Bloating

[slleipnir]

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?

[EastJenn]

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.

[applesmom]

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.

[slleipnir]

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

[applesmom]

Yes that's good. Are her stools soft?

[slleipnir]

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

[applesmom]

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

[EastJenn]

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.