Canine bloat: What is it? How to prevent it.

Canine bloat is a very serious health risk for many breeds of dogs, yet many dog owners know very little about it. Bloat is a life-threatening condition and a medical emergency. If you suspect bloat, call your veterinarian immediately. It is the second leading killer of dogs, after cancer. It is frequently reported that deep-chested dogs and big dogs are particularly at risk.

Our son, Dr. Slaton became a veterinarian because we lost our Rusty, a St Bernard, to bloat. At the time, we did not know anything about bloat as we had never heard of it before. It turns out that this experience was life-changing for him.  He went to veterinary school because he believed that if he had been a veterinarian at the time Rusty had bloat, he could have prevented our dog from dying.

The medical term for canine bloat is Gastric Dilation Volvulus or GDV.
What is GDV?
Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air, food and fluid can also be present.  It usually happens when there's an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, foam in the stomach  that causes the gastric dilatation. Bloat or GDV is a medical condition in which the stomach dilates and stretches due to the accumulation of gas. The stomach fills with gas and may also twists on its longitudinal axis.
 Bloat can occur with or without volvulus (twisting).  As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to 360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus, (food tube) and at the duodenum (the upper intestine).  The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water in the stomach.  The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs. The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.


Understanding the signs and learning how to prevent bloat can help reduce the mortality rate of dogs afflicted by this condition.

What are the factors  that can lead to bloat?
1. The breed disposition. As mentioned above, big dogs such as Great Danes, Irish Setters and Gordon Setters, Standard poodles, Bassets, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Mastiffs, St Bernards  may have the disposition or predisposition to get bloat.
2. Stress: Stress can be a significant contributing factor.
3. Age: Dogs who are older than seven years are twice as likely to develop bloat than younger ones.
4. Gender: Males dogs have a 50% likelihood to develop bloat than females
5. Diet and exercise after eating as well as drinking too much water: Dogs who eat too rapidly and then exercise run a higher risk as well.

What are the signs?
Abdominal distention, restlessness, profuse saliva, panting and at times excess gas. The dog may display significant anxiety and restlessness. He may attempt to vomit, however it is oftentimes unsuccessful. If you feel the stomach of your dog you may notice the lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds. The bloated abdomen may feel very tight. If volvulus occurs, that is if the intestine or the stomach is twisted and causes an obstruction, then the symptoms can progress very rapidly. The dog becomes very weak and lethargic. He can collapse because of hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock is a condition where there is severe blood and fluid loss. The heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body. At that point medical attention is absolutely crucial. The dog could die due to shock and in extreme cases the stomach could rupture and cause severe peritonitis.

Treatment:
The best initial  step toward treatment is to take your dog to the vet. Our son Dr. Slaton, at Westlake Village Animal Hospital, has performed many bloat surgeries. If interested to understand what treatment your vet may perform you may want to read our son's article in the YHC Magazine, January 2011 issue, or go to yhcmagazine and scroll down to Pet Health.

Prevention, prevention, prevention: Clearly, prevention is the key.

If you own a dog with a predisposition for bloat you have to be aware of the signs and symptoms to enable you to quickly recognize the condition and seek treatment. Generally speaking, you should feed your dog small quantities of food, 2-3 times a day. It is recommended to add water to dry food to prevent expansion while in the stomach. You should avoid exercising or exciting or stressing the dog one hour prior to feeding and 2 hours after feeding.

For the susceptible breeds, a prophylactic gastropexy can be performed. Gastropexy is an intestinal surgery.

Its primary indication is to prevent the development or recurrence of gastric dilatation volvulus. The surgery will anchor the stomach to the abdominal wall in order to prevent torsion, or twisting. It is very important to perform this gastropexy in order to prevent recurrence of the bloat. Without this gastropexy about75% of the dogs will develop the bloat again. The gastropexy can be performed when the dog is being neutered or spayed. However, this procedure does not prevent dilation from occurring but it can prevent the stomach from twisting on its axis. Most vets recommend this procedure in the most common breeds.

Bloat is a life-threatening condition that can affect large and giant breeds. The fatality rate can be greatly decreased if the owners understand the disease process and take the needed steps to prevent bloat from occurring.

In conclusion, if you are faced with bloat call your vet. immediately, even better, take your pet to the vet. In most cases treatment for bloat is surgery! This is an emergency! Take Action!