Warning signs for bloat in dogs
Bloat is a dangerous condition for all dogs. While some deep chested breeds like German Shepherds, Boxers and Weimaraners are at a higher risk, all dogs can develop this life threatening condition. Immediate veterinary care is vital for your pets survival. In fact, even after seeking veterinary care between 25-40% of dogs suffering from bloat do not survive.
Bloat occurs when air and gas cause the stomach to bloat. A dangerous side effect is when the stomach bloats and becomes twisted. Both forms of bloat can cause blood loss to other organs and are dangerous for dogs. When the stomach does become twisted, emergency surgery is required to put the stomach back in its normal position and to secure the stomach to the abdomen walls to prevent recurrence of the torsion.
Symptoms include pacing, inability to lay down comfortably, panting, attempting to vomit with no results, belching and distended abdomen. If your dogs is experiencing any of these symptoms, please get them to a veterinary clinic immediately. Dogs with twisted stomachs can die within several hours, so waiting to see if they get to feeling better can be a fatal mistake!
Some common ways to prevent bloat in dogs are: feeding several small meals throughout the day vs. one big meal, not allowing mass amounts of water intake at one time, NOT exercising the dogs after they’ve eaten a meal and checking with your vet to see if adding wet food to your dogs dry food diet is appropriate.
For further information on how to recognize potential bloat risks and occurrence in your dog, please click on the following links:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/gastric-volvulus-bloat-dogs-life-threatening-emergency
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-bloat.aspx
