Gastric
Torsion (gastric dilation and volvulus syndrome or GDV), more commonly
known as bloat, is a serious, often fatal condition that happens
extremely quickly.
It is more likely to affect older dogs and larger breeds due to
their deep chests. Commonly affected breeds include German Shepherds,
Irish Setters, Great Danes, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Weimaraners
and St Bernards. This isn’t a breed issue. These are simply
examples of deep-chested breeds. Any deep-chested dog can be affected.
Bloat
can occur when a dog takes in a lot of air when eating and
gas is produced from fermenting food within the stomach. The
stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. As
the gas accumulates, the dog’s stomach can swell and
then twist. Gas that might otherwise have been belched out
is now trapped. The entrance to the stomach is closed by the
twisting, thereby preventing the animal from relieving the
condition by belching or vomiting.
At this point, letting the gas out of the stomach is |
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the
absolute priority. If the gas continues to build up then the blood
supply to the stomach, spleen and other organs can become damaged
and cut off, resulting in the body going into shock, the release
of bacterial toxins, collapse and death of the dog.
A dog who suffers from bloat once is likely to suffer again and
it is thought that some dogs have a predisposition to it. Sometimes
the dog can be stabilised after an attack of bloat and surgery to
fix the stomach in place has some success, but if bloat does reoccur
then it can get more and more difficult to treat.
Common
Symptoms
- Repeated attempts to vomit or produce a stool without success.
- Distended stomach with abdomen feeling hard
- Evidence of abdominal pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Excessive salivation and drooling
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Stiff legged stance with arched back
- Lethargic
- Heavy panting
- Pale/cold lips and gums (indicates the onset of shock)
What can you do?
A dog with bloat will need to see a vet immediately. Gastric Torsion
is an extremely dangerous and urgent situation. All you can do is
get your dog to the vet straight away and try to keep your dog as
warm and comfortable as possible in the mean time.
What can the vet do?
As mentioned, releasing the air from the stomach is the priority.
In emergencies, the dog’s stomach will be decompressed. Large
needles will be inserted into the dog’s side, penetrating
the stomach and letting the gas out directly. Further surgery will
then be performed in an attempt to untwist the stomach. If the stomach
is successfully untwisted and the dog survives the surgery then
the vet is likely to fix the stomach in place in an attempt to stop
it twisting again in the future. Know as gastropexy, this procedure
does not prevent future bloating. The stomach can still fill up
with gas but the idea is that it will be less likely to twist.
Preventative
Measures
The jury is still out with regards exactly what causes Gastric Torsion.
However, a number of preventative measures can be followed:
Feed
your dog from a raised feeding bowl. Click to see our very
own range of attractive raised
feeding bowls.
Feed small frequent meals rather than one or two large meals
a day. A special diet may even be recommended by your vet.
Special diets are more easily digestible and ferment less
in the stomach. Medication might also be suggested that helps
the movement of the gut and helps reduce gas build up.
Avoid overfeeding. |
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Do not
exercise your dog or play games during the hour before a meal and
especially the hour after a meal. Some even suggest that two hours
should be observed after a meal before activity can commence.
Do
not give water 30 minutes before or after food.
Many dogs have an unhealthy habit of eating too fast. They
love to lap up all the food in a swift, sweeping motion and
gobble down or "inhale" their food like a vacuum
cleaner. This way, they end up swallowing everything without
much chewing.
Encourage the dog to eat their meal slowly by putting a ball
or other toy in their bowl. This will stop them gulping down
their dinner.
The Eat
Better™ bowl is specially designed to make your
dogs eating healthier. The wishbone design in the centre of
the bowl has 3 apexes and connecting ridges which serve as
an obstruction to deter your dog from making a clean sweep
of the food. |
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If you have a household of more than one dog then try separating
them at meal times. This cuts down on competition for food and means
that the meal is more likely to be eaten at a leisurely pace.
If
you feed a home cooked diet, avoid potatoes as they are not so easily
digested. All other root vegetables and green leafy vegetables are
fine but some suggest that vegetables should be cooked first as
this makes them easier to digest.
Avoid cereal-based food as it can be particularly bad at causing
fermentation, resulting in excessive gas. |
