[nagdu] Bloat

Tue Mar 8 16:49:03 UTC 2011

Brenda,

I'm going to ask my vet about that next time we go, though that won't be for
a couple of months or so.

In bloat, the problem is that the intestines get twisted somehow, so blood
supply is cut off and the intestine necrotizes and poisons the dog.  I don't
know if there is a way to get things back in order before it is too late
without surgery.

Some preventative measures I've read and try to follow are to always make
sure the dog eats and drinks in a natural posture with the head down to eat
food at ground level.  I don't know if it's true that not doing so can
result in bloat, but I'm careful with Mitzi that way because of her long
poodly neck and narrow body.  Just in case!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Brenda
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 5:09 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Bloat

Is there anything that can be done to prevent bloat from requiring surgery?
Brenda

On 3/7/2011 3:15 PM, Tamara Smith-Kinney wrote:
> Yeeks!  $5K????  Yes, that is horrible!  I'd better check with my vet to
see
> what that is here.  For a guide dog, that still works out as the better
> bargain, but good grief!
>
> I feel so bad for your friend and her loss.
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 11:06 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Bloat
>
> Hi Tami.
> Thanks for the further info. I'll take Ben's pulse tonight.  (People might
> think it was weird, if I did it in my office.)
> May bloat never happen to any of our dogs.
> My friend said that surgery might have saved the dog, but it was $5000 and
> the owner just couldn't afford it.  Isn't that horrible, to have to choose
> between a huge bill and the life of your dog?! It's nice to know, but,
> should I ever be there, I could call on my school for help, so long as my
> dog was still working.
>
> Tracy
>
>> Tracy,
>>
>> I'm so sorry about your friend's dog!  Thank you for the reminder about
>> bloat.
>>
>> It is good to know the signs of bloat, since it leaves no time to waste
in
>> getting to a vet.  Poodles are prone to bloat, so I live in fear of it
and
>> check Mitzi over regularly, just in case.  If she seems to have a tummy
>> ache
>> or even to be feeling a bit off, I check her abdomen and femoral pulse
>> first, just to be sure!
>>
>> So the signs I know to look for are a hardened, distended abdomen and
lack
>> of femoral pulse on either side.  You can feel the femoral pulse by
>> standing
>> behind your dog and putting your hands around the thighs so that your
>> fingertips can feel up into the groin where the pulse is.  No pulse means
>> blood supply is cut off and you're nearly out of time!  It never hurts to
>> know what your dog's normal pulse feels like, so you can tell if it's
very
>> weak or thready, especially if there's unusual tension in the abdomen.
>>
>> So far, so good with my girl, and I plan to keep it that way!  But if the
>> signs do show up ever, I will know it's time to head to the vet!
>>
>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf
>> Of Tracy Carcione
>> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2011 6:54 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] Bloat
>>
>> My neighbor's lab mix died last night from bloat.  My friend was
>> dog-sitting, and called me to see what I thought about the dog pacing and
>> crying.  I guessed bloat, and thought the dog should go to the vet
>> immediately, but the owner wanted to wait and see if it got better.
>> Off-hours vet visits are very expensive, but sometimes you just can't
>> wait.  I'm sorry I was right, though.
>>
>> I thought I'd share, so we can all have a better idea of what to look out
>> for.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
>>
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