# Thoughts for Nalah



## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Last night we had to rush Nalah to the ER vet. She was showing signs of bloat. 

We discovered that she is, indeed bloated. But, her stomach has not flipped. She is on leash rest (only allowed to lie in the floor) and can have no food for two days and only water (just a little) every few hours. We will also be giving her gas-x to cut down on the gasses in her tummy. She isn't out of the woods yet, as they said that with how big and deep of a barrel chest she has, and how largely her stomach is bloated, it could flip easily. 

They think it was from drinking too much water too quickly. The dogs always drink water when I put out the fresh bucket at night. But I was in the bathroom, and didn't know how much she consumed. I feel terrible that I let this happen and I could have prevented it  , but we are keeping a close eye on her and have the ER vet as well as another vet that is in town on standby.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm so sorry! Glad she is on the mend. Don't feel bad, sometimes things just happen and there is nothing we can do about it. You got her to the vet quick which saved her life. 

Gas-x? I didn't know dogs could take that. That is good to know, in the right situation could be a life saver!


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

naturalfeddogs said:


> I'm so sorry! Glad she is on the mend. Don't feel bad, sometimes things just happen and there is nothing we can do about it. You got her to the vet quick which saved her life.
> 
> Gas-x? I didn't know dogs could take that. That is good to know, in the right situation could be a life saver!


I don't know if it is a good thing for dogs to take gas-x, but if it is going to save her from torsion, I am willing to try it.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank goodness you took her to the vet quickly! I hope she gets back to her normal self quickly, sending good vibes your way


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

good for you for noticing the signs right away and don't feel bad....i wouldn't expect my raw fed dog to bloat. i guess that means the occurrence of it rests primarily on the anatomy of the dog


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

BearMurphy said:


> good for you for noticing the signs right away and don't feel bad....i wouldn't expect my raw fed dog to bloat. i guess that means the occurrence of it rests primarily on the anatomy of the dog


The vet said herself, even though she hate raw feeding, that she believes the water caused it. I'm going to ditch the 2 gallon bucket and start using a 2 cup bowl and refill it through out the day. He anatomy is against her because of her big, wide, deep chest as well. And just to be on the safe side, when she does start eating again, she will get her meal divided up into three servings and get smaller amounts at one time.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Stupid question, But Iv never seen a dog with bloat. What exactly is it, and how do you know a dog has it? Like, do they actually look like their bellies are bloated?


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Kat said:


> Stupid question, But Iv never seen a dog with bloat. What exactly is it, and how do you know a dog has it? Like, do they actually look like their bellies are bloated?


Her stomach basically looks like she is pregnant. It pushes her ribs out, and her tummy is hanging lower than normal. We know she has it because of exrays. I will upload her exray when I get a chance so you can see what it looks like inside


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

Makovach said:


> I don't know if it is a good thing for dogs to take gas-x, but if it is going to save her from torsion, I am willing to try it.


Our handler almost always has some. It is fine for dogs to take as far as I know. Some give a microbial paste, but Gas-X has the same effect and is more common.


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## Nana52 (Apr 28, 2012)

I sorry to hear about Nalah's problem. I'll be thinking of her and praying that all will be well soon. Kudos to you for thinking so fast on your feet!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

oh no! I hope she feels better soon!


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

Oh god, one of my worst fears ever is bloat! And yes, if you suspect bloat, you can give Gas-X WHILE ON YOUR WAY TO THE E-VET and it might buy you some time. 

This is a good reminder to me to watch the water drinking. Cabo will sit and down an entire bowl of water after coming in from outside on a hot day if I let him. I usually interrupt him, but not every single time. I am going to be more diligent. Hope Nalah is okay.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I hope Nala is ok too. And, you did so well recognising the symptoms and getting her to a vet so quickly. Saved her life without a doubt.
I had absolutely no idea that dogs with bloat actually do get such a huge stomach. Does that happen in all cases? And, does the stomach swell up straight away or does it take, like, hours? 
Good luck, you can't do much more than you're doing already. Thinking of you, please keep us in touch with how she is.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I'll be thinking of you guys, and hoping that she feels back to normal soon!


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

For anyone who has not see bloat, or does not know what to expect, here is the video that I watched a few years ago that brought my attention the Nalah's signs of bloat. 
Bloating akita - YouTube

I saw a few people asking about bloat, and I figured this would be a good thing to share. This video could have very well saved Nalah's life. Still working on getting her Ex-ray on the computer to show her bloat, but if you watch the video towards the end, you will see the ex-ray of a normal stomach, and the one of a dog with bloat. Nalah's stomach was much more bloated than the ex-ray shown in the video by the time we got to the vet and the ex-rays were taken.

On an up side, her swelling has visibly gone down. She is able to lay and get comfortable with out pacing. She is still burping quite a bit, but is no longer trying to throw up. She has also had good BMs which is also a good sign. She is starting to look more alert and act a bit better.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Oh, I am hoping for the best for your sweet girl... And thank you for the information about this maybe being caused by excessive water drinking. 

Sometimes Mateo will go into a "trance" as he drinks, and I will step in and pull the water up if it's been like almost a minute or so. I mean, sometimes it's just too much, and I worry about the consequences. Once, after finishing his meal, he went to his water bowl and just kept drinking so much... and then--- yep: he threw it all up. Now I pull his water up when he eats and put it down again after he's moved into another room. He forgets about it if it's not right in front of him, lol.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

MollyWoppy said:


> I hope Nala is ok too. And, you did so well recognizing the symptoms and getting her to a vet so quickly. Saved her life without a doubt.
> I had absolutely no idea that dogs with bloat actually do get such a huge stomach. Does that happen in all cases? And, does the stomach swell up straight away or does it take, like, hours?
> Good luck, you can't do much more than you're doing already. Thinking of you, please keep us in touch with how she is.


In most cases of bloat, it is with in minutes that you can start to notice the swelling. Bloat moves quickly and usually you are lucky to have an hour or two to get to the vet. For one time, my over reacting proved me right. I caught on to Nalah's problem just minutes after we believed it had happened. She was pacing, lying down and jumping back up, going in circles, panting, throwing up, and kept trying to drink water. I noticed in minutes of her throwing up that her stomach was at least twice the size it was when I came into the room. 

One of the biggest problems with bloat is that most do not notice it before it is too late :/


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

any dog can bloat for any reason....although certain breeds are more prone to it than others....

melissa, well done you for keeping your eyes open and brain working.

as much as you try and you do try harder than most, you simply cannot cannot cannot watch a dog 24/7......

so stop feeling badly that you didn't prevent it. 

get some gas x and serve smaller meals.....smaller water bowl....and maybe you can prevent it. but if she's going to bloat she will bloat.

there are some things we can control and some things we cannot. you may want to think about gastroplexy in her future.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Holy that video scared me a bit, it was so hard to watch that dog being so uncomfortable pacing around like that. I would be full out freaking out if that happened to Ruby. Im so happy you noticed the signs so quickly. If it is not treated, does a dog with bloat die because the stomach explodes from the gas?


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

oh my goodness! how scary! im glad you got her in right away, hope she feels better soon! keep us updated please!


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Kat said:


> Holy that video scared me a bit, it was so hard to watch that dog being so uncomfortable pacing around like that. I would be full out freaking out if that happened to Ruby. Im so happy you noticed the signs so quickly. If it is not treated, does a dog with bloat die because the stomach explodes from the gas?


They go into shock and die. they bloat up, the stomach flips and twists and then they go into shock.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank you for all the information, it's scary just how serious bloat is. 

Im so glad to hear Nalah is starting to get better and is able to settle down and get some rest now  Keep us updated please!


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Nalah is feeling much better and is much more lively today  The swelling has gone down to the point it is not visible on the outside. A day or so more of working up to normal feeding schedule, and resting and we shall see where we will be. Thank you everyone for your thoughts


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Glad to hear that Nalah's symptoms were quickly recognized and that she is on the way to recovery.

Needless to say, people with hunting dogs are also very concerned about the possibility of this condition.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

Hi, I'm new here but wanted to comment. I am so glad your girl is fine now, it is indeed very scary. I have been there myself and this is why I wanted to post. I had a GSD that had a simple bloat without torsion and did torsion 12 weeks later. Many times a dog that bloats is in danger of it happening again soon due to the unrealized mechanisms. If it was simply water, great, if it was the closure of her stomach not functioning properly (pyloric valve) I would be on guard for a while. This has a habit of happening again within weeks  I lost my dog the second time. I am not saying this to freak you out but just because I wish I had known myself so I could have been more aware... Keeping Gas-X on hand is a must (or any store brand Simethicone) but if she torsions you will not be able to get it down. I would just be very on guard for the next few months. This is why many vets will recommend a stomach tack for a dog that has bloated. Then we can also get into the area of a mesenteric torsion ....sorry to be a negative vibe in a positive thread. I always choose to warn.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

Makovach said:


> They go into shock and die. they bloat up, the stomach flips and twists and then they go into shock.


 Just wanted to add that simple bloat itself can be very destructive depending on the degree of swelling. The displacement and pressure on the internal organs can cause damage to those organs which of course can in the most serious situations literally die (heart muscle etc) . A dog that has suffered a bloat, no matter how minor it may seem, should be seen by a vet immediately and really should be given steroids for the swelling/trauma. A GDV will not always be the result ACVS - Gastric Dilatation/Volvulus of a bloat as a GDV can happen without bloat present.

Sorry to hijack your comment, just wanted to expound on it as many people think bloat is GDV or that a bloat will always accompany a GDV. Sadly in my breed, GSDs, knowledge of this condition is a must  as it is in many breeds.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

SubMariner said:


> Glad to hear that Nalah's symptoms were quickly recognized and that she is on the way to recovery.
> 
> Needless to say, people with hunting dogs are also very concerned about the possibility of this condition.


Just curious, is bloat common in hunting dogs?


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Kat said:


> Just curious, is bloat common in hunting dogs?


Since there are many hunting dogs that are deep chested (GSPs, Weims, etc.) it is a concern. Likewise the fact that hunting dogs often engage in activities that require a lot of energy, bracketed by inactivity, which seems to up the incidence of bloat on SOME dogs.

But as has already been pointed out, all you can do is try to limit the dog to the conditions which are conducive to bloat... there's no way to predict whether or not it will happen to any particular dog. So dogs at field trials (or that are hunting) are usually not fed before they run, but will get something an hour so AFTER. And a proper feed later in the day.


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