How
serious is bloat for your dog's health?
When most of us think about the word bloat we
think about the digestive disorder where or abdomen becomes filled
up with gas. After certain “gassy” foods are consumed, our stomach
extends and we “feel bloated”. Although bloating in humans is not
something to take lightly, in canines bloating can be a very serious
and life-threatening issue.
By definition bloat is abdominal distention
caused by swallowed air or gas production. Canine bloat, which is
also known as Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, is most common in
large breed dogs and is a very serious disorder. However, with
canine bloat there are varying degrees of severity.
When you look at the term Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, Gastric Dilatation refers to the increasing size of the
abdomen where Volvulus, which is also known as torsion, refers to a
condition where the stomach twists. Torsion is the most severe case
of bloat and once it occurs the dogs blood supply to the heart
becomes cut off, the stomach begins to die as toxins build up in the
stomach.
Torsion is such a serious issue that your dog
will require surgery and is at risk of dieing within several hours
(Even with surgery up to about a third of the cases still die).
What breeds are at greater risk for bloat?
Bloat is most common in large deep-chested dogs such as the
Great Dane, German Shepherd and Rottweiler. However the dogs in the
example are not the only ones susceptible to bloat. Other deep-chested
dogs such as Akita’s, Bloodhounds, Dobermans, Standard Poodles,
Bassett Hounds are
also at higher risk for bloat.
What are the major contributing factors to
bloat?
Although the cause for bloat does not always happen in the same
way for each dog, there are some major contributing factors that are
believed to cause bloat.
One of the most common causes of bloat comes
from the dog eating so fast that they swallow air and fluids. Bloat
is more common in dogs that eat rapidly and are only fed once a
day. However, the dogs eating habits alone are not the only causes
for this disorder. Some of the other contributing factors to bloat
are the dogs exercise habits, age, stress levels, and genetics.
Exercise habits can contribute to bloat in
cases where the dog participates in vigorous activity one hour
before feeds and up to two hours after they eat. Age is an issue
since bloat is more common in dogs after the age of four. And
unfortunately there have been some cases where some dogs are
genetically more susceptible to the disorder.
What are the recognizable symptoms for
bloat?
The key to saving your pet from bloat is to recognize the
symptoms early on. One of the most obvious signs of bloat, although
not the most common, is abdominal swelling after meals. Additional
signs could also included gagging, whining, heavy salivating, dry
vomiting (which may occur every 5 to 20 minutes), and shallow
breathing. Your dog may also show signs of pacing, have an
excessive heart rate. In the case of volvulus, or torsion, your dog
may have a week pulse and or discoloration of the gums (color of the
gums can change to a pale color due to the severity of bloat).
Continued on
Page 2
|
|
What is Bloat?
