Pet Health And Care >> Articles >> Dog Diseases

Dog Bloating

Submitted by Michael Adams on March 10, 2010

Dog bloating, technically called Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), is a condition in which the stomach of a dog overstretches because of excessive gas caused when the dog swallows air, along with the food, and fluid it ingests. Volvulus or twisting occurs when the stomach swells up and twists between the esophagus and the duodenum. The stomach can rotate from 90 to 360 degrees.

Resultantly, air, food and water fail to escape from the stomach. Bloating can be a fatal condition as it blocks the veins in the abdomen and causes low blood pressure and trauma to internal organs. The owner would know that his dog suffers from bloating if he sees symptoms such as attempts to vomit, anxiety and restlessness, the dog hunching or crouching, if it has a tight abdomen, pale gums, and if there is an absence of digestive sounds in the guts.

There are other signs like heavy salivation, gagging, spitting foam, whining and pacing, licking the abdomen, weakness, a cold mouth, pulsating heartbeat, weak pulse, and the dog may even collapse.

Large dogs with deep chests, especially Great Danes, are at a greater risk of bloating. Other than this breed, the condition is also hereditary. Dogs that have narrow and deep chests will in most likelihood pass on the trait to their pups too; so the condition is to some extent hereditary. Age is another factor that causes GDV, affecting a dog his middle or old age. Additionally, male dogs are at a greater risk than female dogs to suffer from this condition. Apart from these, the greatest cause of dog bloating is the dog’s eating habits. A dog that is fed only once a day will have this problem more than a dog that is fed twice. Dogs that exercise right after eating or eat rapidly also suffer from bloating. Stress is also known to be a causative factor of dog bloating.

Canine bloating treatment includes elimination of the gas from the stomach with the help of stomach tube or an injection. Antibiotics may also be administered. After this, the vet would check if the dog has volvolus or not. Abdominal surgery is also performed to re-position the stomach and stitching the stomach in a way that it won’t twist again, if needed. The best ways to prevent canine bloating are feeding the dog twice or thrice a day, giving it ample water daily, but limited immediately after meals. also make it a point to avoid over exercising the dog one hour before and two hours after meals. The dog should be stress free and should be fed at floor level in a quiet location.

Pet Health Instructor

Dog Diseases