Lost my 7 yr old to what we belive was bloat

[jennifernikki]

My name is jennifer, I am new to this site and I'm glad I found it.

We lost our dog, Max, 7 yr old German Shepherd, at 12:30am Wednesday morning. I'm in complete shock.

Tuesday around 7:30pm he was in the basement, just standing there w/ his head down & ears back. I kept calling him to come upstairs w/ me. but he just stared at me. I thought he either did something wrong or he had a tummy ache & was going to throw up & be all better.
I ran upstairs & told my husband i think we need to take him to the vet. My husabnd brushed it off. Around 9:00p, I thought I should take Max outside to play w/ him. I kept throwing his ball, trying to get him to play, nothing. So I brought out his leash & asked if wanted to go for a walk. No reaction. I put the collar on him. walked him about 3 houses.his head down, walking behind me. I took him home. again, told husband to take him, but he said we'll wait til the morning. (we also have a 17y/o CRF kitty that i had just taken to the vet that day & got a nice hefty vet bill & my husband had food poising.) I noticed Max was breathing heavy & couldnt get comfortable. Moving from one spot to another.I did notice his belly looked big too. Bloat was the 1st thing I thought of, but unfourtanly, I didnt know enough about it to know the symptoms, until now. My husband & I were about to go upstairs for the night at 12:20am. I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Max came in there, plopped his big self down by the back door & exhaled his last breath.

I thought maybe he had a heart attack, he a big dog, about 115lbs. but i did notice that he looked HUGE. The 24 hr emergency place didnt saying anything about cause of death. But I talked to our vet the next day & explained his symptoms & she's almost positive it was bloat. I'm in total shock. He was fine at 5:00pm. My kids & I had given him a big belly rub, could that have caused it? Im almost positive it did. I keep going over the whole evening in my head, trying to pin point when it happened. I'm kicking myself for not taking him into the vet the moment I noticed something was wrong. He just such a big dog, I don't think I couldve taken him myself. He lived to protect us & make us happy & I feel I failed him by not taking him in. This is the 1st time i've been w/o him in this house. I miss his circle dance everytime I walk thru the door.

If you have gotten this far, thank you for reading my story. Im trying to be strong for my kids but he was such a huge part of our family.

[Emoore]

So sorry to hear about Max. Unfortunately even the experts can't agree specifically on what causes bloat. If it makes you feel better, I don't believe belly rubs are on the list of causes. I've also lost a beloved pet suddenly and know how you feel. I'm so sorry.

[KSdogowner]

I am very sorry to hear about Max's passing. Hugs

[Rott-n-GSDs]

I am so very sorry for your loss.

There are many things that cause and are thought to cause bloated, but to my knowledge, tummy rubs are not one of them. In fact, one of the things we've done for excessive gassiness is to give a gentle rub.

It is thought that exercise too close to a meal is a leading cause of bloat. Another thought is an all dry diet can be a risk factor, as well as wetting down certain kinds of food. Elevated feeders are said to prevent bloated, but there are studies that suggest they can actually cause it.

Finally, genetics likely play a big role. Some dogs are just at a higher risk. I believe my Rottweiler is genetically predisposed to bloat, so I take measures to prevent it. He is fed a raw diet with a digestive enzyme, he doesn't get exercised 2 hours before or after he eats, and is watched carefully after a meal. I'm considering a preventative gastropexy, which basically racks the stomach so it won't flip if he does bloat.

We also are very familiar with the signs. The first ones with Apollo are lethargy, drooling, and licking the air. When he starts that, we give him soda crackers, Gas X strips, and apply pressure to the accupressure point (on the rear leg just above where it bends). We then rush immediately to the e-vet, provided he isn't already better. (he usually excels gas or belches with the accupressure point). He has had a handful of bloat scares and one 90 mph trip to the vet. Luckily, he was fine when we arrived.

Again I'm sorry for your loss. This is a lesson to us all... know the signs of bloat and act immediately. Bloat kills quickly.

[BR870]

We lost my big male Kai to bloat. Very similar story. First he was fine, then that night he was acting like his stomach was bugging him. I brushed it off, because well you know, dogs get stomach things sometimes. My wife finds him dead...

I'm sorry for your loss. I understand how horrible it feels, and how it makes you second guess yourself...

[jocoyn]

I am so sorry for your loss. Nothing can console you but I hope it reminds others that when a GSD starts showing any behavior like this that a run to the dog ER is not an over reaction.

[frillint1]

Oh my I am so sorry for you loss! It made me cry reading that, because I know how I am because I overreact sometimes and it my bf always brushes it off. I have heard of bloat, but never knew the symptoms I will look it up now.

[jennifernikki]

thank you everyone for your condolences. I really wish I wouldve known more about bloat before it was too late. Unfortunately it was a lesson learned. i encourage everyone, even non GSD owners to look up as much info as they can. Hopefully I will never have to deal w/ this in my future dog(s), but if I do, I'll know what to do.

[Miss Molly May]

I am sorry to hear about Max RIP big boy!

[DharmasMom]

I am so sorry about your Max. Even the thought of bloat scares the **** out of me. I am forever watching my girls for signs of it. I even bought Dharma pet insurance one night after a scare. Luckily she did not have it and Gas-X helped her with what was just a bit of gas. RIP Max, run free at the bridge.