We’ve all experienced that feeling of going overboard with food – who hasn’t gone for that extra spoon of your grandmother’s Sunday special? Yeah – that one – the one too many that makes you feel like your stomach is replacing every organ in your chest cavity. When it happens, we usually lay down in the couch and wait for it to pass or we take something that helps us deal with a bloated stomach, and that’s it.
Well, it wouldn’t be so far fetched to suppose that if your beloved four-legged friend has had a bit too much food, he’d just walk or sleep it off… right?
Unfortunately, this assumption would likely be lethal to your pet. Swollen stomachs in dogs can be incredibly dangerous! As soon as you notice that your dog’s stomach is unusually swollen or bloated, you should take him to your vet right away! Let’s have a look at how it manifests itself and why, so that you can act quickly if the situation ever arises.
What happens when a dog gets bloated?
A dog has a bloated stomach when gas or food stretch it more than it should be. Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV) happens when the distended stomach flips, locking the gas inside and preventing blood from irrigating the stomach. This could be fatal to your dog within hours if it remains unattended to.
What causes bloat in dogs?
The exact cause of GDV still remains unclear, but there are a few triggers that have been identified:
- Heavy exercise right after a meal
- A deep chest cavity – Great Danes, St. Bernard and Weimaraner are more at risk than others
- Feeding your dog only one big serving a day
- A genetical history of bloat/GDV
- Eating too quickly
- Risk increases with age
There are some other conditions that also involve stomach swelling, such as:
- Peritonitis
A puncture in the dog’s intestine or stomach creates an infection which is extremely painful for dogs.
- Cushing’s Syndrome
Caused by higher-than-average levels of cortisol hormone.
- Ascites
Caused by accumulated fluids in your dog’s stomach.
Symptoms
GDV or bloat has very distinct symptoms that should be acted upon instantly. You will most likely notice the hard and swollen belly right away. If your dog is especially furry or overweight, there might be an absence of visible bloat, which does not rule out the fact that your dog might have the condition.
Here’s a list of symptoms that may be exhibited by your dog:
- Unproductive retching vomiting (your dog only vomits fluid or foam – nothing solid)
This is often an urgent sign of bloat/GDV in dogs!
- Excessive saliva, drooling
This is caused by the nausea which is triggered by the bloated stomach.
- Sudden weakness
Your dog might show signs of disorientation due to the pain and discomfort.
- Collapse
For any reason, if your dog collapses, bring them to the vet!
- Fast, heavy or difficult breathing
Nausea combined to the pain of the condition will trigger breathing changes.
- Pale mucous membranes
It can indicate disfunction in the circulatory system of your dog.
- Restlessness and pacing
This is one of the easiest and earliest signs to spot in your dog’s behaviour.
How to treat bloat and prevent it from happening?
There is no way this condition can be treated at home. It requires swift and professional intervention and if you’ve identified one or multiple symptoms of the above, please stop reading this article and get in touch with your veterinarian right away!
If, on the other hand, you’re curious to know how to decrease the risk of it happening to your four-legged friend, there are a few things that can be done to make sure your dog has the best chance at minimizing the risk of this condition:
- Smaller portions
It is strongly advised to ditch the “one meal a day” routine and to split it into multiple, much smaller portions to make sure that the stomach is not overloaded with food. Bruce and Peluche get almost 2kg food a day, each. We feed them at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Decrease stress
More specifically around eating time. Do your dogs have a tendency to be protective over their food? Do they eat all of it as if they’re racing against the clock? Then you might want to consider separating your dogs while they eat. This way you give them some peace and quiet while they enjoy their meal. It’s also strongly advised to let your dogs rest after eating and to avoid any heavy exercise.
- Slow down the eating
Easier said than done, but there are a few bowls specifically designed for this. ‘Slow eating bowls‘ come in various shapes and sizes and are made just for this – to make your dog eat slower. The food is being dispatched in maze-shaped designs. Yoda has one, it’s like a puzzle. There are also toys in which you can load up your pup’s kibbles. Those are just as good. Your dog will have a lot of fun during dinner time while at the same time being much safer!
- Surgery
I’ve hesitated a long time whether to do this or not, but let me tell you: my mind has been a lot more at ease since we did! Basically they attach the stomach to the side of the belly (where it naturally touches). This way the stomach can never flip. We did it with Naya when she got sterilized since she was asleep anyway. Bruce and Duvel had it done last year through microsurgery. It’s a bit more expensive, but this way it’s a minor procedure. The wound was only a centimeter big and they could come home right after. Since our dogs have a very big chest cavity, play and run around quite a lot, I was always dreading to come home one day and find them like this when it was too late. One thing less to worry about!
- Feed your dog when you can stick around for a while
In general it’s more common for dogs to get bloat if they’re being active after eating, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get it while laying still. The vet at the clinic told me that most dogs who can’t be saved anymore, arrive at the clinic in the morning. If you feed your dog at 5pm and by 9pm you see that he’s bloated, you’re probably still in time to save his life. If you feed him before going away or going to bed, the same story will get a very unhappy ending…
Conclusion
If you notice anything with your dog’s belly that is a bit out of character, don’t wait to get in touch with your veterinarian, as it could quickly escalate into something much more dramatic.
Have you ever experienced anything like this with your dog? Please share your story with us in the comments!