Bloat: Deadly Disease Strikes Digestive System of Dogs
© Sophia Yin, DVM San Francisco Chronicle 2001
Q) My Standard Poodle Rosie was active and alert. Then 12 hours later after surgery for torsion she was dead. She was two years old. I am committed to this breed but am terrified to get another one. What precautions are there for this condition? What did I miss? If I get another standard poodle, how can I prevent this terrible event from recurring?
Carolyn Dickinson
San Francisco
Of the many medical disorders in dogs, gastric dilatation-volvulus (a.k.a. gastric torsion or bloat) can be one of the worst. It strikes silently, suddenly, and requires rapid surgical intervention. One moment the dog is as happy as a clam and the next his stomach has ballooned with air and twisted on itself. This cuts off blood supply leading to circulatory shock which can quickly become irreversible.
These changes can occur within minutes to a few hours with only vague signs such as restlessness, excessive salivation, discomfort, retching, pain, and weakness. Sometimes, owners actually see a gradual distention of the abdomen as the stomach becomes air-filled. Any such signs in bloat-prone dogs should send owners racing to the nearest vet, because aggressive intervention can save 90% of dogs; however, since some don't make it to the vet in time 25-30% of all dogs with bloat die within a month.
Once at the hospital, the veterinarian must stabilize the dog's circulatory system by rapidly infusing intravenous fluids and treating for abnormal heart rhythms. When this is underway the veterinarian can decompress the stomach by placing a tube through the mouth into the stomach or by inserting a large needle directly into the stomach.
Ultimately dogs usually need surgery to return the stomach to its normal position, remove damaged portions of the stomach wall, and tack the stomach to the inner rib region so that it can no longer twist out of place. Success through all of these stages does not guarantee survival though. Recovery can be marred by many complications including, abnormal heart rhythms, delayed death of tissue from the stomach wall, and a system-wide inflammatory response gone amuck.
Not all owners have to worry about bloat. If you have a large breed dog such as a standard poodle and collie, or giant breed dog such as a Irish Wolfhound or Saint Bernard, listen up. Says Dr. Larry Glickman, a veterinary epidemiologist at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, "Twenty to 25% of dogs belonging to high risk breeds will get bloat within their lifetime. In Great Danes, the lifetime risk is almost one in two." Glickman knows because he recently completed the largest ever epidemiology study on companion animals and the only such study on gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). He followed 2000 initially healthy large and giant breed dogs for five years and tracked the incidence of bloat as well as the feeding and lifestyle patterns. He found that 5% of the dogs bloated per year and that the incidence was higher in Great Dane's, Irish Setter's and St. Bernards. Consistent with other studies, he found a lot of variation in risk among breeds.
"Weimeraners, and Irish setters have a high risk, but golden retrievers and labradors have low risk," Glickman explains. "Size is important but shape is important too. Dogs with deep and narrow chests have a highest risk. Increasing age also increases risk and dogs with first degree relatives - siblings, offspring, or parents - with bloat had a 2 to 3.5 times increased risk." Other risk factors include eating fast and feeding only one meal a day instead of 2 to 3 meals per day.
Interestingly, recommendations devised prior to this ground-breaking study, advised owners to soak the dog's kibble before feeding, avoid exercise before and after feedings, and feed on an elevated surface. Glickman's study showed that raising the feed bowl actually increases the risk of bloat. Just raising it could explain 50% of cases of bloat in giant breeds and 25% in large breeds. Wetting dry food and restricting water and exercise had no effect. Lastly, dogs characterized as fearful were much more likely to get GDV than those characterized as happy.
While these risk factors are only statistical associations, further studies may someday reveal the actual cause of GDV. Glickman is currently analyzing his data to see if there's also a correlation between feed ingredients and GDV.
In the meantime, if you have a breed prone to bloat, Glickman recommends, "Don't raise the food bowl. Break the meal into several feedings a day. And always know the location of your nearest emergency service veterinary hospital." For additional peace-of-mind, when the dog is neutered, you can also have your veterinarian perform a preventive gastropexy to tack the stomach in place.
For more information visit www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm
To support more research on GDV contact the Morris Animal Foundation (www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org) or the AKC Canine Health Foundation (www.akcchf.org)
Related linksContact Sophia YinMorris Animal Foundation AKC Canine Health Foundation For more information
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