Canine Bloat - an Emergency that Can Kill Your Pet

Canine bloat, also known as gastric dilation, is the number one killer of several breeds of large dogs. Canine bloat is a painful disorder that sees the dog's stomach fill with gases that are unable to escape. Studies have shown that such large dog breeds as Great Danes, wolfhounds, Akitas, German Shepherds, greyhounds, bloodhounds, boxers, and Irish Setters are all at high risk for an episode of canine bloat. The condition is extremely dangerous, as thirty percent of the dogs that develop canine bloat die from it in a short time or have to be euthanized.

One quarter of canine bloat victims experience gastric dilation, where the stomach fills with gas and this increased pressure then compresses both ends of the stomach, allowing nothing in or out. Three quarters of the time, a condition called gastric volvulus occurs, where the stomach of the dog "flips" on itself. The stomach twists, cutting off any escape of gases, fluids, or food from either end. The trapped gases cannot get out, and they then expand, causing the excessive bloating associated with this condition which can be quickly fatal if the stomach ruptures. The twisted stomach can also obstruct veins in the abdominal region, resulting in low blood pressure, damage to organs, and shock. In addition, the stomach can have its own blood flow cut off and experience tissue death from lack of oxygen.

It takes very little time for a case of canine bloat to turn fatal, meaning you do not have a long time frame in which to react to this emergency, only an hour or two. One of the most comprehensive studies ever done on canine bloat identified various factors as being responsible for it. Dogs with deep and narrow chest cavities are most at risk, due to the fact that there is more room in their body for the stomach to move. Lean dogs had more problems with bloat than overweight ones, with the thinking behind this being that the lean dog has more room in its abdomen for the stomach to bloat and twist; the fat in an overweight canine takes up more space in this region, making it harder for the stomach to flip.