Bloat - a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1WrT2719yo

I was sent this video of an Akita with bloat on FB. The people in the video and the person taping had never seen a dog bloat before and probably didn't realize at the moment what an emergency it was.

Happily the dog lived but even better more dogs might be able to live because we can see for those who have never experienced what bloat looks like.

Just so no one makes the mistake. Bloat is an emergency - if you ever suspect bloat it's better to go to the vet and be proved wrong than wait and see.

I am really thankful they took this video, even with it being on accident. I'm also thankful that the dog was saved.

I will be sure to show this to my folks. They will likely be more willing to watch 3 minutes than to read anything I could print out and give to them. Thanks for sharing.

I just had this linked to me on FB -- thanks for sharing here. I've never seen bloat and am grateful to vicariously learn what it looks like just in case.

And very glad the poor dog survived.

I wish I had this about 6 months ago, lol Roman got into a bag of kibble and he must've eaten like 10 lbs of the crap, I didn't realize it and so when I saw him walking around with a mega distended belly I was concerned. Acted totally hyper/happy/OK though, so I just kept an eye on him. I'm sure others have had similar scares.

Bloat always scares me. I've been really lucky, but I know if it did happen, we'd likely lose a dog. Our vet is an hour and a half away, and I worry we wouldn't get there in time.

Thank you for sharing this. Bloat is terrifying.

Ugh, that is terrifying. It is unlikely to happen with my two, but still something all dog owners should be aware of, particularly those with breeds that are prone to it. It is amazing how few dog owners, even those with Danes, dobes, Amiga's, etc have no clue what it is or what to look for.

If it is a long drive to your vet it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different ways to temporarily relieve pressure (intubating being one of them). Some good articles on some of the Dane sites. Of course if the stomach has already twisted.... Eek....

Just a note to anyone who stumbles on this thread from google or something.

You need to look up the warning signs of bloat. Yoshi bloated and she didn't show any signs and it was hard for me to pick up on it. The only real reason I knew something was wrong is when I tried to give her a chicken strip she didn't eat it. She is so food driven she'll eat until she's sick and keep eating. So her not eating the one piece of food was enough for me to take her to the vet.

This video shows a dog who is definitely bloating but your dog may not look like this dog at all. Your dog may not even act like the symptoms say they should act. But if even one of the flags shows up call your vet. I was lucky and caught Yoshi's bloat early. But there are thousands of people who ignored smaller signals and lost their dogs.

The Collie Health Foundation has a bloat kit you can buy - http://www.colliehealth.org/promos.html or you can easily get one put together yourself provided you know how to use it (and it'll cost much less)

I was told bloat kits were no longer recommended. :/

Farley was the same way - none of the typical signs. In fact once the vet gave him an exam he didn't feel he had bloat but to put my mind at ease he took an xray to rule out bloat or a blockage. He came back into the room to say they were prepping him for surgery because his stomach had already twisted.

From what I've seen if you know what you are doing you can use a bloat kit but you still need to rush your dog to the vet.

I don't think I could do it. I don't think yoshi would struggle too much if I tried I'm just not personally confident shoving a tube into my dog.

But to everyone who can use one properly kudos I guess.