Bloat

Bloat requires immediate attention. The day we had to put Lucy to sleep, we rushed her to the vet because we thought she had bloat. This condition tends to affect large, older dogs with big chests and Lucy fit that bill. It can occur after the dog gobbles (inhales) their food. The stomach fills with gas and fluid and can twist on itself cutting off blood and oxygen supply to other organs. (See this link for more information about the condition.) Chance of survival without veterinarian intervention is nil. Even with that intervention, the odds are not in the dog's favor.

Lucy had lymphoma and I was feeding her a homemade, high protein diet recommended by the vet. Lucy had always been a finicky eater, but loved this food. After eating this one particular evening, she went into the back yard and started pacing. I'm not sure what made me watch her from the house, but I did and could see she was pacing which was unusual. She tried to defecate and couldn't; tried to vomit and couldn't. These are both signs of bloat. Additionally, her stomach was noticeably distended and hard. Another sign of bloat. We rushed her to the vet. In her case, it wasn't bloat, but cancer. That was our last day with our old girl.

Here is a story and video from Bark Magazine showing what symptoms of bloat looks like in a dog. Truly, this is nothing to mess with. If you suspect your dog may have bloat, drop everything and get your sweet pup to a vet immediately.

If you have a large, older dog with a big, barrel chest who inhales food, you have a dog that is more at risk. Consider getting a food bowl that inhibits or slows down gobbling. They go by a variety of names: "Brake-Fast," "Slow Eating," "Eat Slow," "Slow Feed," etc.