Gastric Bloat Can Mean Sudden Death For Large Dogs

By KRISTEN LEVINE
Tampa Tribune correspondent
Published: January 19, 2009

For a dog owner, it's the mother of all emergencies. Bloat, or gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV), is a serious health risk for many dogs, but few pet parents know anything about it.

Have you seen the movie, or read the book, "Marley and Me" yet? Don't worry, I won't spoil the ending for you. But the star of both movie and book, the real-life big, slobbery Lab named Marley, suffers this condition.

Bloating (sometimes called torsion) is often related to gas or food stretching the stomach, causing it to flip or twist, ultimately cutting off blood supply to the organ. Consequences can include tissue death to organs including the stomach and spleen, cardiac arrhythmias and, if untreated, death. Larger breed dogs are most at risk. Some statistics correlate bloat with dogs that weigh 90 to 100 pounds. Commonly affected breeds include German shepherds, Great Danes, Weimaraners and St. Bernards. And dogs with a fearful or anxious temperament may also be more predisposed to bloating.

So what to watch for? Sometimes dogs will start to act nauseated or drool excessively. They may wretch or attempt to vomit, but nothing is expelled. They may also have a pale gum color, difficulty breathing or a distended belly. Some dogs become weak or collapse very suddenly, and they can be in tremendous abdominal pain.

Pet owners should know these symptoms and get their pets to the vet if they ever notice these changes. Call en route so the clinic can be ready.

Fortunately, there are preventative measures to avoid this scary scenario — from simple to surgical. Although there is no conclusive evidence that any one measure will prevent your dog from bloating, veterinarians recommend several practices.

Top Tips to Prevent Bloat:

• If your dog eats one meal per day, split the feeding into multiple smaller meals. That prevents the dog's stomach from filling with excessive amounts of food and or gas.
• If you have a gulper, a dog that seems to inhale his meals, serve smaller portions or purchase a dog bowl designed to slow fast eaters.
• Don't exercise your dog immediately a meal. Wait a few hours.

Dog Coughs - Concerning or Common?

Hacking, gagging and honking like a goose. They’re just a few of the coughing sounds puzzling concerned dog parents everywhere. Each cough is serious enough to warrant a vet visit, according to Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist Dr. Megan King, VMD, ACVIM, of the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

Top Five Canine Coughs and Their Causes

#1 – Heart Disease and Heart Failure: Dogs with serious heart problems, like congestive heart failure, often experience bouts of coughing. Heart disease in dogs, like humans, can be hereditary or developed over the life of the dog.

#2 – Respiratory Airway Disease – “This is similar to asthma,” explains Dr. King. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing and fatigue. “Dogs can also develop allergies to pollen and other inhaled irritants, which can trigger a reaction in the mucus membranes lining the respiratory tract. This can lead to a cough that waxes and wanes depending on the dog’s exposure to allergens.”

#3 - Collapsing Trachea – Coughs associated with a collapsing trachea often sound like a goose honk. “It’s a huge problem for small breed dogs. The good news is, it’s often successfully medically managed.”

#4 – Infectious Diseases- Kennel Cough, Canine Distemper, and other airborne infectious causes of pneumonia can certainly cause coughing and must be treated.” Parasites affecting the intestinal tract, like roundworms, can trigger coughing when the parasites migrate up the intestine and into the respiratory tract. Heartworms can also trigger coughing, as immature heartworm parasites migrate into the lungs, causing irritation as they develop and mature.”

#5 – Cancer – Cancer involving any part of the airway can cause irritation, inflammation and coughing.

Treating Coughing Dogs

The method of treatment for a coughing dog is determined by diagnosing the underlying cause. Taking x-rays of the dog’s chest is the best way to “picture” what is going on in the lungs.
The x-ray should show problems such as an enlarged heart or any abnormalities of the lungs and chest.

The good news is, in most cases, there is always something that can be done to treat a cough. From diuretics used to treat heart failure, antibiotics used to treat infectious causes, to cough suppressants used for collapsing trachea, there are many options for therapy.

Dr King’s best advice to pet parents is to keep up with routine vet care. “Early diagnosis and preventative medicine can, not only save pet owners money by avoiding unnecessary vet bills later, but also saves lives.”

Find out more about Dr. King and CARES: http://www.vetcares.com/