Bloat: The Second Leading Killer of Dogs

According to several websites, bloat is the second leading killer of dogs - the only thing above it is cancer. I recently saw an episode of an animal veterinarian show on Animal Planet where a Weimeraner was diagnosed with bloat and had to have surgery. The whole ordeal was very heartwrenching because no time can be wasted - bloat can kill in less than an hour, so the surgeons had to act fast to save her. I myself had no idea this condition was so common (and deadly). The owners were watching helplessly but were thankful that they had brought her in as quickly as they did. The dog, named "Abby" underwent the surgery and came out of it just fine, but unfortunately, there are more dogs who aren't so lucky.

Bloat affects mostly larger breeds of dogs including German Shepherds, Dobermans, and Great Danes. Basically, bloat is trapped air in the stomach which (in most cases) makes the stomach rotate 90-360 degrees causing the air, food, and water to become trapped in the stomach. If this happens, the bloated stomach can lead to low blood pressure, obstruction of veins in the abdomen, shock, and damage to internal organs - all of which can be deadly for your dog.

Bloat is most commonly caused by the food habits of the dog. If your dog eats all dry dog food and then drinks a lot of water, this puts her at risk for bloat. If she eats her food quickly without stopping for a break, this also puts her at risk for bloat. There are a few other non-food risk factors you should look out for, they are:

• Exercise before and after eating: Dogs should exercise after eating only if more than 3 hours have passed (this is similar to the old saying of waiting an hour to swim after eating). Food that is not settled has a greater tendency to cause bloat. Other activities to avoid directly after feeding time is rough housing or any other strenuous activity. It is best to let her relax and give her food a chance to digest.
• Amount of stress: If your dog is prone to high stress levels, she is at risk for bloat. She may get over-anxious which could result in gulping air - this in turn leads to bloat.
• Physical attributes: A dog that is narrow-chested or large in size stands a greater risk for bloat. Keep this in mind when feeding her, and look for symptoms!

Symptoms, here's what you should watch for if your dog is at risk for bloat:

• She will attempt to throw up (without success) about every 5-30 minutes - this is the most telltale symptom of bloat and special attention needs to be paid to it, remember bloat can kill in less than an hour!
  
• She may have a hunched up appearance - another common symptom
  
• Her actions: this is the best thing you as an owner can look for. You know your dog and her behavior, and in some cases, this may be the only symptom that appears. Ifyou think she just isn't acting like herself, look for some of the other symptoms I mentioned.
• Her abdomen will also be very tight and her breathing may be shallow and labored.
• Towards the beginning stages of bloat, her gums may be dark red; in the later stages their color may be white or blueish.

Now I am going to go over prevention tips, so you can help your dog avoid this serious health risk.

1. Do not exercise your dog directly after she has eaten - allow her plenty of time to relax and digest her meal.
2. Do not use an elevated food bowl
   
3. Vary her dog food between dry and wet (this helps her control her water consumption after the meal).
4. Do not allow her to drink ice cold water.
5. Feed her 2 or 3 meals throughout the day rather than just one - this will help her eat slowly and get her to understand that there will be more food later.
6. make sure she has access to fresh water at all times - the only exceptions are before and after meals.
7. make sure her meal-times are stress-free and relaxing - this especially helps if she is over-anxious.

The most important thing to remember is that bloat is a very serious risk to her health and if you even suspect your dog has it, take her to the vet at once!! Like I have already mentioned, bloat takes an hour or less to kill, so the faster you get her to the vet, the more successful he will be in treating her (which will be through surgery). The surgery involves moving the stomach back to the correct position, if this is done too late, the dog will die.

I hope you have read this article carefully and that you will share this with as many dog owners as you can to make them aware of the serious risk.