# The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!



## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

Hey Everybody,

I wanted to post this here in the Picture section because I know that not everybody has a chance to go to the other sections of the board often. 

<u>This is my story:</u>

I considered myself a well-educated and well-aware about bloat GSD owner. I did all the "right" things like never letting the dogs drink too much water after exercising, waiting at least an hour after walking/exercising before feeding them. I was feeding them RAW, which I believed cut down a significant percentage of them ever getting bloat as compared to dogs fed kibble.

When I heard that some one's dog bloated, I felt very sorry for them and thought, *"that will never happen to my dogs, I am being so careful!"*

<span style="color: #FF0000">*OMG, was I being naive!!!!!! Or ignorant, or cocky, or stupid, or delusional!!!!!!!!!*</span>

<span style="color: #6600CC">_*On Thursday night, my darling, sweet, precious Gretchen BLOATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*_</span>

You can read the full story here: Gretchen BLOATED - 20% of Stomach Removed!!!! 

The important thing that I wanted everyone to remember from my experience is *THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE*, no matter how careful you are!!!!! No one knows exactly why bloat happens, but it seems to be more genetically related then environmentally, usually is a combination of the two. I think that's what happened to Gretchen.

Here are a few pictures - they are graphic!

*This is the X-Ray of her stomach. Look at how huge her stomach was!!!!!!! (She does have an un-chewed bone in there, but that was not the reason for the bloat) *










*Gretchen being prepped for surgery. They already let some of the air out of her stomach. Before she looked like she had 20 puppies in there.*









*Gretchen was in surgery for over 4 hours!!! The vets had to remove 20% of her stomach because that part died from lock of blood flow!* 

I was a nervous wreck all night (we were there from 1:30am until 7am). Even though Gretchen survived the surgery, she was NOT out of danger!!! Because they had to remove part of her stomach, that made things a lot more serious. Her stomach would now have to start working again! 

We went to see her later that day. She was awake and alert, which I was actually very surprised, but she got tired quickly and started crying in pain. That was so hard to see................

My precious Gretchen









Her HUGE Boo boo









A very grateful Mommy!!!!!!









Gretchen came home last night!!!! She's still critical. She has to be fed 4 times a day 1/2 cups at a time and only cooked chicken and rice. She can't go for walks for two weeks and her full recovery will be slow and long.........................

This is her at home showing off her boo boo and looking for sympathy (like she needs any more....)









A close-up of the incision









*Thanks for letting me share with you the most horrifying night of my life!!!! If I had lost Gretchen, I don't know what I would have done...........

<span style="color: #FF0000">So, please, please keep a vigilant eye on your furry babies because no matter how good you think you are........... this can happen to you too!!!!!!*</span>

Ania & Gretchen


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Oh I am so sorry... I hope she recovers swiftly... Poor girl...


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Glad you caught it...hope she recovers fully - I know a couple of dogs who lost part of the GI Tract and they recovered - so keeping my fingers crossed for you and gretchen!

Lee


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I'm glad to hear see is home and doing well. Please keep us updated... I've been following Gretchen's story since this happened. Fingers crossed that she continues to progress in a positive direction.


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## CarLooSHoo (Feb 26, 2009)

That's so hard to see, I'm so sorry this happened to you







I am always scared about bloat since my puppy enhales her food. I'm glad Gretchen is feeling better and is at home.


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

wishing your girl a fast and safe recovery. isn't this just all our very worst nightmare. take good care.


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## acurajane (May 21, 2008)

You are so lucky to have caught in in time. My prayers and thoughts are with you through her recovery.


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## Lisa&Diesel (Jun 8, 2008)

My friend's GSD bloated only last week. Thankfully she is ok. 

I worry about bloat so much.

Glad Gretchen is home and has your loving care.


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## elsie (Aug 22, 2001)

thanks for posting here.
best wishes for a complete & speedy recovery.


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## JenM66 (Jul 28, 2005)

Poor Gretchy!!! Sending her (and you) lots and lots of hugs and good wishes!


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## Smith3 (May 12, 2008)

What caused the bloat? Running after eating? Just random?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Ouch, that first picture is horrible! Poor baby, I'm glad she's home and doing better.


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## momto3k9s (Mar 2, 2005)

Please give her some ear scratches for me and a big ol' hug!!! xoxoxo


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## k9sarneko (Jan 31, 2007)

Aww poor little baby, I am so glad she is doing so very much better. Many prayers for her full recovery.


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

<span style="color: #CC33CC">*Thank you everyone for your well-wishes!!!!*</span>

I wanted to post this here so that this horrible *THING* got more exposure and those who weren’t aware of the dangers of this condition saw that <u>this can happen to anyone, even someone like me who was aware and careful and vigilant and doing all the right things! </u>

I have several friends who have big dogs who have never heard of this condition until I told them about it (before this happened). They listened and nodded their heads and went on doing what they were always doing, but it wasn’t until one of my friends who has a Rottweiler actually saw Gretchen all bloated and in horrible pain that he took this seriously. He’s now doing the “right” things and says he is educating himself on what to do if this should happed to his little girl.

*So please, learn what you can and be prepared because <span style="color: #FF0000">THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU TOO!!!!!!*</span>


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Smith3What caused the bloat? Running after eating? Just random?


Causes of bloat are still unknown 100%. There are many contributors; some are genetic some are enviornmental.

Here is just one of many websites that explains it. It has links to other websites with more info: http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm#Links


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Smith3What caused the bloat? Running after eating? Just random?


"No one knows exactly why bloat happens, but it seems to be more genetically related then environmentally"

That's what I've read up on and experienced from friends. Why it's just so important to KNOW about bloat, that it's a true medical emergency that can only be dealt with at the vets, and really is extremely serious.

Good info on:

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm#Causes

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=402

http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/Bloat.htm


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## JackieM1982 (Jul 21, 2005)

So glad she's okay. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!


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## Regen (Mar 8, 2007)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

So glad she is better now


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## thezinger (Nov 6, 2008)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

glad to hear your dog is doing good..

i was just wondering though. you said you wait an hour after walking before feeding. what is the reason for that. i thought it was the other way around.

feed then wait at least an hour or more before exercise. i would like to make sure i get this right. i definitely would like to avoid bloat after reading about your experience.


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## GSDtravels (Dec 26, 2008)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

How horrible for her and you! So glad she is on the mend. Poor little girl deserves all the attention I'm sure she's getting. Give her an extra hug from me.


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*



> Originally Posted By: thezingeri was just wondering though. you said you wait an hour after walking before feeding. what is the reason for that. i thought it was the other way around.
> 
> feed then wait at least an hour or more before exercise. i would like to make sure i get this right. i definitely would like to avoid bloat after reading about your experience.


It doesn't really matter which way you do it. 
*
What IS IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU DON'T EXERCISE YOUR DOG ON A FULL STOMACH OR FEED HIM/HER WHILE HE/SHE IS STILL PANTING AFTER EXERCISING.*

The thought behind this (this is <u>my</u> very basic, layman version of this…….) is that while the dog has a full stomach there are gases produced to digest the food. If you exercise your dog at that time, some of the extra air that your dog breaths in goes into the stomach and gets trapped in the stomach and mixed in with the gases. With the stress of the exercise, somehow the stomach expands and twists on its axes causing the bloat and torsion. 

If you feed or over water your dog right after exercise similar thing happens. The dog pants and takes in a lot of air. Some of that goes into the stomach. If you feed or over water the dog, the gases and the air mix causing the stomach to bloat and twist.

It’s the most horrible thing! BUT, *it doesn’t have to happen that way!!!!!! *

As you can see from my story, I did everything right (I hope so), and it still happened to my dog. So the best thing to do is to be prepared and when it does happen, ACT QUICKLY!!!!! The damage to the stomach and other organs can happen within minutes!!!!! 

We came back from a nice walk at 6pm. I fed her at 7pm. She seemed fine at 9pm when I went upstairs. I heard her being restless around midnight. At 2pm she was having her stomach cut open and part of it removed because it DIED from lack of blood flow!!!!! Over 4 hours later, she was in the ICU in a very critical condition! I was a nervous wreck!!!!! And the vet bill...........I'm not even going to go there...........


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

I have gone through this and learned a lot.

Let's start with:

There is no known cause for bloat. (yes some of this has been said before in this thread but people keep forgetting.)

Normal excercise before & after eating/drinking has nothing to do with it. (Neither will eating give humans cramps & cause them to drown if they swim right afterward, nor riding after eating cause a horse to collic.)

Dogs with deep narrow chests are more prone to bloat.

A mixture of wet and dry food is thought to be the best, soaked kibble only if it has NO CITIC acid.

Eating slow is better than eating fast (but my normally slow eater was the one that bloated - she had gobbled food that weekend.)

Raw fed dogs also bloat. (A friend who feeds raw has lost several of her dogs to bloat. She thinks they had a genetic predisposition.)

Feeding dogs on the floor is better than elevated feeding. If the dogs have discomfort standing and eating off the floor, they will lie down to eat! [What a concept!! I built raised feeders for mine in the past. Humans sometimes don't think very clearly.]

What you need to know is symptoms & actions needed to alleviate. You can do a websearch for "The Bloat Book" which is a pretty good resource.


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## marksmom3 (Dec 17, 2007)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

Bloat is so scary! I'm glad you caught this in time and that your dog is doing good now. I hope she has a quick and smooth recovery!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*



> Originally Posted By: Aniadouble
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: thezingeri was just wondering though. you said you wait an hour after walking before feeding. what is the reason for that. i thought it was the other way around.
> ...


Unfortunately what all of these cases on the board add up to is that it is very difficult to prevent bloat. Many of the dogs who have bloated have done so many hours after they ate or drank. 

*The most important thing is to recognize the symptoms and to treat immediately with Gas-X or Activated Charcoal and get your dog into the vet! *


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*



> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeow Unfortunately what all of these cases on the board add up to is that it is very difficult to prevent bloat.
> 
> Many of the dogs who have bloated have done so many hours after they ate or drank.


Exactly!!!! 

What I neglected to say was that those are *PREVENTIVE measures*, things that MIGHT help to prevent bloat, but that the *DO NOT GUARANTEE *that your dog will not get it!!!! Those are just smart things to do!


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## JeffM (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

Poor girl










Hope she has a speedy recovery.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*



> Quote:
> 
> This is her at home showing off her boo boo and looking for sympathy (like she needs any more....)


Awwww.... Please tell Gretchen that I just piled a bunch more sympathy on her as well... Poor sweetie.









We don't know what causes bloat. We don't know what causes torsion. I've discussed this at length with both my internist and surgeon. We just don't know. That's what makes it such a monster always hiding under our beds. We don't know if the potential is there, or when it will strike. 

Maybe the steps we take prevent bloat. Maybe they just make us feel better. 

In any event, thank you for sharing these photos with us. They show how serious GDV is. But I don't think you're naive, stupid or delusional. You got your sweet girl to the vet on time and saved her life. You sound like a hero to me.


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

Poor Gretchen! Her eyes in those pictures are so heart-rending... 

What adds to all this confusion about bloat is the conflicting information out there. Just a few examples of conflicting contributing factors that I have seen across a number of articles:
1) Over-watering vs. withholding water
2) Wet kibble: some articles said that's good, some said bad
3) Feeding on the floor vs elevated: I guess this one is resolved? But I still see elevated feeders being marketed as being bloat-friendly.
One article mentioned that dogs that are pre-disposed to stress and anxiety tend to be more bloat-prone. I wonder if anybody can corroborate that?


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*



> Originally Posted By: UConnGSDOne article mentioned that dogs that are pre-disposed to stress and anxiety tend to be more bloat-prone. I wonder if anybody can corroborate that?


I can maybe put this is the "true" column. Gretchen is the anxious, easily stressed type. 

Actually, she was anxious that evening. On our walk we stopped to talk to some senior citizens who were sitting on a bench in a park. One lady who had arthritic hands went to pet Gretchen and Gretchen got really spooked. She did not want to be petted by her. I don't know if that had anything to do with the bloat or not, but maybe its a clue..................


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

That is so scary!! I'm glad that she is better though. I worry about bloat every single day of my life. Sometimes I get so paranoid, I hav to keep checking my dogs' stomachs every hour just to make sure. But seeing Gretchen's bloated picture, makes me more confident in detecting it then before. Now I know what it looks like. I'm still cautious every time I feed them, let them out, give them water, etc. Sometimes I feel like bloat has taken over my mind with worry.


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## Virginia (Oct 2, 2008)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

Oh Ania that must've been so scary! Glad to hear Gretchen is doing better, poor girl. Thanks for all the info and sharing your experiences, it was very helpful.


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## Nellie (Apr 23, 2009)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

So sorry this has happened to your babie, it was a good job you were their to see it and be able to get her to the vet, i my self was not so lucky it happened in the middle of the night when all were in bed, 
Glad she is recovering xxx
Canto was the type of dog to get stressed, and was nervious as a pup


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## DonP (Apr 13, 2009)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

It's terrible to hear your baby in pain. Glad to see she's recovering. Thanks to everyone for all the tips and comments. I sure it will prevent at least some bloating cases.


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## gsdinms (Jun 25, 2008)

*Re: The Horrible Reality of BLOAT-Warning Graphic*

Poor girl. Hope she is feeling better.


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!*

I can't believe how quickly Gretchen is recovering!!!!! 

This is day 5 post OP and she's acting like nothing ever happened!!!!

She wants to play and go outside and can't understand why I'm leaving her behind when I take Rorie for a walk and not her.

BUT, I have to keep her quiet and resting. Her body is still healing even though her mind thinks that she's all better. 

Her incision looks so much better though. Just look at the difference!

BEFORE









5 Days AFTER









She went to their toy box and got her ball and payed with it. It was so heart warming to see!!!!!


















Still looking so pretty!!!! (even though she lost a lot of weight)









So tired now.......









Thanks for looking!


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## jake (Sep 11, 2004)

*Re: Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!*

soo sweet and lucky.She has that look in the last picture that says'see how good I am-but I am planning a jailbreak-wanna run run run play play play


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Re: Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!*



> Originally Posted By: ttalldogShe has that look in the last picture that says'see how good I am-but I am planning a jailbreak-wanna run run run play play play


She <u>is</u> an *ornery* little thing!!!!!!!!!!!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

*Re: Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!*

She looks great! Her incisions looks SO much better! 

How is she doing with the increase in food?


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## Sean Rescue Mom (Jan 24, 2004)

*Re: Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pi*

The before and after pics say it all, she's a lucky gal to have you as a mom. I know you have been giving her lots of TLC. Hope she continues to do well and can go out for her walks with Rorie soon.


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## AniasGSDs (Oct 18, 2004)

*Re: Feeling Much Better - BLOAT-Warning Graphic Pix!*



> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeow
> How is she doing with the increase in food?


She loves the increased amount, but I'm a little worried because she wasn't pooped today (I posed in the Health section). Can there be a problem??????


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## Superpup (Jun 7, 2007)

Ania, thank you so much for sharing your story and the pics. I am so happy that Gretchen is feeling better now and you took SUCH good care of her. I think this is the worst nightmare of any GSD owner.. Our thoughts and prayers are with you still so she recovers totally!


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