Good tips Ana. Oscar gets yogurt in one of his 2 meals a day... maybe I should make it both meals...

I'm wondering if this particular instance wasn't brought on by stress - besides the fact that he's a deep chested large breed, nothing else fits the "common high risks" for bloat (activity right after eating, drinking a ton after eating, elevated food bowl, inhaling kibble, etc) HOWEVER we just returned wednesday from a week in NYC (staying in downtown manhattan) and Oscar HATED it... I don't blame him. The car ride home was long and relatively hot... and I had to be away from the house all day yesterday (I work from home and would normally be with him most all of every day). Perhaps he was just reeling from all the strange and unusual (for him) recent activity and it manifested in digestive issues. I just hope it doesn't happen again, I know there's increased incidences in dogs who have previously bloated...

~Natalya

Oh No....poor Oscar! At least he is in the best animal hospital!

 Quote: Ana Kozlowsky

.... eta: my mother mentioned an injection that reduces gas almost instantly. Does not know what it was, though. She had a cat that bloated. Anybody knows what the injection is?

Was it simethicone?

She didn't mean a large-gauge needle to trocarize?

On account of the food still in his belly, I was told not to feed dinner tonight, and to switch to small, easily digestible meals

Every authoritative vet site I know agrees with the smaller, more frequent meals for bloat-vulnerable dogs.


Also, I like this thoughtful overview:
http://www.showzymes.com/prevention.htm


Doesn't raw food, bones and all, take LESS time to digest than Science Diet?

Yes. Much less.

Natalya - healing thoughts going out to the big sweetheart, Oscar. Please give him a hug and scratch for me!

Only good, happy thoughts coming your way

Natalya, I'm just reading this now. I hope Oscar is home with you and comfortable.

I think that's as good an explanation as any about why this happened at this time (stress).

Perhaps you might want to get a good quality pro-biotic in capsule form to add to his yogurt. You'll get a larger variety of beneficial bacteria that way, as opposed to just increasing his yogurt.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Ana Kozlowsky

.... eta: my mother mentioned an injection that reduces gas almost instantly. Does not know what it was, though. She had a cat that bloated. Anybody knows what the injection is?

Was it simethicone?

She didn't mean a large-gauge needle to trocarize?

I will have to ask Mom. And the vet when they remove the sutures so that I could ask for it specifically if something like this happens again.

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

I just hope it doesn't happen again, I know there's increased incidences in dogs who have previously bloated...

Does it mean that the accident has lasting effect on the animal or that it simply exposes this particular animal's predisposition to such accidents? I cannot find an answer.

More on stress being a factor from my reading:

By Linda Arndt

please check your URL bbcode syntax!!!

http://www.GreatDaneLady.com:

It is in my opinion that bloat/torsion manifests itself when the animal is under stress due to many factors. Sometimes the stress is external and obvious. Other times it is internal and any signs that may be displayed go unnoticed. Bloat and torsion may appear to be triggered by one event when in reality it is a condition that has been building due to a number of circumstances. I believe the disease is multi-factored and is in response to a chronic deterioration of the total system affected by environmental, dietary, psychological, and physiological factors. These factors, singly or in combination, cause excessive wear on an animal's system, change the pH balance and can encourage pathogenic bacteria growth causing bloat. This alters the body's electrical and chemical balance, which under the right conditions will cause stomach or spleen torsion.

Exercise is important in the elimination of stress for humans as well as animals, and dogs that are kenneled and caged without adequate exercise for muscle/bone development as well as for psychological reasons (boredom and inertia) are primary candidates for these diseases.

 Quote: Ana Kozlowsky

By Linda Arndt

please check your URL bbcode syntax!!!

http://www.GreatDaneLady.com:

I believe the disease is multi-factored and is in response to a chronic deterioration of the total system affected by environmental, dietary, psychological, and physiological factors. These factors, singly or in combination, cause excessive wear on an animal's system, change the pH balance and can encourage pathogenic bacteria growth causing bloat.

Yikes, I'd like to think Oscar is in much better overall condition than this would imply, but I suppose the theory makes sense. I do think the poor beast has been under unusually intense external/environmental stress due to our recent travel, so that's my guess... though I really do think he's quite healthy and well balanced otherwise.

We're home from the hospital, but Oscar is far from relaxing comfortably. Anesthesia always makes him REALLY out of it, so he's wobbling and swaying on 4 feet, refusing to just lay down, and he's still drooling a bit. I have a call in to the vet again to ask about his general condition, but until then, we're just taking it super slow and I'm trying to sit with him a lot (which he doesn't really love under normal circumstances, and might be extra weirded out by now...). He has peed a couple times, pooped once, and burped rather loudly a few times, all of which I think are good signs.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I really hope he's back to some form of normalcy tomorrow. I get so worn out worrying about him...

And Lynne - thanks for the probiotic tip, it sounds like a great plan.

~Natalya

Thinking of you and Oscar. So glad it wasn't worse.