Bloat

Welches · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:04 am Post subject:

Yes, tacking does prevent the stomach from twisting but does not prevent the bloating. However, it's the twisting that is fatal. My vet said she would do it as a stand alone surgery only if my dog was more prone to bloat than normal - fast/gulping eating, larger than normal chest - but I didn't feel comfortable putting her through a surgery because that in and of itself is risky. The vet agreed. I bought her a Brake Fast bowl to slow down her eating, which was a lifesaver, and they don't get to play before or after eating, so I'm not as worried about it as I used to be. You just have to know your dog.

However, if your dog has not been fixed yet, just my opinion, but I would have the stomach tacked at the same time as that surgery. I found out about it too late for Lexi's spay. Talk to your vet about it.

NenaGunther · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:23 am Post subject:

I wanted to bump up this thread because I've been researching a bit and wanted to ask does raw diet vs. kibble diet change the chances of bloat??

kamfam · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:34 am Post subject:

sqrrlsarge · Puppy Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 21

I heard somthing like the dogs gums get darker when they start bloating, anybody know if this is true or not? also, can you tell if a weimaraner is bloating by looking at its stomach? I know you cant with most breeds, but can you with weims?

weim2mom · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:58 am Post subject:

simis · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject:

sqrrlsarge · Puppy Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 21

I have some other questions:

1. is it true that if a dog is bloating, he will NOT lie down, as in, if he lays down he's not bloating?

2. if you feel his stomach, is it true it will be rock hard like a fully inflated tire?

3. is licking his lips a lot but showing no signs of discomfort a reliable symptom?

4. how frequently will he attempt to vomit? will each attempt take a while, or could it be confused with a burp?

5. will the dog always whine?

6. after 2 hours, is it pretty much safe to say that all his food has moved from his stomach to his intestines?

7. will his pupils be diolated?

8. in general, are there any symptoms that will 100% ALWAYS happen that mean "get him out of here RIGHT NOW" other than the attempts at vomiting?

mazzywest · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject:

1. is it true that if a dog is bloating, he will NOT lie down, as in, if he lays down he's not bloating? Not necessarily, although the dog may appear uncomfortable while lying down. When my dog bloated back in February, he bloated and went to sleep that night. We noticed he didn't finish his dinner, which was very unusual for him, but we figured he may have an upset stomach. We woke up in the morning and he was still lying down, wouldn't eat, was gaggy and looked like he was in shock.

2. if you feel his stomach, is it true it will be rock hard like a fully inflated tire? That's what I've heard, but I didn't notice this with my dog.

3. is licking his lips a lot but showing no signs of discomfort a reliable symptom? My dog licked his lips, but also showed signs of visible discomfort (wouldn't eat, gagged, eyes very wide, pupils dilated, wouldn't wag his tail.)

4. how frequently will he attempt to vomit? will each attempt take a while, or could it be confused with a burp? My dog gagged a few times in the morning, but stopped as we were on our way to the vet, and didn't gag or retch at all at the vet's office.

5. will the dog always whine? My dog did not whine at all.

6. after 2 hours, is it pretty much safe to say that all his food has moved from his stomach to his intestines? I'm not sure I understand this question.

7. will his pupils be diolated? My dog's were.

8. in general, are there any symptoms that will 100% ALWAYS happen that mean "get him out of here RIGHT NOW" other than the attempts at vomiting? From what I've read, dogs may show a number of symptoms (i.e., some may gag, lick their lips, won't lie down, try to eat rocks, grass etc), but these don't always seem to be consistent. We knew something was really wrong because we were very in tune with our dog and his schedule, and I could tell he was in serious pain. I didn't notice so much that his stomach was hard or that he was expanding, but by the time we got to the vet, he had expanded, it was clear that he was bloating.

sqrrlsarge · Puppy Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 21

greydogs · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject:

i had 2 experiences with bloat. neither dog had a distended stomach.
they both were retching without bringing anything up. ziggy was lying down in the dog run in a funny position.
vishnu just seemed very uncomfortable.

and they both did fine after the surgery. in both cases we were in the car on our way to the ER within 10 minutes.

just trust your gut, and see the vet as soon as you notice anything strange.

mazzywest · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject:

sqrrlsarge · Puppy Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 21

about the stomach tacking, does anybody know how much $$$ that is? Hunter has been neutered for 2 years now, so Id have to do it as a stand alone

mazzywest · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:53 am Post subject:

not sure about the price of stomach tacking, others may be able to weigh in. In San Francisco (where vet costs tend to be higher), the bloat emergency surgery cost me over $5,000. And I didn't have pet insurance. Sad

sqrrlsarge · Puppy Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 21