Dog Bloat: What It Is, How to Treat It

and How to Prevent It

Bloat, also known as Torsion or Gastric Dilation-Volvulus
(GDV), is a condition that affects large dogs. The dog breeds
commonly affected by bloat include Akitas, German Shepherds,
Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, St. Bernards, Irish Setters,
Pinschers, Dobermans, Sighthounds, Bloodhounds,
Weimaraners and dogs belonging in similar breeds.

Bloat is a serious, and even life-threatening, condition. Even though diagnosis of bloat is
fairly simple, its treatment can be complicated, costly and not always 100% successful.
This is because a dog’s body undergoes pathological changes when it develops bloat.

Causes of Bloat
Bloat is caused by a combination of factors. Bloat often develops in large, deep-chested
dogs that are typically fed once a day. These dogs tend to bolt for food, gulp in large
amounts of air and drink a lot of water right after eating. They then engage in vigorous
activities after eating. The result: bloat.

A Complicated Condition
What makes bloat a complicated condition is that dogs do not get bloat in the same way
and it is believed that some bloodlines tend to be more predisposed to developing bloat
than other bloodlines.

Any dog, regardless of its breed or age, can have simple gastric distention (pre-bloat, in
layman’s term) although this is more common among puppies that overeat. However,
pre-bloat disappears after belching or vomiting the food.

If pre-bloat happens more than once to a dog that belongs to a breed that is believed to be
predisposed to the condition, it must be taken to a veterinarian, who can suggest ways to
prevent bloat. The dog may be fed smaller meals or given Reglan (metoclopramide) to
encourage the stomach to empty itself. In some cases, a dog may undergo prophylactic
surgery, a procedure that involves anchoring the stomach in place prior to the occurrence
of torsion. Prophylactic surgery is often done on dogs that have had several bouts of
distention or dogs that have relatives with GDV.

Physiology of Bloat
The twisting of the stomach after the occurrence of gastric distention is referred to as
either “torsion” or “volvulus” depending on where the twisting occurs. The twisting is
referred to as “torsion” if it occurs in the stomach’s longitudinal axis while it is called
“volvulus” if the twisting occurs in the stomach’s mesenteric axis. The two terms are
used interchangeably since the type of twisting in the stomach really has no bearing on
the prognosis or the treatment.

When torsion happens, the esophagus closes up and this limits the affected dog’s ability
to relieve itself of the distention through belching gas or vomiting food. The spleen can
become entrapped when torsion occurs, its blood supply cut off.

Torsion triggers a complex chain of physiologic events. The blood flow to the heart
decreases and so does cardiac output, followed possibly by cardiac arrhythmias.
Meanwhile, the stomach lining is starts to have a build up of toxins. The pancreas, liver
and upper small bowel may also become affected. The dog goes into shock as a result of
low blood pressure and rapid build up of toxins in the body. In some cases, the stomach
ruptures, and this leads to peritonitis.

Classic signs of GDV include abdominal distention, excessive salivating and retching.
Other GDV signs can include depression, restlessness, lethargy, weakness, anorexia and
rapid heart rate.

Treatment for Bloat

Bloat is a serious condition that calls for emergency treatment. If you think that your dog
may have bloat or if your dog is showing some signs of bloat, take your dog to a
veterinarian or call emergency service right away. Do not try to treat your dog with home
remedies. Call the veterinarian or pet hospital ahead of time to give staff ample time to
prepare. Once you arrive at the veterinarian’s clinic of pet hospital, do not insist on going
with your dog to the treatment room as you’ll simply become an impediment and slow
down the staff from giving your dog the care it needs.

The veterinarian may subject your dog to x-rays, an ECG and blood tests to get an initial
diagnosis although your dog may be given treatment well before the results of the tests
are in. Your dog will be given IV fluids and administered steroids to treat shock.
Antibiotics and anti-arrhythmics may be administered also. To decompress the stomach,
the veterinarian will next pass a stomach tube. If successful, the contents of the stomach
such as accumulated food and gastric juices will be flushed out through gastric levage.
There are cases when stomach decompression is done by inserting large-bore needles or
trochar through the skin and muscle directly into the stomach.

Some cases of bloat only require medical therapy. However, many cases of bloat require
that surgery be performed in order to save the dog. Before surgery is done, the dog’s
condition will first be stabilized. The stomach twist is then corrected, unhealthy tissues
removed and the stomach anchored in place. Anchoring the stomach is known as
gastroplexy or anchoring surgery. It is a procedure done to prevent the stomach from
twisting again. Gastroplexy has several variations. If your dog requires gastroplexy, the
veterinarian will let you know about the procedure as well as the variation that will give
your dog the best rate of success.

Dogs that undergo gastroplexy have prolonged recovery times. They may even need to
stay in the hospital for a week or more depending on the severity of the bloat and the
treatment methods used. During post-operative care, a dog may need to be on a special
diet, take medications that promote stomach emptying, and be on routine wound
management. Gastroplexy can cost anywhere from $500 to $1000 or up depending the
complexity of the bloat.

Preventing Bloat
As the popular adage goes, prevention is better than cure. If your dog is predisposed to
bloat, start feeding it two or three meals every day. Try to make sure that your dog eats
slowly. Don’t let your dog to engage in vigorous activities within two hours of having a
meal.

Talk to a veterinarian if gastroplexy can be possibly done on your dog as a preventative

measure. For some dogs, gastroplexy even before bloat occurs is the best way to deal
with the condition.

Many breeders and veterinarians think that GDV is inheritable although the genetics of
GDV are still rather muddled right now. So while gastroplexy will likely help a
predisposed dog, it may be best not to breed dogs that are predisposed to bloat or have
relatives that suffer from bloat.

For more large dog health information, visit us at LargeDogBreedz.com.