Stress, Boarding & Bloat

When we first got Jet -- my childhood black lab -- from the pound, his eyes were not so much pleading, as full of fear. He had a clear history of abuse and neglect, and was such a nervous creature that a year after taking him home we were hardly able to touch his nose without a snap! Since I was a kid, I was able to spend hours every day with him, investing the time he needed to trust humans again. After a few years, he finally let me stroke his paws and his ear-tips. Like even the most adventurous human, he needed a calming, consistent environment, a sure sense of home.

When I was twenty, my parents moved to Chicago and took Jet with them. When they went out of town they boarded Jet at a kennel in the city. This made me incredibly nervous, since Jet was a biter and did not like other dogs, and I knew the kennel kept him caged pretty much at all times. I just could imagine him barking for days on end (he would bark so much his voice would get hoarse) - and my parents were away for two weeks.

And yes, he died of Bloat in there. I don't mean to be alarmist, but I have a strong feeling that it was the stress of being boarded in a kennel that triggered the attack.

I got a call early in the morning - Jet had exhibited severe signs of "dyspnea", the night before -- ie shortness of breath generally associated with accumulation of fluid in the lungs or chest cavity. It's kind of a gasping which leads the whole body to heave as the dog tries to catch some air. Very normal, but occasionally, it's an indication of a more serious condition....

Turned out to be a symptom of GDV, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, otherwise known as Bloat. Bloat can occur in two stages: gastric dilatation (swelling of the stomach from gas); or, gastric dilatation with volvulus, i. e., torsion, which occurs when the stomach twists on its axis. Often, both forms of bloat occur in a single episode with the second form quickly following the first. Jet would either need immediate surgery, or to be put to sleep before he suffered full-on torsion.

Most canine diseases (e. g., cancer, hip dysplasia, etc.) progress over weeks, months or even years - the owner has time to notice that his/her dog is not  well, to take the dog to the vet, and to begin a course of treatment. But bloat is fatal within minutes. The only treatment is emergency medical attention, and once stomach swelling occurs, without or without torsion, the only treatment is surgery.

Jet had suffered through the stomach swelling, and the torsion was on its way at any moment. Jet was seventeen years old, arthritic, and it wasn't even likely that he would make it through surgery, due to his old age... So I made the call to have him put to sleep. I felt good about the decision because I knew he was suffering a lot of pain at that stage of his life. But I did not feel good about the fact that he died in that kennel, away from us, all alone! Since I lived in a different city, I never saw him again.

PREVENTION

Avoid highly stressful situations if your dog is at high-risk. Make meals a peaceful,stress-free time. For instance: Keep your dog as calm as possible throughout visits to the vet, mating, whelping, introducing a new dog into a household, changing routine...

Just as important - if you're worried that bloat could afflict your dog, a change in diet and eating habits could set you at ease. (Check out the previous entry, on the topic of Raw Food).

DO:

*Feed 2 or 3 meals daily, instead of just one

*Feed your dog more than an hour before or after drinking water

*Feed your dog more than an hour before or after exercising

*Keep a product with simethicone (e.g., Mylanta Gas (not regular Mylanta), Phazyme, Gas-X, etc.) on hand to treat gas symptoms, to buy time on the way to the vet

*Allow access to fresh water at all times, except before and after meals

*When switching dog food, do so gradually (allow several weeks)

*Feed a high-protein (>30%) diet, particularly of raw meat

*If feeding dry food, select one that includes rendered meat meal with bone product among the first four ingredients

*Reduce carbohydrates as much as possible (e.g., typical in many commercial dog biscuits)

*Feed adequate amount of fiber (for commercial dog food, at least 3.00% crude fiber)

*Add an enzyme product to food (e.g., Prozyme)

*Introduce herbs specially mixed for pets that reduce gas

*Promote an acidic environment in the intestine; try 1 Tbs of organic apple cider vinegar right after each meal

*Promote "friendly" intestinal bacteria, e.g. from supplemental acidophilus

 DO NOT: 

*DO NOT use an elevated food bowl  (110% risk increase)
*DO NOT feed dry food exclusively
*DO NOT feed your dog foods that contain fat as one of the first four ingredients
*DO NOT feed your dog foods that contain citric acid
*DO NOT add water to dry food - in particular, do not pre-moisten dry food containing citric acid
*DO NOT feed dogs food with brewer's yeast, alfalfa, and soybean products *DO NOT permit your dog to roll over after eating (a possibe cause of torsion)
*DO NOT permit rapid eating or drinking Non-dietary risk factors: 

Deep-chested dogs are the breeds at greatest risk. There is a 170% risk increase for each unit increase in chest depth/width ratio. Further, there is a 63% risk increase if your dog had a first-degree relative with Bloat, and a 20% risk increase for each year increase in age. They include, in order of greatest risk:

*Great Dane
*St. Bernard
*Weimaraner
*Irish Setter
*Gordon Setter
*Standard Poodle
*Basset Hound
*Doberman Pinscher
*Old English Sheepdog
*German Shorthaired Pointer
*Newfoundland
*German Shepherd
*Airedale Terrier
*Alaskan Malamute
*Chesapeake Bay Retriever
*Boxer
*Collie
*Labrador Retriever
*English Springer Spaniel
*Samoyed
*Dachsund
*Golden Retriever
*Rottweiler
*Mix
*Miniature Poodle

SYMPTOMS

*Excessive salivation/drooling
*Extreme restlessness/pacing
*Unproductive attempts to vomit/defecate. Note: If your dog throws up, s/he probably does not have bloat.
*Hunched up appearance
*Lack of normal gurgling and digestive sounds in the tummy (put your ear to your pup's tummy)
*Evidence of abdominal pain (whining and tenderness in the stomach area)
*Abdominal distension
*Rapid breathing/panting
*Cold/pale mouth membranes
*Collapse


IN AN EMERGENCY

• Make sure you have access to an emergency clinic that KNOWS how to diagnose bloat and torsion. Have the phone number handy and a plan of attack worked out with your vet or a back up vet. 
• Insist on an x-ray when in doubt.
• Time is of the essence.

If your dog has a high chance of having bloat and you feel confident that you understand your dog's biology, prepare a Bloat Kit.These are things to keep on hand just in case - talk to your vet and get full instructions for use, ahead of time. Recommended Bloat Kit Contents:

1. Instructions for Bloat Kit use (ask your Vet for details)
2. Stethoscope (to listen for gurgling in the belly - if there's gurgling, your dog's probably alright)
3. Rolls of tape (3 rolls, 1 in. x 10 yd)
4. Stomach tube (2) (different diameters). 5 ft. length beveled at one end, with two holes drilled in tube 2 & 3 inches up from the beveled end. Pre-measured and marked for each dog in household.
5. 14 gauge or larger needles (2) (1 1/2" to 3" length)
6. K. Y. jelly
7. Gas absorbent (Digel, GasEase, etc - be careful with this one - some human meds are not at all ok for dogs, and also make sure you give the proper dose when using human over-the-counter medications)

 First Aid when torsion occurs:

If your dog is at risk for bloat, ask your vet to demonstrate First Aid, which basically consists of feeding a tube into your dog's stomach, without forcing it down.

• If you are about to have any problems with the technique, don't waste time trying to figure it out--get the dog to the hospital!!! 
• If you can realistically expect to receive veterinary treatment within 5 to 10 minutes, call the veterinarian and go--don't bother with first aid! 

On the other hand, if you think it'll take at least 20 minutes to get there, then the few minutes you spend administering first aid could make the difference between life or death. The ideal situation is to have someone else drive you to the clinic while you administer first aid.

If I knew then what I know now, Jet would have had a much less traumatic end. If your dog seems to be at risk inform yourself!