Re: Help needed with bloat
Finally found the email I sent out to friends after Serena bloated:
Melinda & Jay wrote:
None of this is meant as a substitute for advice from your vet. It is a collection of all that I have learned since Serena bloated.
PLEASE feel free to forward, or to contact me if you feel I have written something that is incorrect/
~Melinda
Here is the Serena story:
In hindsight, she wasn't really acting herself the night before, at bedtime, but we chalked it up to sulking about Keagen. Everyone's nose is a little out of joint over him right now.
Feb 9th, Jay fed everyone about 6:15. He left at 7, and I got up shortly thereafter for a bit, then went back to bed until 10ish. (Boy, I needed that!). Remy was uncrated in the house. After I got up for good, I was checking emails, and heard her gagging and licking. I thought she had yacked a little water and was "recycling" it as dogs sometimes do. I heard her continue to lick, and looked-she was licking the floor of her crate rather obsessively. Still not thinking about bloat, I let her and Halle out of their crates. I noticed she was chubby, and made a mental note to remind Jay that the new food is much more calorie-dense, and to not feed her as much. She was now licking the carpet and gagging a little. I let the girls and Remy out to potty. She immediately began licking snow. Ok, NOW I am thinking about bloat. Ran in, googled to confirm, called the vet and told them I was on my way in. I paged Jay with a 911page, so I could fill him in. By this time, her abdomen was quite distended, and painful to touch-for her and I!
Crated Remy and Halle and left. Oh, and on the way out, literally, she did vomit. Partially inside, partially outside, and part on the door frame. I used wad of papertowels to clear off the door frame, and left it to deal with when I got back.
They immediately took her back for Xrays, she did have gastric dilatation, but had not yet torsed. He offered options:
Send her home on Reglan, and schedule surgery for next wk.
Either keep her until 3, or have me bring her back at 3 for repeat Xrays, then send her home on Reglan, and schedule surgery for next wk.
Or, as he looked back and forth between the film and the clock, he said, "we can do it now, and be done with it."
I voted for #3, which he did also say was what he would do if she were his. The gastropexy won't prevent the dilatation part of bloat, but will prevent, or at least decrease the chance of, the volvulus.
The evening of the surgery, she was very loagy and very out of sorts, understandably so!
Her incision is quite long, as to be expected. He had to give her more of the anesthetic than would be normal for a dog of her size, she really fought the anesthesia. That's our tankgirl! She actually was soooo loagy that we ended up having to walk her and syringe her with water every 1/2 hr to help her to clear the anesthesia. By the next day, she was sore, but more like herself. She's been back for 2 rechecks, each time she astounds the vet and the staff. She goes in midweek to get her sutures out.
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Bloat, Torsion, or Gastric Dilatation/Volvulus (GDV)
Made up of 2 steps
Step 1 is the Gastric Dilatation. At this time, the stomach itself is distended (or stretched). May be distended with food, water, air, or combination of all. At this point, decompression can be done, and surgery may/may not be decided upon.
Next step is the volvulus. Because of the location and position of the stomach in a dog, when it expands to a certain extreme point, it will twist. This twisting will eliminate the ability for the situation to remedy itself. It also will result in a cutoff of bloodflow to the stomach itself, and to the heart. The dog who has developed a volvulus will rapidly deteriorate and WILL die without immediate medical attention.
Symptoms
Pacing, fidgeting.
Acting agitated or uncomfortable
Salivating, panting, whining
Licking weird things, almost obsessively. May even lick the air. (You will know it when you see it!)
Unsuccessful attempts to vomit, retching
Excessive drooling, usually accompanied by retching noises. May vomit foam/mucous.
Difficulty breathing, shallow breathing, panting
Rapid heartrate
Pale gums, or very red gums
Swelling in abdominal area (may or may not be noticeable)
Hunching up
May try to gulp water, snow, dirt, rocks, grass.
IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE, CALL YOUR VET AS YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR!!!! The first words out of your mouth on the phone should be “I think my dog is bloating.” Do not let them put you off.
Risk factors
Deep-chested breeds (GSDs, Danes, Saints, Labs, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Pyrenees, Boxers, Weims)
Raised dishes result in an 110% INCREASE in risk of bloat! (Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs )
Feeding some canned food or table scraps seems to lessen the incidence.
Previous history, or family history.
Fast eaters. (If you have a gulper, try scattering the kibble on the floor.)
Tense/fearful/anxious dogs
Underweight dogs
Males more likely than females
Food containing citric acid, or food with fat in top 4ingredients.
Large volumes of kibble. (i.e., less calorie dense foods)
Treatment
The immediate treatment is decompression of the stomach. The vet will do this, or if you feel confidant in your abilities, you can find the instructions/supply list online.
Gastropexy can be done. There are several methods to do this, each with pros/cons. Only your vet can decide which is the optimal choice. Gastropexy does not prevent the bloat from occurring, but will prevent the dilatation.
Without surgery there is a 24% mortality rate and a 76% chance of re-bloating at some point. The best choice is to finish the treatment that has been started and have the abdomen explored. If the stomach can be surgically tacked into place, recurrence rate drops to 6%. {Marvista Vet }
Prevention
NO exercise around mealtimes. (1hr before, 2hrs after) Light walking is okay, and may increase gastric motility. (That’s a good thing.)
Limit water intake right around meals, and also around exercise. Don’t limit their water intake except around mealtimes/exercise.
Feed several smaller meals rather than 1 larger one.
It is possible that administering simethicone (Phayzyme, Gas-X) at first sign of abdominal discomfort MIGHT buy you some time. It does NOT eliminate the need to seek emergency medical attention!
Possible prevention:
1-2 Tbs of Aloe Vera Gel or 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar given right after each meal to promote proper acidity
Yogurt or supplemental acidophilus to promote healthy bacteria in the gut.
