Bloat

If your veterinarian says that your dog has bloat, she means that your dog’s stomach is full of excess gas, fluid, or foam. Bloat generally occurs in large or deep-chested dog breeds. It has been suggested that one should not feed their dog a large meal and then engage in heavy exercise. But in truth bloat can happen spontaneously and without any known cause. Often, when the stomach becomes enlarged it twists on itself. When this happens the openings at the top and bottom of the stomach twist, blocking all materials from entering or leaving. As the digestive process continues and the stomach gets larger it will press against the blood vessels of the abdomen and decrease circulation. This can cause the tissues supplied by those vessels to die. The enlarged stomach also takes up room the diaphragm needs to expand, which makes it hard for your pet to breathe.

A veterinarian must treat bloat immediately. Your veterinarian can check for this condition by performing a physical exam and abdominal radiographs. If your pet is diagnosed simply with bloat and the stomach has not twisted, sometimes the veterinarian can decompress the stomach with a tube passed into the stomach through the mouth or a large needle inserted into the stomach through the skin. This may only be a temporary solution. If your pet has a twist in the stomach he will need to be treated surgically. During surgery, your veterinarian can untwist the stomach so that material can move through it, examine the tissue of the stomach to make sure it wasn’t injured, and attach the stomach to the abdominal wall to reduce the risk of the twist happening again. Bloat happens very rapidly and can be fatal in 30 minutes, when it’s severe. If your pet’s abdomen is distended and/or you notice nausea, vomiting, attempts to vomit, sudden weakness, or collapse, contact your veterinarian immediately. Bloat is a life-threatening condition we hope your pet will never experience but if they do we are here to help. Please contact us at (503) 648-4117 any time your pet acts strange. Remember, you know your pet better than anyone else. If you suspect a problem there probably is one.