BLOAT

[doxielover]

Is anyone here familiar with BLOAT? I have read that eating too fast followed by activity can be one of the causes. I just posted in the 'Memory' section about a 9 month old who recently died from it. http://dachsie.org/ubb/frown.gif
Has anyone's dachsie (or other dog) had BLOAT? Please give any info you have, I will look it up again too, as I've forgotton what all of the causes are.

Susan

[Penny's Aunt]

I was given to understand that there are two kinds of bloat. One is caused by a dog eating dry food, then gulping a lot of water. The other is a dog that eats a meal, then goes out playing, running, rolling, etc. & the stomach twists. Picture a balloon half-filled with water, then you grab both ends & flip the water-filled center. You have a balloon with a twist in each end. When this happens to the stomach, all the veins & arteries twist, too, & the circulation is cut off. Also, the digestive juices are still working, but they have no place to go, so the dog's stomach inflates with gas.

Bloat is a MAJOR, A-#1 EMERGENCY!!! You may have only a MAXIMUM of 20 minutes to get the dog to help. Death is from shock. The pain is utterly excruciating.

You will notice the dog's abdomen is swelling, the dog stops moving much. Lift his lips & look at his gums: pink is normal, but if he is going into shock, they will turn pale or whitish. The heatbeat will be fast, & he will probably pant. He will act desperate. After a short time, he will start to scream or howl in agony.

This is usually more of a problem with dogs that have deep chests: large breeds, hunting breeds, etc. But it CAN happen to any dog under the right conditions.

ALWAYS **CALL** your vet or emergency clinic first. This is not the time to find out the vet is at a meeting in the next town.

CHECK THIS WITH YOUR VET FIRST: I have heard that if you suspect the twisting bloat & you are miles from help (like on a camping trip), you can try to relieve it by grabbing the dog's front legs & back legs (2 people is best), stretching him out, & roll him over ONE TIME to one side. Let him up & wait a minute, see if he belches or anything. If he doesn't, do it again, but roll him the OPPOSITE way. Never more than one in each direction!

If nothing works, don't give up -- get him in the car & run for the vet. If he only has a partial twist, he may survive longer than he would with a full twist. You can't tell the difference by looking at him.

To help prevent a disaster like this from happening, always let your dog rest & move around at his own pace for two hours after eating. No boisterous play, no frisbee or ball chasing, etc. And don't let your kids or visitors do it, either. A lot of people don't have any sense WHATSOEVER, & you have to do their thinking for them.

It could even possibly happen to a dog that has eaten dinner, lays down & stretches, rolls over... & it happens.

Also, it's best not to feed dry food absolutely dry. Mix a little water with it (not more than 20% of the amount of food); then they are less likely to run to the water bowl & start gulping water.

No matter if the circumstances are different from the above, ALWAYS CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY if you see your dog's abdomen swelling. This is not the time to wait & see what happens. If it's a false alarm, no harm done.

[This message has been edited by Penny's Aunt (edited April 06, 2000).]

[MaverickMom]

Thanks, Penny's Aunt for all this information. I knew you'd come through on this for us!

I saw a dog on Emergency Vets one time that got this. I've seen so many of them that I can't remember the outcome exactly but I'm pretty sure they lost him. Very sad.

Just goes to show that you can never be too careful about anything!

Sonya

[Owen's Mom]

WOW!! Big tough question from Susan and amazing, thought provoking answer from Penny's Aunt! More than I ever hoped to know. I've heard that bloat in dachshunds is extremly rare, as they aren't really a deep chested dog in the traditional sense. Boxers, Danes, German Short Haired Pointers are all ones to watch when it comes to bloat... Never did I expect to hear of a dachsie dying from it. Poor baby!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/frown.gif

~~Amy~~

[Mandy]

I was unaware that this was a problem with dogs. I have had to deal with a horse who had bloat (the horse figured out how to open the lock to the grain bin and ate way too much). Penny's Aunt is defintely correct in saying that this is extremely dangerous and deadly. The intestines twist around and the food cannot pass through. Not only can you lose the animal, but it is very painful for them. Keep those emergency vet numbers posted on the phone!

[Mark]

I've been schooled on the Catahoula Board to watch for it in Top Spin because of his specifications . . . but had no clue that it could happen to the girls, too. Good info! Thanks!

Mark

[doxielover]

Penny's Aunt,

I read up on Bloat last night, and it's also described in this book I bought called 'What's the Diagnosis'? by Foster and Smith DVM. Another thing that helps is to feed smaller amounts of food twice a day, rather than scarfing down a big amount at once. Thanks for your input! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smile.gif

Susan

[Pam C]

Hi,
Bloat is a huge concern with my other breeds of dogs and I found out just recently dachsies are also prone to it. There is a very extensive article in this month's Dog World on the matter. It is well worth the money!
They have found out all the neat little tricks we have been doing to prevent bloat are either worthless or make matters worse!!!!
The only thing that seems to help prevent bloat is smaller meals more frequently and the dog's out look on life! Happy dog tend to bloat less. Nervous dogs more. Making them eat slower by putting something in the bowl like a large chain so they have eat around it.
Any deep chested dog like dachsie and basset hounds which are about the only small dogs mentioned are prone to bloat. Of course it is possible for any dog.
I own a Borzoi and a Dobie both are prone to bloat. I keep a tube for tubing them in case this happens. Ask the vet about how to tube your dog. While it is ugh it can save the dog's life!
We always said feed moist, no excercise before or after eating, feed on a raised surface. The research says none of this makes a difference and feeding raised INCREASES the chances of bloat.
Hope it doesn't scare you too much. It does me!