Bloat in Dogs
A lot of people do not know about bloating in dogs—and few of us are fortunate to get the necessary information to help us when our dogs are suffering from this ailment. Vets tell us that gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), or bloat, as it is commonly called, is a life-threatening condition that primarily occurs in large, deep-chested breeds of dogs. Some pet owners may be relieved somewhat if they should have a smaller breed of animal, such as a cocker spaniel, and think they should not be too concerned. This is not the case. Examples of these large breeds include Dobermans, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Greyhounds, and any type of Setter. However, bloat can occur in any breed of dog. Just remember to pay close attention to your dog’s chest area. Bloat occurs when air, fluid or foam accumulates abnormally in the stomach, causing it to expand. This may or may not be accompanied by a twisting of the stomach. If the stomach twists on itself it is a case of GDV, according to vet professionals. Dilatation of the stomach by itself is not a life-threatening condition, but when GDV occurs it is an emergency situation and the prognosis for your dog is extremely guarded. Only about 50% of dogs diagnosed with GDV survive. No one knows exactly what causes bloat, but there are some theories on how to prevent it. It is recommended that you feed your dog multiple small meals throughout the day rather than one large meal, as well as not letting him eat or drink too much within one hour of exercise. Even some smaller breeds of dogs become more vulnerable as some of them like to eat large meals. Bloat occurs at a fast rate. Signs of bloat include an obviously expanded stomach, repeated unsuccessful attempts to vomit, drooling, and general abdominal discomfort. This is usually evidenced by pacing and general restlessness. The abdomen will feel like a drum. If this occurs in your dog, rush him to a veterinarian immediately! This is a potentially life-threatening situation that can only be resolved by immediate veterinary intervention. Pet owners should check with their vets for further information on their pets' general health; many of the important points above were obtained from vet professionals who are used to seeing many different kinds of pets and providing information to assist pet owners. To continue to read more articles and tidbits of information on pet health and pet care, go to www.soulcast.com/limoore. Author lives in Illinois; loves animals, cats, dogs. |
Other Articles
The 10 Most Popular Cat Breeds There are about 100 million pet cats in the Western world. The most popular is a combination of different breeds - the domestic shorthaired cat. The Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) holds the largest registry of pedigree cats in the world. A pedigree is the product of two parents from the same breed.Let's take a look at the top ten most ...Green Anole Information & Care (Anolis carolinensis) General InformationGreen anoles are the most commonly seen of the anole lizards in captivity. They are regularly exported from Florida and surrounding states. They are cheap to buy, but contradictory to popular belief are actually not ideal for a beginner. Green anole lizards are temperamental to their surroundings, and require ...Felix Takes A Holiday One day last week our cat Davie started acting strangely.He looked as if he was keeping guard and refused to move out of the way, so I looked into the room more closely and found the reason for his behaviour. There, stretched out asleep on one of our chairs, was a gorgeous marmalade cat.As I got closer, our visitor woke up and rais ...Birds - How To Tell If Yours Is Sick In this article we're going to discuss how to tell if you've got a sick bird on your hands.Unlike people, birds can't tell you when something hurts or they just feel like garbage. So how do you tell when your bird is under the weather?Most sick birds get that way because of poor nutrition and stress. Poor nutrition is more from w ...How To Stop Your Cat Spraying The cat backs up to the door, lifts the tail and releases a fine spray of urine. Yes, your cat is spraying. You have a problem. But one you can solve.Figures from the British Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors say that aggression in dogs and marking behavior in cats are the biggest behavior problems in the UK pet population.S ...Ringworm In Pets Ringworm – Ewww! Just the name conjures up images of a long worm weaving a ring under your skin. In fact, ringworm is not a worm at all, it is actually caused by a fungus which is highly contagious.In humans, ringworm is a ring shaped red rash on the skin, but in your pet it can look like most anything. A common human form of ringworm ...Children and Dogs – Preparing for Baby Having a baby? Then the issue of children and dogs is of special import for you now, as the information of the fear of dogs, aggression dog dominance, and news reports of dog attacks on children emphasize. Here is help.A conversation and concern that regularly takes place in homes all across the country today is … "I am going to have a ...A Beginner's Guide in Choosing a Bearded Dragon Lizard Bearded dragons are from the reptile family that may be excellent home pets. They are commonly docile although their appearance may appear otherwise. Sometimes they seem as if they even enjoy being handled and like to take baths or dips in the water. As they are awake during the day and asleep in the night, their owners can enjoy watching them. ...3 Phases All Dog Training Follows All dog training follows 3 phases. This goes for positive methods, force methods, or a combination of both, these three phases apply to them all.They are:1. The Learning Phase. 2. The Correction Phase. 3. The Proofing (or distraction) PhaseLet's look at how these three items link together for for a solid training process. ...The Best Dog Training Books Why is it that my neighbor can't seem to figure out that when he locked his untrained puppy and goes off to work all day that the dog does nothing to bark, bark and bark. What an idiot, a neighbor I mean, not that the dog. I don't blame the little puppy, how is he supposed to know better? He barks out of loneliness, out of frustration, out of a ...Dalmatian Dog Training Tips Dalmatian training programs are designed to suit the dog's natural characteristics of a companion dog. Dalmatians seek affection but only from the people they trust – and they tend to take a while before trusting strangers. As with any dog breed, personality differences can be noticed with Dals – some area easier to train, some will give you a h ...Which One of These Four Dog Training Mistakes are You Making? Dog training is extremely important for dog owners and should not be taken for granted.This article will cover four (4) common mistakes do-it-yourself trainer's make and their solutions.Four important dog training mistakes to avoidMistake #1: Not being consistent.Consistent training is a must if you expect to e ...Dog Obsessive Behavior - Digging Dog Obsessive compulsive dog behavior such as chasing tail, digging dog, and barking dog can drive you to distraction, but the dangers to your dog are ever deeper than that. What at first might appear to be dog instinctive behavior by your pup could grow into much more if it becomes a "filler" of his time and energy, a preoccupation, a frequent dis ...Saltwater Aquariums And The Challenge To Maintain Them Saltwater aquariums are intended to be used to keep marine fish, and tend to be more challenging to maintain than freshwater aquariums. This is due to saltwater aquariums supporting a more complex ecosystem, which need more patience and expertise to master. Usually the saltwater aquariums are constructed of glass or acrylic and include biologica ...Pet Insurance Few are aware that animals now have coverage to protect them from various diseases, injuries and so forth. Pet insurance has been around for some time, helping dogs, horses, cats, and other types of pets. The policy assists the owners financially, thus saving them steep expenses when visiting the Vet. Pet insurance in contrast is similar to Heal ...Animal Hospitals Animal hospitals are hospitals that provide veterinary care for sick or injured pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and small mammals. The doctors specializing in animal medicine are known as veterinarians. These hospitals include 24 hour emergency veterinary services in addition to surgical, standard medical and dental veterinary care. They a ...Leaving Pets Alone for Long Periods The time always comes when two-legged beings must leave their pet or pets behind as they venture out into the world. The adventures may be trips, vacations, or a long-hours shift at wok that mean pets can’t go, too. So how long is too long for a pet to be left alone? What can a person do to be sure a pet doesn’t suffer ill effects?When my ...The Southern Black Mouth Cur The southern tier of the Eastern United States is a popular hunting area for big game such as wild boar and black bears. Throughout these states there are a number of regional areas where particular breeds are or have been developed and have built a reputation for their formidable hunting skills. Among these breeds is the legendary Black Mouth ...Puggle: This "Designer Dog" Is All The Rage! What in the world is a puggle?One fine day a pug was off gallivanting around when he came across a spirited little beagle, their eyes met and well.... the rest is history!Puggles are part of a new trend of “designer dogs”- like the schnoodle and the cockabiche. They are popping up in more places and are receiving m ...A Diet Of A Small Bird Thanks to hospiterization, my Kozakurainko(love bird) lost his weight constantly,and resulted in good health condition, yes, the result is all right.But I must keep his weight less than the weight at present.If he again gained weight, I should take him to the hospital again because of liver dysfunction. How can I keep his weight w ...How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business Everyday someone asks me, “How do you start a pet-sitting business?” I try to answer their question succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting business, or any business is not always a succinct process. Following are 21 tips that I know can lead to pet-care business success in any economy.1. Accept what you don’t know. Not every ...How To Become A Dog Trainer If you want to become a dog trainer, there are many professional organizations that will help you get the information you need. There are few different types of dog training schools. The type you choose depends on how you want to take the course. If you want to stay at home, there are online courses you can take. This type of course involves ...Do I Really Need Pet Insurance? Pet owners are at serious risk of underestimating the time and expense that having a sick or injured pet can have on their lives as fees for vets are expected to continue to rise by 20 per cent over the next three years.It has been estimated that 40 per cent of the cost of owning a dog goes towards unexpected vet's visits and that only 12 ...Identity Theft Hurts Pets, Consumers and Businesses Regarding the FTC VS. Petco case? What is the FTC Thinking? Attacking victims of crimes? Outrageous attack on American Business. If this is any fore shadowing of things we can expect from the FTC in 2005?Public Comment: “In the Matter of Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.; File No. 032 3221”Dear Sirs, This letter was made of my own free w ...The Joy of Having a Parrot Pet Because of their impressive nature, people buy parrots to become their pet on pet stores on impulse. Popular choices are amazons, macaws, and cockatoos because of their adorable traits and characteristics.But, better be careful in choosing and buying parrot pets on impulse because caring for them can be an overwhelming and stressful task ...Maine Coon Cats We love our pets don’t we? Choosing the right family pet is a serious project. The pet you choose will be part of the family for years to come and will likely always be remembered. For children, a pet is an important part of their life. They learn a lot from pet ownership, including responsibility, caring for others, relationship skills, and mor ...
|