Hi All,
Libby here.
Summer may have ended last week but it sure doesn't feel like it!
But enough about the weather. This week, I want to talk about something called 'bloat'.
Now for the ladies out there, this may sound like a familiar condition.
But, the bloat I am going to talk about today has nothing to do with that sort of bloat.
NOO. This bloat, is something far more serious.
Bloat is when the stomach spontaneously fills up with a lot of gas.
Farting jokes aside, bloat sometimes makes the stomach twist creating a situation where the gas can't escape from either end (imagine eating a Chipotle burrito and not being able to use the facilities afterward).Times 1000. Needless to say, this results in an incredibly painful and potentially life threatening situation. Gas is no joke!
Well, this unfortunately occurred to Dr. Quim's beloved pet, Sierra, who was boarding at the PPAC this past weekend. She was just hanging out, minding her own business when suddenly, out of nowhere, she started panting heavily.
Bloat is especially common in dogs who are deep chested, such as Dobermans and Great Danes. It usually occurs after they have a large meal or drink a lot and exercise afterwards (remember when your mom told you to not swim on a full stomach!)
But sometimes, it can happen spontaneously to other breeds as well, as was the case with Dr. Quim's dog.
Fortunately, the techs at the PPAC were on top of their game and called the bloat to Dr. Holloway's attention ASAP. Dr. Holloway immediately sedated Sierra, put a stomach tube into her, and relieved the gas and semi-digested food, saving the day. After the procedure, Sierra felt much better.
So ladies and gents, if you ever observe your dog looking very bloated or with a distended stomach, bring your animal in to the vet immediately. Time is of the essence so this sort of condition needs to be addressed ASAP.
Always be on the lookout for excess gas!
Til' next time,
Libby
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