Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
BLOAT
Bloat is the number one cause of death for several large and giant breeds. It is a life-threatening disorder and, if left untreated, it results in death.
Is your dog at risk?
Dr. Larry Glickman, an epidemiologist at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, conducted a study on canine bloat. His study followed more than 1,900 dogs to help identify risk factors for this disease. Here's what the study showed.
• Dogs with the greatest risk of developing bloat have deep, narrow chests.
• The risk of bloat is slightly higher in males than in females.
• Lean dogs were found to be at higher risk for developing bloat than overweight dogs.
• Older dogs are at a higher risk than younger dogs.
• Heredity is also an issue. If your dog's relatives have developed bloat, he also has a higher risk of developing the disease.
• Fast eaters are at higher risk for developing bloat. Many believe this is because the dog swallows more air when eating fast.
• Elevated food bowls have been shown to increase the risk of bloat.
• Dogs with nervous, fearful or aggressive personalities have a higher incidence of bloat.
• Stress, such as that which occurs during kenneling, is an important precipitating factor.
• Dogs who were fed only dry food and dogs who ate only one large daily meal were at a higher risk for bloat.
• Dogs who ate foods high in oil or fat (such as sunflower oil or animal fat) have a higher risk of developing the disease. (If the oil or fat is listed as one of the top four ingredients in the food, it is considered a high-fat food.)
• Most cases of bloat have been found to occur after 6 PM.
Most people don't think their dog will experience a problem like bloat. But most of those people are wrong. vets have seen hundreds if not thousands of dogs suffering with bloat and everyone is surprised.
If your dog shows any signs of bloat, consider it a true emergency and see your veterinarian immediately.
Another frustrating thing about this deadly condition is that it comes on quickly and is immediately life-threatening. Bloat commonly causes owners to quickly make life-altering decisions for their dogs.
SYMPTOMS OF BLOAT
Recognizing Symptoms of Bloat in Dogs -- powered by eHow.com "So how do you recognize the symptoms of bloat, some of the symptoms of bloat. There is a couple of different very typical standard symptoms that if you find in your dog, you want to make sure that you get your dog to the vet hospital as soon as possible. What I am going to talk about is not the only symptoms of bloat so you want to be careful if your dog is acting strangely and they are a breed that might be susceptible to bloat. You don't want to take a chance because it is something that could kill your dog very quickly. So one of the things you can look at is, right here Rave, is the distended belly. So in the area right here if the belly is swollen and tight when you are pushing in, one thing you want to do is make sure that you know how your dog feels normally when you know your dog is healthy and fine. Feel their belly see how it feels. Feel what a soft loose belly feels like so you know the difference. If your dog is pacing around and panting, if your dog tries to throw up, if your dog is circling and cannot get comfortable and is clearly in distress, go ahead and feel for the belly area. If it feels like that belly is swollen and tight, rush your dog immediately to the closest emergency facility for dogs. The beginning of bloat that the stomach is swelling up and is swelling up with gas, wait Honey, and you want to get your dog to the emergency room as soon as possible. "
HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BLOAT
How to Reduce the Risk of Bloat in Dogs -- powered by eHow.com "There is a condition called bloat or torsion; gastric torsion which is common in some breeds of dogs. More common in some than others but certainly almost any breed dog is susceptible to it and what happens is the stomach fills up with gas and it bloats up. The stomach lining becomes very tight and the dog is in a lot of discomfort and torsion is when the stomach turns on its axis and twists. When that happens, there is a serious time limit before your dog eventually dies. You need to get to doctor or veterinarian as soon as possible. Bloat is most common in large breed barrel shaped dogs. There is a couple of things you can do to avoid bloat. One thing is to make sure after your dog has had a lot of exercise they don't eat or drink huge amounts of water. If it is very very hot out and your dog has been exercised, you want to monitor very closely the amount of water that the dog takes in and you certainly should not feed your dog before or after within about an hour of series of exercises. Another thing that can reduce the risk of bloat is eating whole foods, so real foods often recommended to feed raw meat or a cooked diet as opposed to a Kibble diet and although a number of years ago it was thought that by feeding in raised food bowls and water bowls that it would reduce the likelihood of bloat. There is a study that is put out by Cornell that demonstrate that in fact that can increase the risk of bloat. The Cornell study is very informative and I would suggest anyone with a breed of dog that may tend to bloat, read the study, inform themselves about what bloat is, find out what the symptoms are and read as much as you possibly can. This is a killer that hits people and their dogs and many many people never knew what it was until it was too late. "
Bloat in Dogs
Gastric dilatation, torsion and volvulus (GDV) are medical emergencies where time is of the essence
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Bloat is the common term for a two-part condition. In gastric dilatation (the GD in GDV), the stomach becomes engorged with gas, fluids and possibly food. Instead of being its normal sized and pliable self, the stomach becomes large and taut like a balloon or simply firm like a drum. This can be caused by a combination of air being swallowed and of gas produced from fermentation in the stomach. Along with gastric dilatation, the enlarged stomach may twist. This effect is called torsion or vovulus (the V in GDV) depending on how far the stomach twists.
The stomach is cut off from its normal entry and exit, blood supply is shut off and a host of other conditions may develop including dehydration, shock, peritonitis, gastric perforation and, quite commonly, death. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate veterinary care! Time is extremely important in the treatment of this potentially fatal condition. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate care.
Predisposition to Bloat in Dogs
Although the causes of Bloat/GDV are not fully understood, studies do show increased risk factors in certain dogs.
Size, Breed, Body Shape
Large dogs with narrow, deep chests are more prone to bloat than medium-sized or small dogs. Briards, Collies, Dobermans, St. Bernards, Leonbergers, Weimaraners, Borzois, Great Danes, Standard Poodles, Setters, Great Pyrenees, Boxers, Old English Sheepdogs, Bloodhounds, Irish Setters, Wolfhounds, German Shepherds and Labradors are among the breeds most likely to bloat.
Even if your dog is not in the high-risk breed category, bloat can still occur. It is always important to keep bloat in mind when your dog is exhibiting unusual behavior.
Age, Family History, Personality
Middle-aged and senior dogs are more prone than younger dogs as are nervous, high-strung dogs versus calmer dogs. There also may be a family tendency towards bloat so knowing the experience of close relatives, siblings and parents, is very helpful.
Is your dog at risk?
Dr. Larry Glickman, an epidemiologist at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, conducted a study on canine bloat. His study followed more than 1,900 dogs to help identify risk factors for this disease. Here's what the study showed.
• Dogs with the greatest risk of developing bloat have deep, narrow chests.
• The risk of bloat is slightly higher in males than in females.
• Lean dogs were found to be at higher risk for developing bloat than overweight dogs.
• Older dogs are at a higher risk than younger dogs.
• Heredity is also an issue. If your dog's relatives have developed bloat, he also has a higher risk of developing the disease.
• Fast eaters are at higher risk for developing bloat. Many believe this is because the dog swallows more air when eating fast.
• Elevated food bowls have been shown to increase the risk of bloat.
• Dogs with nervous, fearful or aggressive personalities have a higher incidence of bloat.
• Stress, such as that which occurs during kenneling, is an important precipitating factor.
• Dogs who were fed only dry food and dogs who ate only one large daily meal were at a higher risk for bloat.
• Dogs who ate foods high in oil or fat (such as sunflower oil or animal fat) have a higher risk of developing the disease. (If the oil or fat is listed as one of the top four ingredients in the food, it is considered a high-fat food.)
• Most cases of bloat have been found to occur after 6 PM.
Most people don't think their dog will experience a problem like bloat. But most of those people are wrong. vets have seen hundreds if not thousands of dogs suffering with bloat and everyone is surprised.
If your dog shows any signs of bloat, consider it a true emergency and see your veterinarian immediately.
Another frustrating thing about this deadly condition is that it comes on quickly and is immediately life-threatening. Bloat commonly causes owners to quickly make life-altering decisions for their dogs.
SYMPTOMS OF BLOAT
Recognizing Symptoms of Bloat in Dogs -- powered by eHow.com "So how do you recognize the symptoms of bloat, some of the symptoms of bloat. There is a couple of different very typical standard symptoms that if you find in your dog, you want to make sure that you get your dog to the vet hospital as soon as possible. What I am going to talk about is not the only symptoms of bloat so you want to be careful if your dog is acting strangely and they are a breed that might be susceptible to bloat. You don't want to take a chance because it is something that could kill your dog very quickly. So one of the things you can look at is, right here Rave, is the distended belly. So in the area right here if the belly is swollen and tight when you are pushing in, one thing you want to do is make sure that you know how your dog feels normally when you know your dog is healthy and fine. Feel their belly see how it feels. Feel what a soft loose belly feels like so you know the difference. If your dog is pacing around and panting, if your dog tries to throw up, if your dog is circling and cannot get comfortable and is clearly in distress, go ahead and feel for the belly area. If it feels like that belly is swollen and tight, rush your dog immediately to the closest emergency facility for dogs. The beginning of bloat that the stomach is swelling up and is swelling up with gas, wait Honey, and you want to get your dog to the emergency room as soon as possible. "
HOW TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BLOAT
How to Reduce the Risk of Bloat in Dogs -- powered by eHow.com "There is a condition called bloat or torsion; gastric torsion which is common in some breeds of dogs. More common in some than others but certainly almost any breed dog is susceptible to it and what happens is the stomach fills up with gas and it bloats up. The stomach lining becomes very tight and the dog is in a lot of discomfort and torsion is when the stomach turns on its axis and twists. When that happens, there is a serious time limit before your dog eventually dies. You need to get to doctor or veterinarian as soon as possible. Bloat is most common in large breed barrel shaped dogs. There is a couple of things you can do to avoid bloat. One thing is to make sure after your dog has had a lot of exercise they don't eat or drink huge amounts of water. If it is very very hot out and your dog has been exercised, you want to monitor very closely the amount of water that the dog takes in and you certainly should not feed your dog before or after within about an hour of series of exercises. Another thing that can reduce the risk of bloat is eating whole foods, so real foods often recommended to feed raw meat or a cooked diet as opposed to a Kibble diet and although a number of years ago it was thought that by feeding in raised food bowls and water bowls that it would reduce the likelihood of bloat. There is a study that is put out by Cornell that demonstrate that in fact that can increase the risk of bloat. The Cornell study is very informative and I would suggest anyone with a breed of dog that may tend to bloat, read the study, inform themselves about what bloat is, find out what the symptoms are and read as much as you possibly can. This is a killer that hits people and their dogs and many many people never knew what it was until it was too late. "
Bloat in Dogs
Gastric dilatation, torsion and volvulus (GDV) are medical emergencies where time is of the essence
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Bloat is the common term for a two-part condition. In gastric dilatation (the GD in GDV), the stomach becomes engorged with gas, fluids and possibly food. Instead of being its normal sized and pliable self, the stomach becomes large and taut like a balloon or simply firm like a drum. This can be caused by a combination of air being swallowed and of gas produced from fermentation in the stomach. Along with gastric dilatation, the enlarged stomach may twist. This effect is called torsion or vovulus (the V in GDV) depending on how far the stomach twists.
The stomach is cut off from its normal entry and exit, blood supply is shut off and a host of other conditions may develop including dehydration, shock, peritonitis, gastric perforation and, quite commonly, death. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate veterinary care! Time is extremely important in the treatment of this potentially fatal condition. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate care.
Predisposition to Bloat in Dogs
Although the causes of Bloat/GDV are not fully understood, studies do show increased risk factors in certain dogs.
Size, Breed, Body Shape
Large dogs with narrow, deep chests are more prone to bloat than medium-sized or small dogs. Briards, Collies, Dobermans, St. Bernards, Leonbergers, Weimaraners, Borzois, Great Danes, Standard Poodles, Setters, Great Pyrenees, Boxers, Old English Sheepdogs, Bloodhounds, Irish Setters, Wolfhounds, German Shepherds and Labradors are among the breeds most likely to bloat.
Even if your dog is not in the high-risk breed category, bloat can still occur. It is always important to keep bloat in mind when your dog is exhibiting unusual behavior.
Age, Family History, Personality
Middle-aged and senior dogs are more prone than younger dogs as are nervous, high-strung dogs versus calmer dogs. There also may be a family tendency towards bloat so knowing the experience of close relatives, siblings and parents, is very helpful.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*() on
-
Aww Michele, what a sweet face. So sorry for you. I had thought the elevated dishes were best too, read somewhere it was better for swallowing thier food and digestion. So much conflicting info out there. Have had my pup vomit twice now after running around right after eating, so I can see how the waiting for 1-2 hours is really helpful. If it can cause vomiting, it sure could cause other issues.
Thank you for sharing your story, and who knows how many dogs it may save now? -
-
Permalink Reply by Michele Barton on
-
Thanks for the kind words, Sue. I wish manufacturers would stop making those dishes.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on
-
Here is a link to the actual Purdue Study:
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm -
-
Permalink Reply by cocoincanada on
-
Awww, what a sad story and a beautiful photo! These real-life stories bring tears to my eyes. I really feel for owners who have lost their beloved pets.. :(
Is it true then (if meat proteins do not ferment), that grain-free food would not cause bloat/twisted stomach? I feed grain-free, but I don't think I'm willing to take that chance of letting him play after eating. -
-
Permalink Reply by Debbie, Brianna and Duncan on
-
Not really sure here, it is what they posted on their site and is still current so I thought I would throw it out there. I'm hoping others here with the knowledge and background would review this information and give some input. I do think it is an interesting observation. At the time my DH worked in our companies Animal Health division with many research scientists and veterinarians, (two of them also adopted Tigers littermates from me) I spoke with them and they thought it was a plausible argument but mostly agreed it was his body structure..he had a very long barrel chest. Michele, I am so sorry for your loss, it is so sad...he was a very handsome fellow. Tiger only had a short two years after he suffered with bloat, the vet said it was unrelated, but many of us think he just went downhill after. He passed from Acute Renal Failure which is such a heartbreaking thing to have happen to such a wonderful boy whom I love, miss and think about always. My daughter talks about him and misses him too, as she did learn to walk and talk with Tiger right by her side.
. -
-
-
Debbie, thank you also for your kind words...Artie's nickname was "Handsome"! I too am sorry for your loss of Tiger (also very handsome!). It is hard enough to lose a dog when they are old, it is devastating to lose one so young. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Tiger's bout with bloat triggered his downhill slide. This is the first I heard about fermenting grains being a possible cause. I already feed my new puppies grain-free food, thank goodness. I'll do anything to keep this from happening to them. I hope everyone on DK reads this discussion and takes precautions against bloat.
-
-
-
Thanks so much, it felt good to post a picture of my baby. I know what you mean, I will take every possible precaution to prevent this from happening to my new pups.
(I posted this as a reply to cocoincanada, but it did not show up under her comment. Hopefully, it will after the 15 minute editing window passes.) -
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Adina P.
Powered by
