People and their Pets

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.