A Twisted Condition - GDV (Bloat) in Dogs
What Is Bloat?
The term bloat is used for when the stomach fills with gas, fluid, food, or a combination of these three. For simple bloat, the stomach remains in its natural position. While it expands, the stomach puts pressure on blood vessels and other organs. This interferes with breathing and is incredibly painful.
If the condition progresses, it can lead to a lethal condition known as GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus), gastric torsion and twisted stomach. The bloated stomach twists around where the pylorus meets the duodenum , squeezing off the blood supply to the stomach and spleen. Left untreated this can cause irreparable damage to other internal organs, destroy tissue, and send the dog into shock. With GDV, symptoms present and escalate rapidly; death can result soon after its onset. It is vital to seek immediate medical attention to save the life of the animal.
Symptoms of Bloat
Always know what your dog looks and feels like when healthy. This will give you a baseline to check against when you are concerned for the welfare of your pet.
- Unproductive vomiting
- Distress (whimpering, moaning, groaning, etc)
- Swollen or distended stomach (feel the abdomen for tautness, since sometimes the swelling isn't visible)
- Restless moving (pacing, rolling, unable to get comfortable
- Excessive salivation/drooling
- Panting
- Pale tongue and/or gums (this is a sign that blood flow has been restricted)
- Looking at its own stomach and/or rear end repeatedly
Treatment
The first thing that the veterinarian will do is run blood work and a urinalysis to rule out other disorders that have similar symptoms to gastric dilation-volvulus. Next, to confirm the diagnosis, they will order abdominal x-rays taken and an electrocardiogram (ECG) performed. Several other tests may be performed as necessary, especially if there is a need for surgery. The veterinary team will work fast to reach a diagnosis since the rate of survival decreases the longer the animal is in that condition.
Veterinary specialists will attempt to stabilize the condition of the dog as quickly as possible by giving intravenous fluids and possibly needed oxygen. Meanwhile, a stomach tube and lavage will be used to try and reduce the building pressure. In the cases involving surgery, anesthesia will be administered. During Gastropexy the stomach is assessed, counter-rotated, and then affixed into a normal position. Sometimes, necrotic tissue is found and removed. The wound is then closed and the dog can be moved to recovery. If caught in time and barring complications, most dogs that have undergone Gastropexy survive.
What Breeds Are At Risk?
Breeds that have a deep chest (long and narrow) have an increased chance of developing bloat and GDV. Some of the most commonly affected breeds are: Great Danes, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Collies, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Labs, St.Bernards and Weimaraners. Although it is more likely to occur in these larger dogs, any size and breed of dog (even chihuahuas) can develop GDV.
Can Bloat be Prevented?
The exact cause of GDV is unknown. The veterinary community has an agreed list of factors that increase the risk for your pet.
Increased Risk Factors
- Eating a single meal per day
- Consuming food rapidly
- Drinking large quantities of water at one time
- Family history of bloat/GDV
- Being thin or underweight
- Adding moisture to dry kibble (particularly if citric acid is listed as a preservative)
- Giving the dog a dry diet (one with animal fat in the first four ingredients)
- Anxious and aggressive temperment
- Male canines present symptoms more often than female
- Age (7-12 year old dogs were most at risk)
How to Reduce the Risk
- Feed several (two or more) small meals throughout the day
- Add canned dog food to meals
- Attempt to lower the stress of the dog and improve its temperment
- Wait an hour (at minimum) after a meal before allowing vigorous playing/exercising
- Use dry food that has a calcium-rich meat meal (such as meat/lamb meal, fish meal, chicken by-product meal, meat meal, or bone meal) listed as one of the first four ingredients
- For some high risk breeds, a vet may reccomend elective Gastropexy to affix the stomach of a dog in position so that it will not twist on itself.
Brings to mind a Swiss family friend that lost their well loved Siberian Husky to GDV. It was a complete shock for them. They were unaware of this affliction. Thanks for the detailed post!
My sympathies for your friend, the family and their Husky. It's sad how fast bloat can escalate. I had never heard of GDV either until that night. I truly hope that this quick article helps someone recognize the symptoms if they present in their dog. Hopefully, they will be able to act fast enough to save their beloved pet.
Thank you for reading and for your comment!
Oh no, I read all this only to find out that Zeus passed away! :(
Sorry about that . I hate the "dog dies at the end" type of stories because I always cry. It just made more sense to put it there than in the intro, which is where I originally had it. Thank you for reading!
So sorry that your wonderful dog passed away after all the stress and pain. You did a good thing by educating others with your story. I love animals so much, and every dog, cat, guinea pig, or other pet that has passed away is still so important to me. Upvoted, resteemed and followed you @brisby!
Thank you! I hadn't heard of GDV until that night and I'm hoping that this will help others. Thank you for reading and for the vote and follow I'll be checking out your site as well!
It is such a scary condition. I watch a lot of vet shows on the various Animal Planet, National Geographic, and other stations. We have had a lot of pets over the years and learn new things every year, too. Our intellect is important, but is completely different from our heart for our animals.
Agreed. It is our love for our precious pets that drives us to learn what we can, so that we'll be prepared to care for them. Thank you, sallykwitt!
I'm so glad to hear that Zeus is okay! When I had my Great Dane I kept panicking any time he seemed to any symptoms that were close to GDV. It's so important for pet owners to have this knowledge!
Thank you for your comment. Zeus survived the surgery but passed on a couple of days later. May I ask what happened with your Great Dane? The more we know, the better we can care for our pets!
I'm so so sorry to hear that... :(
Thankfully OP is in good health. I had a couple scares when he would eat a whole loaf of bread or a whole bag of chocolates but in the end he digested everything just fine. My mom would put liquids in his dry food and just feed him about anything, but he never had any problems other than some diarrhea here and there. I know I'm very lucky because many other Danes wouldn't be able to tolerate everything he ate just as well.
I'm happy that your OP is healthy! I've read that Great Danes are a handful.
Speaking of eating things, I remember a time when Zeus snuck into the bathroom and ate my mascara. Somehow, he must have tattooed himself with it because he had a black spot on his tongue from that day on! 😂
Some people raise their dogs' dishes off the ground with some sort of tray. I wonder if this is related to that?
Somewhat. Much of the data I read states to NOT use elevated feeders for dogs that are at risk of bloat. Yet, places still advertise them for large breed dogs.
GDV is rare in cats, but they can get bloated bellies. You probably already know a lot of this, but there is reliable information on this site.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/digestive-disorders-of-cats/introduction-to-digestive-disorders-of-cats
As the owner of a cat with a sensitive stomach, I know more about digestive disorders than any person should. 😐 But, thank you, that's a good link for cat owners to check out.
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Thanks. I'll check it out.
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Wow! Thank you for letting me know! I appreciate your effort and the time that it took to assemble all of the data.