Big Paws Only Dog Forums

I am so sorry for your loss of Betsy and also your other two golden retrievers.  My sweet 8 yr. old dobie Missy died from bloat/torsion a week and a half ago on Nov. 1st.  She was perfectly fine and in good spirits in the morning.  My husband fed her around 9:30 and she was also a fussy dog so we would give her a couple of small meals a day and half the time, she wouldn't even finish what was in her bowl.  Anyway, I got home about 11:30 from taking my other dog to the vet for routine shots.  About 1:00, I noticed that Missy was acting a bit strange, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.  She used to experience an upset stomach about once a month and would even vomit some bile.  Vet was not concerned and said that some dogs did this.  The signs she showed me that day were restlessness, she vomited a couple of times, moped around and also hid.  I had seen these signs before so there were no red flags.  I didn't even notice that her belly was distended until my husband got home a couple of hours later and he noticed it.  That's when I called the emergency vet.  At that point, she didn't look good.  She got up to walk and collapsed but was still with us.  My husband put her in the truck and drove to the hospital which was a forty minute ride.  She never made it   Now, I sit here and blame myself for not watching her closely.  Again, I just thought like you that it was an upset stomach.  Had never heard of bloat.  I feel very guilty and wish I had taken her to the vet sooner.  They say that even if you take them to the vet right away, there is no guarantee that they will make it.  Bloat/torsion supposedly comes on pretty quickly.  You are not a monster.  You did exactly what I did and that was...acted when you saw that something was seriously wrong.  Hugs.