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BPO Medical Forum => Medical Conditions & Diseases => : DixieSugarBear June 07, 2005, 12:57:24 PM
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It has been a long few days. Sugar Bear has some runny stool the last few days so I have been giving him chicken and rice to eat. On Monday morning I notice that he was very restlessness, and just could not sleep. He was having paint and chewing at his tail. So I rushed him to the vet. I know that bloat can happen so fast I did not want to take any chance. She gives him a shot put him on some meds and told me to keep a close eye on him. He had a good night, but as soon as he gets up he started having bad pains again, so back to the vet for us. I call the vet on his cell phone at 7am and they met me at the office. They watched him for about 4hrs. and did some blood test. I am so very thankful that is was not bloat. I was able to bring him home about an hour ago. He has only had pain twice and has eaten a little rice. I am keeping him very close and watching his every move.
Since bloat can kill our babies within hours I though we should all post any stories on dogs with bloat or other issues of that type. The way we will all know what to look for so that we have a fur-babies as long as possible.
Lisa, Dixie & Sugar Bear
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Oh No Lisa
Hope he gets better soon. Do they know what could be causing the upset??
I have no idea about bloat. Im glad you posted this.
Coonie
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Oh no, I am so sorry that you had to go through that, and I hope Sugar Bear is feeling better soon!
Haven't had experience with bloat, but Cabo once had pancreatitis. He was in intensive care for several days, and it was very touch and go. After that, his stomach was never the same - he had to go on a special diet, never had good poop, etc. So, I have been in that scary place, and can sympathize...
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Rocco got a pig's foot stuck in his intestines which made him very sick. I rushed him to the vet and he had to spend the night and get some medicine to take the swelling down. The vet didn't think it would pass and that he would have to operate. But my world champion pooper pulled through for me and passed it. The vets said pigs hoove and ears are bad for dogs because of the high levels of fat which makes it hard for the dog to digest fully.
He was down for few days then he was back to normal.
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How long does it take to happen? We are very cautious with Bear, especially after he eats, but I was wondering- how long would it take to know he has it? What are the signs and symptoms?
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I can tell you I almost lost it when the vet said that was going to run some test for bloat. His vet lost a Great Dane to Bloat last week because he was not treated in time. It is my understanding that it can happen with in just a few hours and some times less. So getting them to the vet A.S.A.P is a must.
Sugar Bear should be ok, he is on med for 7 days. For the next two days is to eat very light (rice & chicken). He just had another pain. It it like he is having very bad gas pains. So when it happens I rub his tummy and hold him in my lap for awhile. I am told he may have been something he ate??????
Lisa, Dixie, and Sugar Bear
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I am so sorry to hear about Sugar Bear. It is a scary scary feeling.......
I have done bunches of research on bloat, both before and after I had a dane girl who got sick and we opted for surgery. It can go soooo fast, and I think that is the real scary part, that if the worst come to the worst you wont have time to do much at all.
We have spoke about bloat a few times on here, and it seems like one thing most people agree on, is that it is hard to keep up with the "new" studies that are being done. Some things they say today that are good to do to prevent bloat, they said the oposit about 10 years ago.
Things that matters, at least according to the studies are. exersise right before and after feeding. Eating from elevated dishes (thats a tricky one, some studies say have them, the newest say dont) give a little water in the kibble, so it doesnt take too much moisture from the body when digested. Not to feed too big meals, since that stretches out the muscles that "hang" the stomach up, and when the belly isnt that full anylonger, they get slack and thats when the belly can turn. stress supposedly can trigger bloat. And of course genetics.
I read a study not long ago that stated that as good as all dogs that come in for bloat has an empty stomach. So that I guess supports that it is good to either free feed or to feed more than once a day.
I hope Sugar Bear is feeling well soon, and please keep us updated, I dont think I understood what was wrong with him, did the vet tell you??
Marit
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In simple terms just hat he has a very bad upset tummy. I am keeping a note pad with the time that he has pains so that I will know if it is getting better or not. If not they will be seeing me a third time. I will not take any chances with my baby boy.
Lisa
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Good Luck Lisa and give him big slobbers from me
Marit
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He just loves big slobbers and kisses. The vet said I can give him gas-x every 6 hrs. so I am hoping that will lessen the pain he is having. It just kills me to watch him hurt and not be able to fix it.
Lisa
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It just kills me to watch him hurt and not be able to fix it.
Lisa
I know how you feel, but you are doing everything you can to help him! Give him kissies on the nose from me...
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Just a thought, if things do not get better - sometimes they are uncomfortable if they've swallowed a sharp object. When Greta swallowed a huge nail the only way I could tell was that she did not want to sit down...she first refused, and then when she did sit, she whimpered a little bit. I took her to the vet and they found the nail via x-ray. I can see how it could potentially take a while to figure out if a dog has swallowed something that is lodged in the stomach or intestine...an d/or punctured it. One of the dangers is the possibility of blood poisoning. Greta was lucky...
I know perhaps I sound a bit harsh, but I am quite a worrier and I do some research. I can tell when something is really wrong with the babies, because I am very in-tune with their moods. I try to rule out everything. I go crazy if they are sick. :'(
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I can tell when something is really wrong with the babies, because I am very in-tune with their moods. I try to rule out everything. I go crazy if they are sick.
I know about the going crazy. Since I lost Rosie last year I make sure Sugar Bear and Dixie go to the vet if any little thing is wrong. The day we took Rosie to the vet she had a limp in her front leg. So I took her in only to find out she had been bitten by a rattlesnake. We lost her three day after that. I have kicked my self a thousand time for not knowing something was wrong. So now if I think there may be even a little something they are going to the vet.
Lisa
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When we got Zoey spayed, we took her to a major vetrinary hospital and they convinced us to do a preventative gastro-pexy so that she could never get bloat. It was a few hundred dollars extra, but her recovery wasn't any worse than if she had just been spayed and now we will never have to worry about bloat. The surgeon said that preventative gastro-pexies are beginging to become more common but still pretty rare - basically, what they do is put a couple tiny little stiches holding their stomach in place, since bloat is caused by a twisting of the stomach (and is cured by surgery that untwists it and stiches it into place).
We've deffinately had our share of stomach issues though - one night a few months ago, I woke up in the middle of the night because Zoey was throwing up next to my side of the bed. When I got up to take clean itup and comfort her, I discovered that my whole house was covered in vomit and diahrea (it was horrible) - we rushed her to the emergency room and they diagnosed it as pancreatitis. We couldnt let her eat for a whole day and then had to give her only handfuls of water and rice at a time for like a week. It was the saddest thing ever because she was so in so much pain she could barely walk around and would cry when her food was gone because she was so hungry and there was nothing we could do about it. She got better after that though. She's one tought puppy.
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Sugar Bear if feeling much better. He has been playing some with Dixie, which makes her very happy. He even found some cookies he had hidden. He is on plain rice for the next two days. Not getting treat is making him crazy so I know he is feeling better. I think it was the gas-x that did the trick. The vet did tell me that is good to give them some gas-x any time you can tell that they are having tummy problems.
Lisa
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i ALSO HAVE READ THAT BLOAT OCCURS VERY QUICKLY AND ON AN EMPTY STOMACH WHEN THE DOGS EAT VERY FAST AND SWALLOW AIR, GULPING FOOD AND WATER ETC. i ALSO FREE FEED, MY BABIES EAT EASY AND SLOW, I HAVE A G-TUBE AT THE HOUSE JUST IN CASE IT EVER HAPPENS. YOU CAN SOMETIMES GET A TUBE DOWN INTO THEIR STOMACH AND RELIEVE THE BUILD UP OD PRESSURE/AIR/GAS. I THINK EVENTUALLY THE STOMACH DOES TWIST BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS A TORRSION OF THE INTESTINE, NOT BLOAT??? I WILL HAVE TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH!
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Thanks for all of the information.
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Do you know of a sorce for the g-tube. I would love to have one for during the middle of the night. I would have the vet teach me how to use it. Anything that could give you a little more time to get to the vet could very well save the life of one of our babies.
Lisa
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Kildes...... Bload I guess has different stages. But the last stage is that the stomach actually turns, twists around itself and that is horribly painful. The scary part is that, if you are totally out of luck, it can go from normal dog to a twisted stomach in 10 min.
Marit
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Also, I am sooo glad to hear that Sugar Bear is feeling better. Him wanting a cookie is sure a good sign. I feel for him though, feeling better and no treats, horrible horrible thought hehe
Keep us updated
Marit
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Sounds like a grooling experience.
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Happy Dance ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Sugar Bear is playing rope tug-of-war with Dixie. I am so happy to have my big boy playing, it has been a long three days.
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Thanks for the info saves me more research, I do recall the intestines twisting in the late, fatal stages. Sugar Bear as far as a G tube goes, I have access to them myself and just asked my vet the correct size for my breed. They are easy to insert if you know how, I do it frequently on humans, dogs are not much different, the measuring for placement is different on the four legged variety! Your vet could show you how, and probably supply the tube.
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I will ask my vet. When you have very little time it may just save a life.
Lisa
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Your welcome kindels, glad I could save you some time on here...... More time for BPO ::) ;D
Me too will have to look into the G tube. Hmmmm do you think I can find a human to practice on first. Ill pay them with doggy cookies
Marit
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Sugar Bear if feeling much better. He has been playing some with Dixie, which makes her very happy. He even found some cookies he had hidden. He is on plain rice for the next two days. Not getting treat is making him crazy so I know he is feeling better. I think it was the gas-x that did the trick. The vet did tell me that is good to give them some gas-x any time you can tell that they are having tummy problems.
Lisa
Good! I am very glad there are other opinions, from qualified professionals, to back up the "Gas-X" useage. The first time Greta developed bloat it was frightening. She was squirting water diarrhea out one end and throwing up undigested dog food out the other. Her tummy was rock solid and she was restless. It was X-mas eve and we took her to the vet and it was $395 for all of these tests. Later, I found out from a guy I worked with that it is OK to give her "Gas-X" at the first sign of trouble. From then on, that is what I've done with complete success. I think it has saved her life and thousands of dollars time and again. Such a simple, inexpensive way to prevent their suffering, and/or eventual death.
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Hey everyone. I wanted to pass this link on to everyone concerned about bloat and torsion.
http://www.great-dane-rescue.org/bloatbook.html
As some of you know, Oreo had emergency surgery a few years back for Bloat and Torsion, and I credit the info in this article for saving his life. Print it out and keep in nearby. Make sure anyone who has a hand in taking care of your big dog (dog walkers, sitters, spouse, etc) knows the symptoms.
Now, Oreo has a 14 inch scar to impress the ladies and a tacked tummy to prevent bloat from happening again.
-Jason
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It is my understanding that it can happen with in just a few hours and some times less. So getting them to the vet A.S.A.P is a must.
Actually, it's often less than a few hours.
What bloat is, is when the stomache, or intestines, or some part of the digestive tract loses it's blood supply. When this happens, the organs are cut off from their oxygen supply, and quickly die. If you ever suspect bloat, rush your dog to the vet.
A common cause of it, is feeding your dog too much water at once. The weight of the water can cause the stomach to twist and cut off the blood supply. this happens mostly with deep chested breeds. I'm careful not to over-feed my dog water, even if they are obviously thirsty. I re-hydrate them at 30 minute intervals after long hikes.
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Bloat is very scary. My experience with it was with a pony. We came out to my friend's stable and noticed Suzie (the pony) was laying down. We thought, oh how cute. But then we realized she didn't look so good, and she wouldn't stand up. And we realized how FAT her belly looked, unnaturally large to the point that two 13 year-old kids like us even not knowing a thing about bloat could see that there was an emergency before us. We got my friend's mom to call the vet out and meanwhile he said to get her up and keep her moving. He got there pretty fast and down her throat with the tube. But her gut was so twisted he couldn't get the tube down. Poor Suzie was so scared and we were so scared and knew she was in horrible pain. But unfortunately it was too late to save her, and she was in so much pain that the vet had to put her down right there. My friend and I took off running because we were way too young to see that. I am sick to my stomach even thinking about it now. It is a serious and fast problem. We never really knew what caused it for Suzie, but the vet suspected she has been rolling around after drinking some water, and the stomach turned over trapping gases in there, leading her to become completely bloated.
I have deep sympathy for anyone who has had to experience this with any of their animals, it affected me so deeply even though it wasn't my pony that it happened to. I'm glad everyone is sharing information and that website posted by Oreo's dad is something we should all read.
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Jason, Thanks a lot for that link. I read it carefully and it is such a great article. When my dane had it, I was lucky enough to catch it in time and get her to a vet in time. I knew the signs and bunches of reasons to why, but it was pretty much luck that I made it to the vet before she got real bad.
The scar Oreo is impressing ladies with, is that canine or human ladies ;)
Marit
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Jason - Thank you so much for the link! I have printed it off and will keep it my "Ranger" file with all the important info!
I don't think it takes much for Oreo to impress the ladies! He is just TOO cute!
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I have a 13 month old Shih Poo and she seems to have trouble with "belly aches" as well. She does these weird front stretches, then back stretches, kind of elongates her neck. It's like she saying, "If I could only throw up I'd feel better". I didn't know anything about he Gas X. How much would I give her? She weighs between 11 & 13 lbs. Thank you for the info.
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I love to use Kaopectate. Helps with gas and diarrhea.