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Bloating in dogs is dangerous; it happens when food, gas, or fluids get trapped in the dog’s stomach causing it to expand. Bloating is also known as GDV (Gastric dilatation and volvulus) and can prove fatal to dogs within a span of a few hours. Unlike in humans bloating in dogs needs very quick veterinarian intervention. Even mild bloat can prove fatal.

Bloating happens when the stomach gets twisted at both ends and blocks the flow of gas, liquids, food, and other contents from the stomach. It also blocks important veins that transport blood to and fro from the heart. Bloating disturbs the entire body mechanism of the dog.

Adult dogs between the age of 7 and 12 years are more prone to bloating than younger dogs. Male dogs bloat more than females. Bloating is more common in larger breeds with deep chests such as Great Dane, Saint Bernards, Weimaraners, German Shepherds.

Some signs of bloating are as follows:

1. Bloated abdomen – You can make out your dog’s bloated belly. However, you need to be extra careful if your dog is big because bloating in a big dog may not be immediately noticeable.
   
2. Excessive salivating – Dogs with serious bloat condition salivate profusely, so this is a red-alert.
   
3. Retching – The dog will retch but will not be able to vomit. Retching means to make the sound and movement of vomiting. You might see thick saliva coming out of your dog’s mouth. Retching is almost always a sign of a serious bloating condition.
   
4. Pain in abdomen – Upon touching the dog’s stomach, it experiences pain and whines.
   
5. Panting & Restlessness – Bloating causes acute discomfort to the dog so it becomes restless and might find it difficult to sit in one place. Often the dog will make pacing movements. This is an early warning sign.
   
6. Fast & difficult breathing – As the condition worsens, the lungs will get lesser space to expand, thus the dog will find it difficult to breathe. However, metabolic abnormalities and chemical imbalances also lead to difficulty in breathing.
   
7. Collapse – If the dog collapses then it is perhaps already too late to save it because this is the last stage.

Preventing Bloat

1. Bloating often happens when the dog eats its food very fast; this can happen when the dog is fearful, anxious, or nervous. Take as much care as possible to ensure that your pooch is calm while eating and chews its food properly. It is quite possible that if a dog is not fed adequate quantity of food it will get bloat because when it eats, it will try to grasp as much food as it can and will swallow it.
   
2. It is best to avoid heavy exercise after feeding. Take care that your dog has the right weight because overweight and underweight dogs are more prone to bloat.  
3. Feed the dog two or more meals a day. Feeding multiple meals a day in small quantities is better than feeding one big meal.
   
4. Ensure your dog is not stressed out or nervous. A happy and calm dog is less prone to experience bloat.
   
5. Raw bones are good for dogs because they strengthen the dog’s stomach muscles and prevent twisting that happens when the stomach bloats.
   
6. It is best not to use elevated feeding bowls because dogs that crane their necks to the ground take in less air than when they feed through elevated bowls.
   
7. Do not give human food and table scraps to your dog. Also, avoid food that is rich in carbohydrates. It is best to consult your vet about your dog’s diet.

What to do when your dog bloats

Rush your dog to the vet ASAP because bloating requires surgery. There is no way you can tackle this problem on your own. Any delay might result in the dog’s death. Bloating is a very serious situation and it not to be taken lightly.

Article Author: Manish Jaitly

Photo by leonides ruvalcabar on Unsplash

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Manish Jaitly

I am a dog lover and creator of this site. I am also the author of ‘Keep Sleeping Keep Missing- if only you knew’ (available on Amazon, Flipkart, Kobo, Google Store, etc.).

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