The thought of a dog bloating strikes fear in the heart of every large, deep chested dog owner, and although primarily affecting the larger breeds, some smaller breeds are also at risk of bloat.

What is bloat?

The dog may seem restless first laying down just to jump right back up again, pacing, unable to get comfortable. He is likely salivating, or he may drink water and then immediately throw it up. Often the dog retches, attempting to vomit, producing nothing but perhaps some saliva (dry heaves). The dog definitely appears in distress. The real trouble begins when the stomach starts to distend, getting bigger and bigger before your eyes. This usually preceeds "torsion", which is when the stomach flips over, twisting on its axis thus prohibiting the natural function of elimating the air which is now building up in the stomach and, even more threatening, cutting of the blood supply to the stomach, a vital organ. This in turn slows the blood flow to the heart and cardiac arrythmias soon follow. All the while toxins are beginning to form in the stomach, which is dying from lack of blood flow. Other organs become compromised, i.e. pancreas, spleen, liver and bowel. The dog begins to become "shocky". Time is critical, your action needs to be swift.

What to do?

The moment you think your dog might be in bloat, immediately get him to your veterinarian or an e