Last June, Portland residents Annette Marie and Christian Joly noticed something amiss with their male standard poodle, Charlie.
“He ate really fast and his stomach immediately blew up like there was a bowling ball in it,” says Annette Marie Joly, president of Capers Cafe & Catering Co.
Charlie tried to throw up, but only bile came out.
If there’s a plus side to Charlie getting sick, it’s that the Jolys recognized his symptoms right away - they had seen them before with their previous standard poodle, Chanel.
They immediately took Charlie to DoveLewis Emergency Hospital, where he was diagnosed with and treated for gastric dilatation and volvulus, also known as gastric torsion or bloat.
What is GDV/bloat?
The painful condition occurs in a two-step process, says Dr. Michael Flynn of Cascade Veterinary Referral Center in Tigard.
The stomach first becomes distended or bloated, either from food after a large meal, air or fluid.
Then, for reasons that aren’t entirely understood, the stomach begins to twist on itself (that’s the “volvulus” part).
It becomes more distended from gases produced within the stomach or fluid from surrounding tissues, but the twisted stomach prevents anything from going into or out of it.
“There are a whole lot of ways that dogs can succumb to GDV,” Flynn says. “There’s a lot of stuff going on, and it’s all bad.”
For one thing, the stomach may get so large that it pushes against the diaphragm and interferes with the dog’s ability to breathe.
He may develop cardiac arrthymia or a clotting disorder known as disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Without circulation, parts of the stomach or spleen may die off and need to be removed.
Circulation between the abdomen and the heart can also get cut off in the process.
“In large part, that’s what they end up dying from - the shock of not having enough blood returning to the heart,” says Dr. Ladan Mohammad-Zadeh of DoveLewis, where veterinarians treated just over 100 bloat cases last year.
Signs and symptoms
Left untreated, dogs will die of bloat in a matter of hours, so noticing the symptoms early on is critical.
Dogs may try to throw up or go to the bathroom, but they’re unable to do either, although they may drool excessively or vomit foam.
They also may seem anxious or restless, getting up and sitting back down repeatedly.
“It’s very common to see it at two different times of day,” Mohammad-Zadeh says.
Since it often happens in the middle of the night when owners are sleeping, they may not notice it until first thing in the morning when they wake up.
“The other time we see it happening is at dinnertime,” she says. “People have been gone all day and they come home to see their dog collapsed or just retching and nothing’s coming out.”
If you see any of these symptoms, you should take your dog to your veterinarian or a veterinary emergency clinic immediately.
“With something like this, you can never, ever be too careful,” Mohammad-Zadeh says. “The longer you wait, the more complications you’re going to have during and after surgery.”
The condition is easily diagnosed with an X-ray.
During the surgery (which can range from $1,500 to $7,000, depending on where you go and how much hospitalization is required), veterinarians will decompress the stomach to relieve gas and fluid pressure. Then they’ll untwist the stomach and return it to its normal position.
If any stomach or spleen tissues are dead, they’ll remove those as well. (Chanel, the Jolys’ previous dog, lost her spleen).
In order to prevent the stomach from twisting again, veterinarians can perform a gastropexy, in which a portion of the stomach is surgically attached to the abdominal wall.
Without it, there’s a good chance that the stomach will twist again (this procedure won’t prevent the dog from bloating, however).
This procedure can also be done as a preventive measure for at-risk dogs.
Large breeds with deep, narrow chests such as Great Danes, Saint Bernards and Irish wolfhounds, seem more predisposed to bloat, as are dogs with a family history of it.
Performing the gastropexy for these dogs when they’re getting spayed or neutered as puppies is a good time to do this, says Dr. Shawn Thomas of Tanasbourne Veterinary Emergency in Beaverton.
Thomas, who treats several cases of GDV each month, says he sees it occur more often in dogs over the age of seven.
Other potential risk factors include: eating one large meal per day; dry food; eating rapidly; exercising right before or after a meal; drinking lots of water around mealtime; and stress.
Abruptly changing your dog’s diet may or may not also play a role, Flynn says. Generally speaking, with any dog it’s a good idea to make dietary changes gradually, over four or five days.
Ultimately, if you suspect your dog may be suffering from bloat, you should call your veterinarian immediately or take your dog straight to a veterinary emergency clinic.
As for Charlie, he sailed through the surgery with flying colors – all organs still intact –and has made a full recovery.
“He seems to have lost a little bit of his energy,” says Joly, who works to educate other standard poodle owners about bloat, “but he goes like a trooper.”
Signs and symptoms of GDV (bloat):
- Large, distended stomach
- Excessive drooling
- Nonproductive vomiting or vomiting foam
- Restlessness or inability to get comfortable
Ways to prevent GDV:
- Feed dogs smaller meals two or three times per day, rather than one large meal.
- Don’t allow your dog to drink large amounts of water in one sitting.
- Limit water access close to meal time.
- Avoid excitement or exercise between one to two hours before and after meals.
- Include wet food in your dog’s diet (ask your veterinarian about this first).
- If you own a large-breed dog with a deep, narrow chest, such as a Saint Bernard, Irish setter or Great Dane, consider a preventive gasotropexy procedure.