It’s a word that strikes fear into anyone who has a dog: Bloat.
Technically called gastric dilatation and volvulus, bloat can affect up to 60,000 dogs in the U.S. every year, with as many as 33% of them dying from it, according to a 1996 study.
At greatest risk are deep-chested large breeds, such as Akitas, Boxers, Weimaraners and Great Danes. But smaller dogs like Dachshunds and Yorkies can also develop bloat and interestingly, there is a higher risk of it occurring in fearful, nervous and underweight dogs.
Here’s what you need to know about bloat:
What it is: Bloat is the rapid accumulation of gas (or food or fluid) in the stomach, often causing the stomach to twist (called torsion). Either way, it can be deadly – although bloat without the twist gives you more time to get your dog to the vet and hopefully, save his life. Bloat with torsion can be a killer within minutes.
Signs of bloat: Symptoms come on fast and may include:
- Restlessness
- Drooling
- Swollen stomach
- Anxiety
- Pacing
- Attempts at vomiting, although nothing comes up
- Pale gums
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
What you should do if you think your dog has bloat: Get your dog to the nearest vet immediately! Every second counts if your dog has bloat.
What causes it: Vets aren’t entirely sure why one dog may develop bloat and another won’t. But certain factors seem to be indicators of bloat, including:
- Eating just one meal a day
- Eating quickly
- Running around or being very active after eating
- Having a family member who’s had bloat
- Eating or drinking too much
- Stress
What you can do to prevent it: There’s really no sure way to prevent bloat, but studies show it may be helpful to:
- Limit exercise right after eating
- Feed your dog smaller meals a few times a day, rather than one big meal once a day
- If you give your dog kibble, it’s better not to have fat as one of the first four ingredients
- Add table food to your dog’s diet. Adding canned dog food also may decrease the risk, but to a smaller degree.
Have you ever had or known a dog who developed bloat? Let us know what happened in the comments section below.
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