Recognizing Bloat in Your Pet

Meet Ruby!

Ruby is a 12 year old female weimaraner who recently experienced a painful and life-threatening condition known as gastric dilatation volvulus or “bloat”. Ruby’s parents noted that she was trying to vomit and that her abdomen was becoming distended. They immediately brought her to Pearl Animal Hospital where she was stabilized for emergency surgery.

Fortunately, Ruby recovered very well from surgery and is back to rolling on her back in green grass, eating baby carrots, trying to put as many toys in her mouth at a time (4 max) and ambushing her brother Tony. You can see Ruby and Tony walking their owner Richard around the Pearl.

A Health Tip from Ruby
Bloat is a medical emergency where the stomach distends and  rotates, twisting off the blood supply to vital organs and  preventing gas from escaping. This critical condition needs to be treated immediately. Bloat occurs only in dogs, and it often arises after a meal with heavy exercise shortly afterwards.

Risk factors for bloating:

Eating only one meal a day

Eating rapidly

Eating from an elevated bowl

Fearful or anxious temperament

Being thin or underweight

Not drinking water before or after meals

Age: Older dogs (7-12 years) are at highest risk

Gender: Males are at higher risk than females

Symptoms of bloat: Dogs may have a distended stomach, but this is not always obvious. The biggest clue is vomiting: the pet appears very nauseous and is retching, but little is coming up. If you see this, rush to your veterinarian immediately.

photo by linnea osterberg