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Please watch for bloat in your dogs!

17817 Views 10 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  spiz, 
A
Hi. I'm new here after losing my beloved Vizsla, Amber, last weekend at 9 2/3. She died peacefully during the night and we aren't exactly sure what caused her to die. She had difficulty with her breathing and started vomiting. Shortly afterward she went into shock, lost bowel control and died in my husband's arms. We are devastated. It happened SO fast and the only thing which makes sense to us after looking through every symptom in the book is that she developed bloat. I had never heard of this condition and am horrified at how quickly it can come on and claim a dog's life. There are simple things that a dog owner can do to help keep bloat at bay....do not feed your dog once/day (as we did) but rather 2-3 smaller meals throughout the day. Also, keep fresh water available at all times OTHER THAN one hour before/after meals. We kept fresh water all the time and there were times she'd gulp her food and then inhale the water. Very bad combination.
I wish more people/breeders/vets would educate the public about this horrific condition.
If Amber's death saves just one life of a Vizsla (or any breed for that matter) her death won't be in vain.
Please watch for bloat in your dogs!!
We are still grieving over Amber's loss and will for a long time....I will get another Vizsla at some point, as they are the most wonderful dogs. In the meantime, we are trying to rescue a springer spaniel who has had a horrific start to her life. In a couple of years, I will be ready for another velcro dog!!!
Thank you for reading and please watch for this condition in your dogs!!!
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C
Amber,
Very sorry to hear of your V's passing. :(
Thank you for the head's up on this, being a new owner of a V (he's 6 months now) we are constantly making sure he is getting the best of what we can offer. We can only hope we are doing the right thing.

Again, very sorry for your loss.
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B
I am so sorry for your loss...vizslas truly are members of the family. I'm sure the mere thought of her will bring smiles to your face for years to come.

I wasn't very educated about the bloat and torsion either until that Marley and Me movie came out. That prompted me to do some research on my own. I found out they can do what is called a "gastropexy" which is basically a procedure where they tack the side of the stomach to the body wall. It is supposed to prevent the twist of the stomach that causes the bloat. I had read they recommend it for dogs with the body shape like vizslas, labs, great danes, etc as they are more prone to this condition. We asked our vet if she could do the gastropexy at the same time Shelby was to get fixed. They said that was smart since they'd already be in there anyway, it would just make for a longer incision and add about $100 to the vet bill. I thought it was worth it. Anyway, that's just some advice I wanted to add to the above.

Thank you for sharing with us...I'm truly sorry to hear you are going through this.
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B
SO SORRY TO HERE ABOUT YOUR LOSS, OUR PUP IS ONLY 18WKS AND ALREADY I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVIN HER SO CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT I'D FEEL AFTER 9YRS, TRULY SORRY.
ALOT OF PEOPLE USE THIS SITE SO AM SURE YOU WILL SAVE MORE THAN ONE LIFE WITH YOUR INFORMATION.
VIZSLA'S ARE FOREVER LOVED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN!
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D
This notice needs perhaps a separate section (Health warnings) dedicated in this forum so that it is always available!

I am curious how many members know the symptoms and prevention.

Today, we met a couple during our morning walk and their 5 year old GSP (very nice specimen) who luckily survived bloat, torsion. Foaming saliva at the mouth. We were shown the surgery marks on his chest.
The couple was very apologetic as they explained the condition. The cost of surgery and medicine was around C$8000 (Canadian funds).
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M
Please accept my sincere condolences on your loss of Amber... and thank you for your thoughtful post about the dangers of bloat.

I personally know three families that have had to endure this awful problem. Two of the dogs never made it through the surgery. They died on the table. The third, a young German Shepherd, survived and did have his stomach tacked in place to prevent a repeat. His owners, a young couple, are now carrying a lot of debt to pay the Veterinary bills.

Ways to prevent bloat, as suggested by my Vet: feed two meals a day rather than one; don't use elevated dishes; put a little warm water on the kibble to aid digestion; and do not allow your dog to exercise vigorously for 45 minutes after eating (a gentle walk is okay, but no running, jumping or flipping around). I follow these rules religiously, because I know how devastating bloat can be. And yes, any dog with a deep rib cage is prone to develop it.

p.s. The technical term is "Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV), Bloat and Torsion" -- Here is a good link to explain it: http://www.2ndchance.info/bloat.htm

I always explain to Willie that he needs to take a little snooze right after he eats.
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M
Hope everyone has had a chance to read through this thread...
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Kutya
Resurrecting an old thread...

We were warned from a friend with a Weimaraner that stomach bloat, twisting or flipping can be an issue with Vs, Ws and pointers in general because of their shape, activity level and propensity to eat rapidly. They recommended getting one of those bowls with groves to slow down his eating (our pup does wolf it down fast) and to not exercise hard after eating. Our vet recently agreed with all of that advice, so we've ordered the bowl and are watching the feeding-exercise times.

Does anyone else have anything to add on the subject from their experience? I found this thread and felt badly for the V owner who lost their dog to it.
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T
Kutya said:
Resurrecting an old thread...

We were warned from a friend with a Weimaraner that stomach bloat, twisting or flipping can be an issue with Vs, Ws and pointers in general because of their shape, activity level and propensity to eat rapidly. They recommended getting one of those bowls with groves to slow down his eating (our pup does wolf it down fast) and to not exercise hard after eating. Our vet recently agreed with all of that advice, so we've ordered the bowl and are watching the feeding-exercise times.

Does anyone else have anything to add on the subject from their experience? I found this thread and felt badly for the V owner who lost their dog to it.
Click to expand...
Thank you for resurrecting and reminding us of this important issue. Luckily, in our puppy training classes, we informed of this especially with active breeds like V's. We do try hard not to exercise them for at least one hour after eating. But it's always a good reminder.

Ty again..........
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Gabica
Same here. No feeding before and after vigorous exercise until their heart rate / breathing went back to normal. usually our rule is 1 hour before and after feeding there has to be either quiet activity like chewing or crate rest. Using slow feeder, balls etc to slow them down and also tire out more while eating. Also adding some water to their kibble.

Thank you from my side for this reminder, our neighbor has just had a bloated deep chested dog recently, surgery, emergency room, lots of emotions and money involved etc. Now she is paying attention, had now idea or appreciation for this before and thought we were fancy using those `equipments` to feed the boys...
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S
Walk, excersise in morning before meal, then wait around 1/2 hour before feeding. Then NO vigourous excersise for at least three hours is how i do it as he will usually crash for a good nap after that. Walk/excersise in afternoon / evening and then wait for 1/2 hour again before his dinner. It is funny how he knows when that 1/2 hour has come up as he starts to wine and complain for his dinner. I swear he knows how to read a clock! That is the method i use and seems to work so far as i have been worried about it also as the red dogs just love to run and play so much. He is starting to calm as he gets older but still has his mental zoomy run arounds and throw me that ball so i can chase it down moments. Hope that helps as a routine.





Happy days!


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