gas, food, or fluid and subsequently twists. GDV develops without warning and can progress quickly. It is always an emergency. Stomach distension alone is referred to as a “simple bloat”, or dilatation.
Swallowing Air Is a Primary Cause of Bloat
While dog bloat can be caused by consuming too much food or water and stretching the stomach that way, another very common cause is the swallowing of air. This might happen if your dog eats too quickly or exercises heavily immediately after a meal.
Treatment for Bloat in Dogs
Treatment of simple bloat can be quite straightforward. Dogs are usually hospitalized to receive large amounts of intravenous fluids and sometimes medicine. They're also walked often to stimulate movement of the gastrointestinal tract to help move the gas and food quickly through the body.
Predisposed breeds include Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Weimaraners, Irish Setters, Gordon Setters, Standard Poodles, Basset Hounds, Doberman Pinschers, and Old English Sheepdogs. In a recent study, the top three breeds found to be at risk of bloat were 1) Great Dane, 2) St. Bernard, and 3) Weimaraner.
However, as demonstrated by your Aussie bloating, any breed or mixed-breed dog can potentially bloat.
Without treatment, GDV is a fatal condition. A dog with bloat may only have an hour or two to live.
Bloat is a medical emergency that requires quick intervention, as it can be fatal. Visit your veterinarian or emergency clinic as soon as possible if you notice signs of bloat in your dog. Bloat in dogs won't resolve on its own, so it's important to get help quickly.
Risk factors which are thought to contribute to bloat include: eating very quickly. overeating. drinking a large quantity of water in a short period of time.
Bloat occurs when a dog's stomach is filled with too much food, liquid, or gas, causing the stomach to expand. Typically this poses no real problem since dogs have mechanisms to relieve this pressure naturally. You've undoubtedly heard, seen, or smelled the effects of a dog that ate his food too fast.
Food bloat is a condition in which a pet's stomach has become over-filled and distended after the pet eats a large amount of food all at once. The majority of food bloat cases happen because a pet ransacked a bag of dog or cat food and then gorged to capacity (or beyond!)
Generally, a dog with bloat WILL NOT be able to poop.
Unlike a human stomach, dog bloat will cause stomach twists, which means that both ends of the stomach will be closed, preventing your dog from pooping.
The most common sign of dangerous bloat is a swollen abdomen. The swelling comes from gas, food, and blood that can't easily pass through the stomach. If the dog seems uncomfortable and their abdomen suddenly seems wider or firmer than normal, they are likely experiencing GDV.
This is caused by an overabundance of the cortisol hormone – the hormone related to stress. Most often found in dogs over the age of six, Cushing's syndrome causes bloat. Symptoms your pup may be experiencing this can include excess eating, drinking, and urinating, as well as unusual pacing and hair loss.
Most pets that have ingested a foreign body will exhibit some of these clinical signs: vomiting. diarrhea. abdominal tenderness or pain.
Pet owners can expect to pay between $1,500 to $7,500 for gastric dilatation-volvulus surgery in dogs, as well as for post-operative care. If the owner has pet insurance, it's possible that most or even all the cost of bloat surgery for dogs will be covered.
How to Check Your Dog's Stomach. The exam is pretty straightforward: touch and feel your dog's stomach, starting just behind the ribs, and gently pressing your hands into the belly. Like all other parts of the body, you will be getting a feel for what is normal, and then continuing to monitor for any future changes.
It occurs primarily in large, deep-chested breeds. Bloat occurs without warning and is very difficult to treat. It does not seem to affect one sex more than the other, but is more likely to occur as a dog ages. Bloat commonly occurs in dogs between the ages of 7 and 12 years.
A small dog, like a Pug or Chihuahua, can bloat from eating 2–3 times their daily intake. A large breed dog, like a Lab or Great Dane, may need to ingest 3–5 times their normal food intake to cause their stomach to bloat.
If treated early, about 90 to 95% of the dogs having surgery to treat bloat will survive. If a portion of the stomach is found to be dead at the time of surgery, the survival rate decreases to 50%. Patients that have bloated are predisposed to abnormal heartbeats that if left untreated uncommonly may result in death.
Feeding a dry food containing a calcium-rich meat meal (such as meat/lamb meal, fish meal, chicken by-product meal, meat meal, or bone meal) listed in the first four ingredients of the ingredient list.
If a dog is prone to taking a big long drink after a dry meal, a belly full of water on top of a belly full of dry food may increase the risk of bloat.
Some large dog experts believe that soaking your dog's kibble can prevent bloat, but nobody is really sure why bloat happens. Depending on how long you soak your dog's food, it may be already broken down by the time it reaches your dog's stomach in a more digestible form.