Bloat Scare, But all is OK

[Bonne Bouche]

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At about noon today BB started acting a little funny. He came up to me and did a little lick-ey face thing, which isn't really typical, and the first sign of bloat. He had breakfast around 10, and aside from a quick potty break or two (nice firm poop, and normal pee), there was no major activity to instigate a bloat occurrence. I didn't think much of it till he had some weird coughing and attempted retching, nothing came up. I kept an eye on him, but didn't really think it was bloat. Then he started doing a very odd thing that he'd never done before. He was walking around my whole house licking the floor where it met the walls. He kept licking around all corners of my house licking up dirt particles, spider webs, and whatever he could find, and coughing occasionally. I tried to correct him and pull him away, but back he went, licking the walls and anything he could. It was so very strange.

We just moved, so we don't have a regular vet here. I called the one we hoped to take him to and they said the recommended we take him to another clinic as they had no openings today to take him in. So we had to go to the emergency clinic instead. Upon arriving at the clinic, BB quickly forgot all his symptoms, and was his typical " I LOVE PEOPLE, I LOVE STRANGERS"-self. While I'm standing there panicking he's going to die, he's loving up anyone and everyone in the waiting room. And I feel so silly thinking that he's going to die when he's just being the biggest sweetheart to all of the staff and jumping up and greeting everyone (still can't get him to stop jumping up).

 

After we get settled into our exam room, the Vet comes in and says that even though he is acting fine, he still could have bloat. He palpated his stomach and did a quick once over, said his stomach was not too big, but not small either. He said with signs of the two major bloat symptoms he recommended X-rays.

So off BB went to get his belly x-rayed. When he came back with the X-rays, diganoses showed no bloat (YAYYYY!) but instead that BB was "bloated" as in gassy. Yes. Gas. Vet said that he's not surprised he was showing symptoms of distress due to the gas, as apparently his entire small intestine was filled with gas.

(I guess all the black "holes" or spots on the x-ray are gas trapped in the intestines)

Rx? An enema and some Metoclopramide. Enema to help clear out the system to clear the gas, and metoclopramide to help speed up his digestion as a gut stimulant.

 

A half of a day of worry, $300, and all he is is gassy. I feel so silly, but I guess at the end of the day, we're better off safe than sorry.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think they mean gas in the stomach though and this stomach is full of food with little to no gas. Although all that gas in the small bowel puzzles me. More often in large bowel.

[Bonne Bouche]

Thanks for posting the link. That is the link I used when deciding to take him to the vet. The final straw being the odd behavior of :May attempt to eat small stones and twigs

 

Which, while he did still scour the vets floor for tasty morsels, has since stopped since returning home...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Carla, I'm not sure what you meant is the first sign of bloat?

[Bonne Bouche]

I'm not sure that it is "the first" but it is one of the ones I was most aware of -- The coming to the owner and licking the air, he sat down, and then lifted his head and licked like there was peanut butter on the roof of his mouth or something. I think it is what I would interpret as the website Karen posted says: Licking the air.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I would have done the very same thing.You are a good doodle mommy, better safe than sorry!

Daisy licks her bed (she has a bolster bed and the bolster is where she licks), is licking a sign?

Oh never mind I see where you explained it now.

[Bonne Bouche]

Also, the only reason I was concerned with him licking the floors/walls/etc was that he had NEVER done that before. He never was interested in the small debris or whatever was lying on the ground. but he became fascinated with the floor and would not stop licking and eating all of the little things that shouldnt be there (I need to vaccum :-])

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I would have done the exact same thing...better to be safe!  I'm so glad that everything turned out fine.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

You did the right thing and glad it was only gas. We had something happen when Fudge was young and we raced her to the emergency Vet....$700 later they said she had an upset stomach and when we were leaving my DH said, "Basically, we just got a $700 gas bill!"

[Bonne Bouche]

lol, exactly. Thats what it was, an expensive gas bill...

[Donna K & Quincy]

So glad BB is ok, I have to go back and brush up on the symptoms of bloat.

[shelly]

WOW! So scary for you! You were very smart to act so quickly. I sometimes over react, but in my opinion, I would rather be safe than sorry! Sometimes WE do know our dogs best and know when something is just not right! (As with our kids). Always trust your instincts! So glad he was okay! Does he usually get gas after eating? Maybe one of those bowls with the pegs in it could help him eat slower. Here's to a better day tomorrow!

[Bonnie and Kona]

Good idea Shelly. We have one of those bowls to slow Kona down. We also give him a probiotic for dogs that has made a huge difference in his gassy-ness.