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“Bloat” doesn’t sound too bad, right? We’ve all been stuffed after a big meal, crampy and uncomfortable, until we digest food and return to normal. But bloat in dogs – or gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), to use the clinical term – develops quickly and turns life-threatening within hours. Whether you call it GDV or bloat, luckily, vets at CARE can quickly diagnose and treat the problem and prevent it from ever happening again.
Who’s Most At Risk for GDV or Bloat?
The dogs most at risk tend to be giant breed dogs that are deep chested, such as Great Danes, St. Bernards, and Standard Poodles. Any dog with a confirmation of a deep chest and narrow waist (where the stomach sits forward and has room to move around) is predisposed to GDV. It is rare in small dogs but can occur.
Size and configuration are the main factors, but behaviors play a part. Owners who feed dogs just once a day increase their risk, especially if they exercise their pets soon afterward. Dogs that gulp food, inhaling a lot of air with it, can get this problem. The stomach produces more gas while digesting dry food, so it’s smart to make sure a dog gets wet food along with kibbles.
Pets who are nervous and pant a lot, inhaling too much air, can fall victim to GDV. Being boarded, traveling long distances and other events that lead to stress can put canines at risk. This happens more often in middle-aged dogs but can affect younger ones, too.
This image shows a classic GDV, which gives a “double bubble” appearance to the stomach, showing 2 distinct gas-filled compartments.
What Happens in a Case of Bloat?
The stomach suddenly distends with a combination of air, fluid and/or food – that’s the dilatation part – and then twists 180 degrees, trapping gas and preventing itself from emptying. The stomach can’t get proper blood flow during this volvulus, so tissue damage follows. It compresses abdominal blood vessels, reducing blood return to the heart and causing systemic shock and multi-organ dysfunction. Breathing becomes more difficult because the diaphragm gets squeezed. Decreased oxygen flow can cause abnormal heartbeats.
In severe cases, pressure inside the stomach may rupture it, letting bacteria into the bloodstream. The spleen, which sits near the stomach, frequently twists along with it, which can tear vessels and cause internal bleeding.
When Should an Owner Suspect GDV?
Symptoms particular to bloat include non-productive retching, continual attempts to vomit, restless pacing, and a stomach that’s visibly distended or unusually sensitive to the touch. These may be accompanied by drooling, panting, pale gums and general weakness.
Minutes matter, as untreated dogs can die within a few hours. If you suspect bloat, don’t wait to see whether your dog will feel better later.
Diagnosing GDV
A single X-ray immediately identifies the problem. CARE vets will stabilize the animal with fluids and pain medication and run general bloodwork before surgery, which is invariably needed. They will trocharize the stomach to relieve gas distension.
After stabilization, the patient will be taken to exploratory surgery to manually derotate the stomach. There’s an 85 percent chance the problem will reoccur without intervention, so the surgeon will then perform a Gastropexy. A Gastropexy is when the stomach is sutured(or ‘tacked’) to the body wall to prevent recurrence
The longer a GDV has occurred, the more complicated the surgery and recovery will be. Inflammation within the body can predispose the dog to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and internal bleeding, and stomach wall necrosis. The spleen may also have to be removed during surgery.
Can Dogs Resume a Normal Life After GDV?
They should go back to the way they were before without long-term complications. They’ll have 10 to 14 days of exercise restrictions, wear an Elizabethan collar awhile to protect the surgical area, and eat small meals frequently.
Can Owners Prevent Bloat in the First Place?
The elective surgery, prophylactic gastropexy, forestalls GDV for at-risk breeds, often at the time of spaying or neutering, when the dog is already under anesthesia. It can be done at CARE or in the office of a primary care veterinarian. You’ll want your dog to be full-grown, perhaps between nine and 12 months.
As in the surgery after GDV or bloat is diagnosed, gastropexy involves suturing a small portion of the stomach to the body wall on the right side. That creates an internal scar that keeps it in place through the dog’s life. Vets recommend that all at-risk breeds undergo this simple procedure.
Think of Charlotte Animal Referral and Emergency (CARE) as the pet equivalent of a medical center for humans. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it offers a wide range of treatments. That includes not only emergency room care but board-certified specialty work, once you obtain a referral from your primary care veterinarian. Please look over the practice at carecharlotte.com/tour.
