# Raw fed dog with bloat



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

Hey folks,
I am new to this forum but not new to feeding raw. 

I'd like to ask your opinion on a situation that is developing or has...? I have a 10 mixed husky female (60 lbs) who has a bloated abdomen. She is eating and pooping and seems fine otherwise. I thought it was parasites but nothing changed after worming her about 10 days ago. 

Any ideas??


----------



## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

did you bring her to the vet?


----------



## Carlita05 (Aug 17, 2012)

JAC said:


> Hey folks,
> I am new to this forum but not new to feeding raw.
> 
> I'd like to ask your opinion on a situation that is developing or has...? I have a 10 mixed husky female (60 lbs) who has a bloated abdomen. She is eating and pooping and seems fine otherwise. I thought it was parasites but nothing changed after worming her about 10 days ago.
> ...


Does it hurt her when you touch it? Is she complaining at all? 

If you thump on it, does it sound hollow? Are her gums pink or white? Has she eaten anything out of the ordinary, or had access to anything that she normally doesnt? 

I dont know if husky's are a specific breed that can suffer from bloat (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus), but if they are, you should take her to the vet immediately.


----------



## Coffee (Sep 3, 2012)

Just thinking out loud here... I wouldn't have thought it was bloat because surely after 10 days of symptoms the dog wouldn't still be here  From what I know of bloat it can get very serious VERY quickly and I wouldn't have thought a dog could have survived after 10 days without vet attention.


----------



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

I have boxers and bloat is a real health concern with this breed. Bloat is a medical emergency and if it's not treated quickly (as in a matter of minutes) they will most likely die. If she's been like this for days, I'd very very very surprised, no actually I'd be shocked if it were bloat. If you're just noticing it, a trip to the vet is required...... fast.


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

No, she doesn't seem to be complaining or bothered by it. Like I said, she has her normal appetite and attitude. She hasn't had access to anything unusual. I know a little bit about GVD and think it is probably safe to rule that out. I have not taken her to the vet. If a dog is eating and pooping and not complaining I can't justify the cost. I know that seems a bit cold but with huskies, and several of them, I typically don't go unless I know it is serious.

Shall we say a "distended abdomen" instead of bloat?


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

No, I noticed it about 10 days ago, so pretty sure it isn't the dangerous kind of bloat. It did sound a little hollow and her gums are pink.

Any thoughts?


----------



## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

I would take her in to the vet. We just had a 13 year old dog come in for grooming and the bather noticed that her abdomen was distended quite a bit. After an ultrasound, x-rays and a thoracocentesis, the poor dog's abdomen was filled with fluid and she has a severely enlarged heart .


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I'd also get her checked out because it sounds like some kind of underlying problem that is causing a fluid buildup in her abdomen like malluver1005 said above.


----------



## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

JAC said:


> No, she doesn't seem to be complaining or bothered by it. Like I said, she has her normal appetite and attitude. She hasn't had access to anything unusual. I know a little bit about GVD and think it is probably safe to rule that out. I have not taken her to the vet. If a dog is eating and pooping and not complaining I can't justify the cost. I know that seems a bit cold but with huskies, and several of them, I typically don't go unless I know it is serious.
> 
> Shall we say a "distended abdomen" instead of bloat?


I will never... EVER... understand the mentality of "unless they're practically dying it's not worth the money". 

A vet trip is always worth the money if something is off. Dogs are experts at masking pain, they can act totally normal even if something is wrong. You're not a medical professional, you don't know what is causing this or how serious it is. Staying bloated for ten days is not anywhere approaching normal. 

If you can't afford routine vet care for so many dogs, you should be cutting back on the amount of dogs you have.


----------



## Carlita05 (Aug 17, 2012)

Coffee said:


> Just thinking out loud here... I wouldn't have thought it was bloat because surely after 10 days of symptoms the dog wouldn't still be here  From what I know of bloat it can get very serious VERY quickly and I wouldn't have thought a dog could have survived after 10 days without vet attention.


No of course.. I didnt see the part where it said 10 days in... I thought it was right then at that second. 


I think everyone's advice here is to go to the vet..... and not risk it.


----------



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

I agree that a vet visit is in order. I'm sorry, but a dog can't speak for itself. It's up to us to try to read between the lines to make sure there are no health problems going on. When we do see there's a problem, it's our obligation to find out what's happening. It's up to us to protect and provide proper care. I hope you've had her looked at by a vet. Please let us know how she's doing.


----------



## mheath0429 (Sep 8, 2012)

JAC said:


> No, she doesn't seem to be complaining or bothered by it. Like I said, she has her normal appetite and attitude. She hasn't had access to anything unusual. I know a little bit about GVD and think it is probably safe to rule that out. I have not taken her to the vet. If a dog is eating and pooping and not complaining I can't justify the cost. I know that seems a bit cold but with huskies, and several of them, I typically don't go unless I know it is serious.
> 
> Shall we say a "distended abdomen" instead of bloat?


I am sorry, but I have huskies, and I would never hesitate to take them. On the contrary, huskies get into things, she could have ingested any number of things. I would have had her in for X-rays asap. And please do not try to state that you have too many. No responsible person allows their dog to suffer because they can't justify the cost. That's neglect. If her abdomen is distended, something is not okay. You need to take her in.


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Lets not make the OP feel horrible about not taking their dog in when we all would agree it's time. We are here to help, not hurt feelings. 

Please keep us updated JAC!


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

So I took her to the vet, did a couple of tests, found that her diet is great that she is negative for heartworms which causes similar symptoms and finally concluded that she has some type of heart disease. I chose not to go with a full spectrum of tests. The vet assured me that she is in no pain. Also said that her running career is over, which I am ok with, and that breeding is out of the question, which I am less ok with. He went on to say that meds would run me $1-200 per month. As much as I loved this girl, and I loved her a lot, I know her quality of life would have been greatly diminished and that I made the right decision. 

Now at this point I expect that you will all get your panties so bunched up that several years of therapy will be required before you are back to normal. I am ok with this because I will never EVER understand the mentality that "pets are our babies" and we must spare no expense to extend their lives as long as possible! You make your choices and I will make mine and let's leave the judging for God. Thanks and goodbye.


----------



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

Just checking to see if you were able to find out what'a wrong with your girl. Please post an update when you can. I really hope she's ok.


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

If you would like an update, tell the moderator to post my previous message.


----------



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not at all going to judge your decision. Heart disease is a very sensitive issue for me as I lost my boxer (whom I did consider to be my baby) to ARVC. He was 5 months shy of his 10th birthday. It was very costly to run all the tests and medication, but I chose to to do it and would do it again in a heartbeat. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear the sad news.


----------



## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

JAC said:


> So I took her to the vet, did a couple of tests, found that her diet is great that she is negative for heartworms which causes similar symptoms and finally concluded that she has some type of heart disease. I chose not to go with a full spectrum of tests. The vet assured me that she is in no pain. Also said that her running career is over, which I am ok with, and that breeding is out of the question, which I am less ok with. He went on to say that meds would run me $1-200 per month. As much as I loved this girl, and I loved her a lot, I know her quality of life would have been greatly diminished and that I made the right decision.
> 
> Now at this point I expect that you will all get your panties so bunched up that several years of therapy will be required before you are back to normal. I am ok with this because I will never EVER understand the mentality that "pets are our babies" and we must spare no expense to extend their lives as long as possible! You make your choices and I will make mine and let's leave the judging for God. Thanks and goodbye.


I was not initially a part of this thread although during my reading of it, I was in agreement with the participating posters in that the dog should see a vet. Now with this update, I'm glad you updated us. It might not seem like it, especially with threads like this, but the majority of people I've "met" on forums actually care. Not only that but they legitimately worry about another member's dog, be it pet or working animal.

That said, I completely respect your decision to do what you did with your dog. No bunched panties here, I guarantee it. It's your choice what to do with your dog and you should not worry about being judged because you chose not to extend the life of a dog whose quality of life would more than likely suffer. I also would agree with your decision. I know that it would be a very difficult decision for me, probably one that I would not make right away. But you and I, we're different, and there's nothing wrong with that.

You might not read this, but if you do, you should reconsider your exit of this forum. It's a great resource and there are a lot of knowledgeable folks here. I can certainly attest to that in my short-time as a member.



Savage Destiny said:


> I will never... EVER... understand the mentality of "unless they're practically dying it's not worth the money".
> 
> A vet trip is always worth the money if something is off. Dogs are experts at masking pain, they can act totally normal even if something is wrong. You're not a medical professional, you don't know what is causing this or how serious it is. Staying bloated for ten days is not anywhere approaching normal.


I wanted to share a quick story. I lost a dog about 10 years ago. A lump appeared on the side of his abdomen. I have no idea how long it was there, it wasn't and then it was. We took him to the vet within a week. In the exam, they found the lump to be a benign cyst. Unfortunately, also during this exam, they found cancer. A lot of it. In his stomach, lungs, throat and heart. Now, he never showed any pain, never a sign of slowing down, no physical or behavioral changes whatsoever. We opted to not treat it and make his remaining 2 months the best of his life. We put him down a week and a half after the exam when he refused food. Until that point, NOTHING had changed.

Dogs won't always show us when they're in pain. It's our responsibility... No duty, as owners to protect them at the first sight of danger, whether they act like there is a problem or not.


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

Nice to see that censorship is alive and well.


----------



## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

You'll have that on most public forums.


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Foul language is not allowed here regardless of the context and who says it.


----------



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Can someone clear this up for me? Is the dog still alive? Just not on meds?


----------



## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> Can someone clear this up for me? Is the dog still alive? Just not on meds?


I believe he had her euthanized. That's the way I read it anyway.


----------



## mheath0429 (Sep 8, 2012)

I am less concerned with you euthanizing your dog and more concerned with the fact that you even considered that breeding her would be okay. People int he Siberian world have worked VERY hard to breed out health issues and here you are contributing to them. You should be ashamed of yourself. Use some of the money you make off puppies to do proper health testing and veterinary care, perhaps your dogs would be healthier.


----------



## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

JAC said:


> No, she doesn't seem to be complaining or bothered by it. Like I said, she has her normal appetite and attitude. She hasn't had access to anything unusual. I know a little bit about GVD and think it is probably safe to rule that out. I have not taken her to the vet. If a dog is eating and pooping and not complaining I can't justify the cost. I know that seems a bit cold but with huskies, and several of them, I typically don't go unless I know it is serious.
> 
> Shall we say a "distended abdomen" instead of bloat?


Just because there is no complaining or out right signs of something seriously being wrong, dosn't mean there is not...My max had no serious symptoms, just a little vomitting, I figured it was his hunger pukes/IBD or acid reflux acting up, I did take him to the vets and in less than 24 hours he was gone. I wish I had taken him in sooner. I would suggest taking her to a vet regardless of what you believe to be true or not true.


----------



## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

Rvent said:


> Just because there is no complaining or out right signs of something seriously being wrong, dosn't mean there is not...My max had no serious symptoms, just a little vomitting, I figured it was his hunger pukes/IBD or acid reflux acting up, I did take him to the vets and in less than 24 hours he was gone. I wish I had taken him in sooner. I would suggest taking her to a vet regardless of what you believe to be true or not true.


I guess I should have read all the way to the end before posting...... WOW I will never understand some of the choices people make.


----------



## JLeigh (Jul 15, 2012)

mheath0429 said:


> I am less concerned with you euthanizing your dog and more concerned with the fact that you even considered that breeding her would be okay. People int he Siberian world have worked VERY hard to breed out health issues and here you are contributing to them. You should be ashamed of yourself. Use some of the money you make off puppies to do proper health testing and veterinary care, perhaps your dogs would be healthier.


I don't understand this comment. Did he not say that he took the her to the vet and the vet said no breeding? I didn't read anywhere where he said that he still considered breeding her. Am I missing something?


----------



## 9917 (Oct 1, 2012)

This comment is directed at mheath0429- you have made a ton of assumptions and judgments here that are totally off base. Shame on you. By far the worst assumption is that I would have anything to do with Siberians.


----------



## mheath0429 (Sep 8, 2012)

JAC said:


> So I took her to the vet, did a couple of tests, found that her diet is great that she is negative for heartworms which causes similar symptoms and finally concluded that she has some type of heart disease. I chose not to go with a full spectrum of tests. The vet assured me that she is in no pain. Also said that her running career is over, which I am ok with, and that breeding is out of the question, which I am less ok with. He went on to say that meds would run me $1-200 per month. As much as I loved this girl, and I loved her a lot, I know her quality of life would have been greatly diminished and that I made the right decision.
> 
> Now at this point I expect that you will all get your panties so bunched up that several years of therapy will be required before you are back to normal. I am ok with this because I will never EVER understand the mentality that "pets are our babies" and we must spare no expense to extend their lives as long as possible! You make your choices and I will make mine and let's leave the judging for God. Thanks and goodbye.


Note the breeding comment - about being less okay with the fact the she was unable to breed. He shouldn't want to breed a dog with a health issue. 

Also, the dog is a husky mix. Hence why I said huskies.


----------



## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Regardless of if I agree with what the OP did/said, I do not think its fair to "attack" him. We all have priorities and for many of us among those top priorities are our dogs, for others that is not the case. I'm am learning more and more that everyone is different, I know many ppl out there have pets to simply have them. Many ppl that have dogs treat them like a furniture purchase, while I may not personally understand this...who am I to judge? I also know their are tons of ppl that live for their dogs (me being one of them)...

To the OP I'm sorry about your dog. I'm also unsure of what you decided but whatever the decision was I believe you made the right one, for your dog and yourself.


----------



## mheath0429 (Sep 8, 2012)

Fair enough - best regards. I'm sure your pup is thankful to never have to endure pain. 

Sorry for judging you.


----------



## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

mheath0429 said:


> Note the breeding comment - about being less okay with the fact the she was unable to breed. He shouldn't want to breed a dog with a health issue.
> 
> Also, the dog is a husky mix. Hence why I said huskies.


Yeah that jumped out at me too. And that loosing a breeding possibility is worse than not being able to run...

Although I'm still confused if the dog is still alive? I took it as he didn't do further tests.


----------



## mheath0429 (Sep 8, 2012)

The dog was put down to avoid costly and painful treatment I guess.


----------

