Symptoms of Bloat
Attempts to vomit (usually unsuccessful); may occur every 5-20 minutes This seems to be one of the most common symptoms & has been referred to as the "hallmark symptom" Doesn't act like usual self Perhaps the earliest warning sign & may be the only sign that almost always occurs Significant anxiety and restlessness One of the earliest warning signs and seems fairly typical "Hunched up" or "roached up" appearance This seems to occur fairly frequently Bloated abdomen that may feel tight (like a drum) Despite the term "bloat," many times this symptom never occurs or is not apparent Pale or off-color gums Dark red in early stages, white or blue in later stages Lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds in the tummy Many dog owners report this after putting their ear to their dog's tummy Coughing Unproductive gagging Heavy salivating or drooling Foamy mucous around the lips, or vomiting foamy mucous Unproductive attempts to defecate Whining Pacing Licking the air Seeking a hiding place Looking at their side or other evidence of abdominal pain or discomfort May refuse to lie down or even sit down May stand spread-legged May attempt to eat small stones and twigs Drinking excessively Heavy or rapid panting Shallow breathing Cold mouth membranes Apparent weakness; unable to stand or has a spread-legged stance Especially in advanced stage Accelerated heartbeat Heart rate increases as bloating progresses Weak pulse Collapse The technical name for bloat is "Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus" ("GDV"). Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air (although food and fluid can also be present). It usually happens when there's an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach ("gastric dilatation"). Stress can be a significant contributing factor also. Bloat can occur with or without "volvulus" (twisting). As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to 360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus (food tube) and at the duodenum (the upper intestine). The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water in the stomach. The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs. The combined effect can quickly kill a dog. If you believe your dog is experiencing bloat, please get your dog to a veterinarian immediately! Bloat can kill in less than an hour, so time is of the essence. Notify your vet to alert them you're on your way with a suspected bloat case. Better to be safe than sorry! To read more about causes, and prevention: http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm |
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| Thanks for posting this, it should be a sticky here on this forum for easy reference. |
| I agree,maybe under something other than bloat,to help people who don't know about bloat. The poor girl on the forum did not know what bloat was so she would not have looked under bloat. Just a thought. I have 4 large breed dogs and bloat scares me to death!!! I am very careful but it can happen to anyone. Anyone hear how that dog is doing?? by the way this is a very good description!! |
| I agree too. Maybe it should be titled with 3 of the always-present symptoms so people who don't recognize the illness name might at least find the info quickly... it could save a dog.
That link is exactly the same one I have in my "favorites" dog folder. It provides a lot of info on bloat and links to other sites pertaining to the subject. We had a HUGE scare a few months ago. I called the vet telling them that Panda was bloating and we raced in. We made it there in record time. The vet knew immediately that she didn't have bloat because she ate the food he offered her, she wasn't bloated in the right spot, she appeared to be okay and she was wagging her tail  . An x-ray confirmed she didn't have it.
It turned out she had gotten into a bag of food without our knowledge (over eatting can also kill a dog). It's now known as "The Day Pandi Got Fat"- http://www.oesusa.com/NaughtyPan.jpg But I can tell you I was scared to death we'd loose her on our way there. Jaci |
6Girls wrote: The vet knew immediately that she didn't have bloat because she ate the food he offered her, she wasn't bloated in the right spot, she appeared to be okay and she was wagging her tail
. An x-ray confirmed she didn't have it.So if you suspect bloat, you can rule it out if you offer the dog a tasty treat and he accepts it? |
That's good to know b/c I always wonder what I should be looking for. Bad thing is, looking at those symptoms ...any of them should make you alarmed enough to head to the vet since they're symptoms of a 100 other things as well.  |
| I personally would NOT rely on that as a surefire way to test for bloat... maybe ask your vet what they think. I guess the thing with Panda was that even though her stomach had gotten big, she was not in distress nor throwing up. She was more than willing to eat (:roll:). Getting into kibble like that can be life threatening though.
A friend shared this bloat chart with me the other day (thanks Diane  )
http://www.swgdr.org/bloat_chart.pdf And this is a good symptom chart... I keep it on the fridge- http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm |
| Jaci,
Ali just posted that bloat chart on sheepie@yahoogroups. It's great! I suggest everyone copy it here and place it in your doggie emergency area. http://www.swgdr.org/bloat_chart.pdf |
| Aaah... I received the PDF file in an email. I searched bloat_chart.pdf so I could post a link. It can be found here too- http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bloat.htm
I thought it was great info 
There is additional info at the site above about first hand experiences with bloat- http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bloat2.htm |
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