Bloating

Hi there ... I know I don't post very regularly here, but I couldn't not post anything on this topic. About three weeks ago, my female Great Dane, Kiden, bloated and underwent torsion surgery. Her symptoms were not incredibly severe, as I had always suspected bloat would present itself. Instead, she was generally uneasy, panting, drooling, and very tight in her abdomen. Until the time we got to the vet, she was still passing gas and not in a severe amount of pain. That was the point of the whole episode where she was only bloated, rather than experiencing torsion.

Her stomach started to turn not long after we got to the vet. Once this happens, you have a VERY small amount of time to get treatment. We were quite lucky that we didn't take any chances and took her in when we did. Her prompt treatment made surgery and recovery easy compared to many that I have heard of, and we have her here still today with us.

I may be paranoid, but what you're describing to me sounds like bloat. I would not take any chances with it. Your vet will be able to tell relatively easily if she has just eaten something that doesn't agree with her, or if it is an emergency. I would give her a dose of anti-gas meds if you have it handy, and get her checked out ASAP.

Again, I apologize if I am just being overly paranoid, but bloat and torsion are very quick, very scary, and very deadly. I hope everything turns out well for her, and I'll keep you and her in my thoughts and prayers.

The problem is, it's 12am...

How do you know when their stomachs turn?? How do you tell if it's bloated from food, or bloated from having this problem? How long does it take from the time she bloats till the time her stomach turns?

The biggest indicator that a dog's stomach has already turned is lack of blood flow. The dog's legs will get cold. Their gums will start to turn lighter pink, then white. They won't be able to swallow at all, so the amount of drool will become excessive. If untreated, these symptoms will worsen until the dog loses conciousness and eventually dies.

There is no real answer to how quickly a dog can go from bloat to complete torsion. Some dogs progress within a matter of minutes ... some a few hours.

Is there anyway your vet would work on a payment plan for her if she needs to be seen? I can tell you that our dog was at the vet's office for a total of four days after surgery. They didn't ask for any money upfront, so that gave us a few days to pull funds together. It may be worth a call just to describe the symptoms to your vet, and see what they suggest. I don't want to scare you, but it is definitely a better safe than sorry situation.

There is also a website with an accupressure point that helps to relieve pressure in the stomach. You may want to try this in the meantime as well:

http://www.iwane.org/A_P.htm

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I'm more than happy to help.

Do you have an emergency animal clinic that you can call? They will be able to ask you vitally important questions and to tell you exactly what symptoms to look for. By talking to them you can get your answers in minutes rather than waiting for responses on a discussion board.

Even if you don't have an EAC nearby, a clinic in another town can answer your questions.

She just had a poo....that's good, right??

Yes that's good. Are her stools soft?

Well that means something has moved through there. Our dog did poop once before surgery, and even twice after surgery, when she hadn't eaten in days. So food can stay in there a while.

I'm with applesmom ... call your vet's after hours number, or an emergency clinic. They'll be able to talk you through what is going on at this minute, and what actions you need to take if any.

Good luck, I'm still thinking of you both. I hope everything turns out okay.

I don't know...I was inside. It seemed to be solid though if that's what you mean

If she's simply bloated from overeating her stools will most likely be soft.

Still waiting. It's now 2am. I'm too worried to sleep. I feel that as soon as I sleep, something will happen. I'll stay up all night if I need to. She seems a little uncomfortable, but isn't showing any signs..I can hear her belly making nosies from here (she is on the other side of the room) I don't know what that means though...

Audrey, I don't have any advice, but I hope that Josie will be ok. Thinking of you both!

I hope she'll be allright too. Did you call the EAC?

No I didn't. If I see any signs I will. She seems to be ok...it's now 5am and I haven't slept at all so I could keep an eye on her. I'll take her to the vet first thing if it hasn't gone down any.

How is she?

I've been thinking about you and Josie. I hope she's doing well this morning.