Bloat in Dogs... Facts & Myths

[Dot]

Hello Dot


Gastric Dilation-Volvulus complex (GDV), commonly known as bloat is a complex, life threatening condition. It occurs mainly in large breed, deep chested dogs such as Great Danes, Dobermans, Wolf Hounds etc but can be a threat to any breed.


What is Bloat?
GDV is a condition where the stomach swells up, either with food or gas (or a combination of both) and then continues to a point where the stomach actually twists on itself, blocking both the inlet and outlet to the stomach. This is a life threatening condition that requires immediate emergency veterinary attention/decompression surgery. Even with the best care, success rates for emergency GDV’s can be as low as 40% so it is a condition to be very mindful of.





Common Causes
The most common cause of GDV is a feed of dry food, followed by a large intake of water (which causes the kibble to swell up) with a final addition of exercise or play after eating (but this component is not necessary to cause bloat). Foods that can ferment in the stomach and form gas are also a significant risk factor.

Mythbuster: Drinking cold water is NOT a known trigger for bloat, so please don’t panic about this dubious information that appears on Dr Google every now and then.


Tips for preventing bloat
Feed a natural diet: a diet consisting of balanced fresh meat is extremely unlikely to cause bloat as it is naturally moisture rich and does not swell in the stomach or produce significant gas.
If you do feed dry food: feed small amounts at a single serving and restrict access to water for at least an hour after feeding and avoid exercise after meals.
Tip: Adding some fresh meat to your pet’s diet will also help to reduce any swelling. Soaking kibble before feeding is also useful.

[supersparky]

Dot, Is that sort of like colic in horses??

[Dot]

Yep David. When I moved to Aust back from NZ I had 2 of my dobes get Bloat within 1 mth of each other and both had the op that stitched their stomach to their chest wall to stop it from flipping over again.. Vet then put it down to the change in food. My last Dobe Chase had a twisted spleen (flipped) but because I noticed it quickly he survived to smile another few years..