Yesterday our good friend Laura, from Amicamea Poodles sadly lost her Standard girl Phoebe to GDV.
Laura noticed the signs right away but sadly nothing could be done to save poor Phoebe, who sadly died despite the best efforts of the veterinary team, shortly after being operated on.
This post is not only a tribute to Phoebe - who was Laura's best friend, but also a reminder of the signs and symptoms to be aware of where GDV and Gastric Bloat are concerned.
What is Gastric Bloat?
This serious acute condition occurs when the stomach of a dog becomes filled with gas, which in turn puts pressure on the diaphragm and restricts breathing. The stomach expands like a balloon and becomes increasingly distended. This condition requires emergency veterinary treatment.What is GDV (Gastric Dilation Volvulus)?
This condition is also commonly known as Gastric Torsion and is even more serious than Gastric Bloat. As with bloat, the stomach becomes filled with gas and becomes distended, but it then twists cutting off inflow and outflow from the stomach.
Upto 40% of dogs affected from Gastric Bloat/GDV die, even after emergency treatment.
What are the Symptoms?
The symptoms for both of these conditions are the same, and can include:
* Gastric distention (swollen stomach)
* Vomiting/retching
* Difficulty breathing
* Excessive salivation
* Weakness/lethargy
* Restlessness
* Excessive burping/flatulence
* Rapid heart rate
If you suspect Gastric Bloat or GDV, take your dog to a Vet immediately.
How are these Conditions Treated?
To diagnose this condition a Vet may X-ray your dog's stomach and this will show any stomach distention. The below image shows just how distended the stomach can become.
The primary aim of any treatment administered by a Vet is to relieve the gas build up from the stomach. A Vet may pass a tube from the dog's mouth to their stomach to release the gas, or in more serious cases a syringe may be put through the dog's abdomen and into the stomach.
The dog can then be operated upon and the stomach twisted back into position. Sometimes a Vet will also carry out a Gastro-pexy; this is where the stomach is stitched to the abdomen in ordr to prevent it from twisting again.
What are the Risk Factors?
Certain factors can make a dog more predisposed to Gastric Bloat/GDV. These include but are not limited to:
* Breed
Deep, narrow chested breeds are more prone to bloat. Sadly Standard Poodles are one of these breeds. Generally, the deeper the chest the more prone a dog will be to these conditions. Great Danes for example have a 40% chance of being affected by Gastric Bloat/GDV, where Standard Poodles have only a 18% chance.
* Feeding dogs one meal daily
Scientific studies have shown that feeding dogs only one meal a day increases the risk of these conditions, therefore it is sensible to feed your dogs twice daily.
* Exercising too soon after feeding.
Exercising should be done no sooner than 2 hours after feeding.
* Gulping
If your dog is a gulper or is greedy, a slow feeing bowl can help slow them down, or placing a toy or ball in their bowl can help. Dogs who gulp their food are proven to be at higher risk of these conditions.
If you have more than one dog and they are competitive eaters, it is perhaps best to separate them at mealtimes, to stop them gulping.
* Feeding from raised bowls
Once accepted as the way to prevent these conditions, it has now been proven that raised bowls increase risk, therefore it is recommended that dogs are fed from the ground.
* Feeding poor quality foods
Poor quality kibbles will swell inside a dog's stomach and can increase the risk of these conditions. It is therefore of great import not to feed poor quality foods. Raw or cold pressed food does not swell in the stomach.
* Genetic Predisposition
There is likely to be a genetic predisposition to bloat, so if other dogs in your pet's lineage have had one of these conditions there is a slightly increased risk that your dog will develop it also. ( For those wondering Phoebe was not related to Edna or Striker! who is the sire of her puppies, in fact I have not found one recorded case of this in either line)
There is likely to be a genetic predisposition to bloat, so if other dogs in your pet's lineage have had one of these conditions there is a slightly increased risk that your dog will develop it also. ( For those wondering Phoebe was not related to Edna or Striker! who is the sire of her puppies, in fact I have not found one recorded case of this in either line)
Further Reading
More information on Gastric Bloat/GDV can be found by clicking on these links:
Dogs Naturally Magazine
Dogs Naturally Magazine
Run free sweet Phoebe.
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