The technical name for bloat is “Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus”. Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air, although food and fluid can also be present. It usually happens when there’s an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach.
Stress can be a significant contributing factor, but it usually occurs in large dogs with deep ribcages. As the stomach swells, it rotates twisting between its fixed attachments. The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water and obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs. The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.
Learn more about bloat in dogs from globalspan.net.
Zelda is a quiet old granny from the Bogrov clinic. She is a large, 10-year old dog that we have been treating for Demodex menge before we put her with the other old dogs at the Nursery. Zelda arrived at the shelter as a skinny, bold skeleton. And she was a step away from death last week.
The day was just a normal at Bogrov when keeper Miro rushed to the vets “A dog from the clinic looks unwell!”. Our young vet d-r Melinda Breen ran to Zelda and found her breathing heavily, with a swollen, hard stomach, blue gums and trying to vomit unsuccessfully.
Melinda didn’t need much time to say “this is stomach bloat”. Our experienced vet d-r Stankova wasn’t at the shelter that day and Melinda had never performed such a surgery. Zelda had to be rushed to the central vet clinic where d-r Voykov saved her life. Our young vet d-r Breen was assisting at the surgery so she could perform it herself if ever necessary again.
Now Zelda is recovering at the shelter. We are extremely careful with her feeding as bloat patiend often get bleated again in the first months of surgery. Cross your fingers for her! And do read more about the condition if it’s unfamiliar to you. According to the US Veterinary Association bloat is second only to cancer in the death of dogs.