Bloat

[Alaskan]

I have a question about bloat. First I'll describe what happened and the reason why I think it was bloat but we never had the autopsy done.

Saturday night I fed cerberus (ten year old rottie) after putting him in his crate for the night. The next morning (sunday at eight thirty) I let him outside and put him in his dog run while we worked in the backyard. He began to drink his water like he normally does but soon after began gagging as if he was trying to vomit. I soon discovered he was bloating. His sides were rapidily getting huge, he was pacing and trying to hide in his doghouse then would come out pacing again so we rushed him to the emergency vet and the doctor took x rays immediatly then told mike he was dying and to unstable to make it through surgery. We put him to sleep.

I honestly don't remember if he drank his water fast like he has done for the last ten years or if he drank more later because the bowl was empty when I looked into the cage. Can a dog get bloat from drinking to much water to fast?

I thought bloat only came from eating to much food to fast and/or exercising to much afterward? I didn't know that excessive drinking could do it too.

The doctor said he probably had a torsion and part of it may've been due to his age.

[kimmee]

Alaskan, I am very sorry for your loss. I don't know much about bloat except what I read looking for info on seizures. I wish I could help!! I do know what it is to loose a dear friend. And for that I am so sorry. BTW, where in alsaka are you?? I used to live there and am planning to move back.

[Patty1231]

I am so sorry for your loss. I've never heard of bloat from excessive water drinking. Did he have anything to eat prior to drinking the water? Perhaps he had something brewing for awhile that finally took effect. In any case, he is at peace now and you did the right thing by not allowing his suffering to continue. Bless you and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

[moondog]

I lost a dog to bloat and she, too, blew up like a balloon right before our eyes and was too unstable for surgery...it's a terrible way for a dog to die and a horrible way to lose a friend.

You know, no one can say for sure what sets it off...my dog bloated about 1/2 hour after eating a normal meal. You dog may have been in the early stages of bloat first and then drinking to try and alleviate the discomfort, or maybe drinking a whole bowl of water triggered it. Did he usually drink large quantities of water in a short period of time like he did that day?

I'm so sorry.

[Alaskan]

Thank you. I just wish I could've done more or keep thinking maybe if I had only given him a very small amount of water I could've avoided his death.

We're army and we've been stationed in alaska twice in the last sixteen years (fort greely and fort wainwright). We filed for our residency while there the second time and go back every other year since we last left in 1999 for our wonderful seventy two hours inorder to keep our residency. We're hoping to get orders to go back this november. We should know by july where they're sending us. We are planning to settle down in the fairbanks or north pole area.

[Alaskan]

He always drank large amounts of water or whatever we gave him in the water dish rapidly ever since he was a pup.. He hadn't eaten at all for sixteen hours beforehand. He hadn't exercised excessively either when I let him out. He just walked around his pen then when I put his water in there he went straight to it as he always has done. He appeared to be fine when I took him out of his crate sunday morning and his sides were flat and he had a tuck up. Nothing unusual until he started gagging after drinking and then blew up to three times his size.

[targonrotts]

bloatcan happen by eating too much at one time,drinking too much,swallowing air while eating or drinking too fast,exercise right before or after eating.
it's more prevelant in large to giant dogs, especially deep chested dogs.and dogs that eat once a day.
i had one of mine bloat when he was 10.he had eaten as usual the night before, and in the morning, i found out my ex had given him 1/2 loaf of bread!!!
he was walking slow, trying to belch and drink water when i saw him looking distended.
i took him in, x rayed him, and he was bloated and starting to torse.
we first tubed him and got alot of food and water out.he went into surgery and had the loop and tack surgery done.he also had his spleen removed.he came out of surgery great.
he showed in veterans 6 weeks later.he lived to be 12 1/2.
bloat is an emergency.must be attended asap for best results.but it is a delicate condition.i got lucky.
so sad to hear about your loss.

[debbiej]

So sorry to hear of the loss of your boy. I've read and heard that no one really knows for sure exactly what the cause of bloat is, but everyone agrees it has about a 50% mortality rate. again, sending sympathy.

[luv2beanurse]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Bloat or GDV (Gastric Dilation-Volvulus) is where the stomach fills up with air and twists. There was a possibility of my dog having it, except untwisting soon after, making her asymptomatic. However, my vet says that the dog blows up like a balloon very quickly and sometimes tries to vomit with nothing coming up. Of what I have been told and ALL that I read, drinking too fast or eating too fast would not cause it. Also the mortality rate is so high even if surgery could have been performed. The spleen is also removed in surgery due to the spleen becoming damaged when the stomach twists. Unfortuately, there is not much to do with this diagnoses. Please know that it is not you fault. You could have not prevented it. I am so sorry again and it is truly a horrible way to lose your friend. I send out my prayers to you. Take care.

[targonrotts]

by eating or drinking toofast-is the gulped air that can contribute to bloat.
although like stated earlier,no one really knows what really causes/starts it.
but yes, it's a sad thing, and a very delicate thing.

[Alaskan]

I deeply appreciate all of your responses. I know NOW what to look for in my dogs so I can get them to the vet in minutes if I ever see any sign of it again. I won't even second guess what is happening.

It really puzzles me because I've never changed his feeding or watering patterns and NEVER let my dogs exercise immediatly after eating. I've read in one article bloat is suspected in some cases of being genetic but after reading what everyone has written on here I realize that sometimes it just happens and all we can do is rush our pets to the vet and hope for the best.

I do intend to get another rottie because there is a huge hole inside me where he had been and I NEED to get another one especially since they're so addictive after having had one.:)

Thank you all for your support and help in this difficult week. I knew I could count on you for answers and understanding.

[moondog]

I think there's a genetic predisposition and unless there's a family history of actual presentation, you just can't know it's there or what will trigger it. It's hard to fathom how fast the onset is until you have seen it with your own eyes. It sneaks up silently and just blasts with both barrels.

I'm sorry you've had to go through that with your dog, and I'm so very sorry for the loss of your 10 year old treasure. It is very hard to lose a dog you've come to know inside and out as he has come to know you, and especially hard without warning. When you decide to bring another Rottie home, I'm sure he'll be right there with you, helping.......

[rottcrazed]

We had to put our old girl down last Tuesday (one week today) because of bloat. Hers occurred in the middle of the afternoon after likely drinking too much water as well. Nothing to eat at all in 5 hours. We rushed her to the vet and the x-ray showed she was fully twisted.

My friend is the vet and she has a 12 year old Rott and told me that if it had been Dakota, she would not do surgery based on her age. I chose the hard choice, spent a few minutes with her, and let her go in my arms. It was devastating. We are planting a tree for her in our favorite park.
Murphy would have been 11 years old in August.

I thought I knew so much about how to prevent bloat, and took so many precautions, yet it was water. No food, no exercise, water. I had no idea. Murphy looked pregnant, so I knew right away what it was. I had seen her just a half of an hour before (we were outside in the backyard with the kids, puppies on a nice afternoon, Murphy was inside, sleeping so I thought).

I am so sorry for your loss. I know how painful it can be, just remember the dog he was and how he did live a full life and he was loved.

kristi

[BostonRott]

Originally Posted by Alaskan

I've read in one article bloat is suspected in some cases of being genetic but after reading what everyone has written on here I realize that sometimes it just happens and all we can do is rush our pets to the vet and hope for the best.

I am extremely sorry to hear this!! You did the best that you could, and it sounds like the outcome was not preventable, please don't be too hard on yourself.

As to what triggers bloat, there are a lot of theories. Studies were done at Purdue with a list of factors. Things like time between feeding/exercise and raised food bowls were NOT found to increase risk. I'm heading out for 24hrs for shift, but I'm sure someone on here could find the study for you.

As well, it is felt that a predisposition towards bloating runs in families/bloodlines. For this reason, I always ask breeders (when considering a puppy) if there is any known history of bloat in the pedigree. I would NOT buy a puppy from a pedigree with a history of bloat. Something to keep in mind for your future search.

[miccmill]

http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/pups.htm

I think this is the Purdue study Gretchen mentioned.