What if my puppy eats too much food and is bloated?
It is still important to contact your veterinarian or after-hours emergency hospital if you think your dog has ingested a large amount of food or treats. Prompt advice and treatment from a veterinarian can make this condition treatable and provide your dog with quick relief.
Treatment of simple bloat can be quite straightforward. Dogs are usually hospitalized to receive large amounts of intravenous fluids and sometimes medicine. They're also walked often to stimulate movement of the gastrointestinal tract to help move the gas and food quickly through the body.
In puppies, abdominal distension after eating is quite normal. As long as they are bright and playful, and it goes down in a few hours, there's nothing to worry about.
Bloat is a medical emergency that requires quick intervention, as it can be fatal. Visit your veterinarian or emergency clinic as soon as possible if you notice signs of bloat in your dog. Bloat in dogs won't resolve on its own, so it's important to get help quickly.
“Bloats without torsion can last for minutes to hours, even days in low-level chronic situations, without it becoming life-threatening.
This simple bloating can occur on its own and may resolve on its own. According to Maureen Luschini, VMD, DACVECC, a board-certified specialist in veterinary emergency and critical care, bloat without twisting can still be life threatening but risk depends on the severity and duration.
Retching but not able to vomit. Drooling. Pain in the abdomen when touched. Other signs of distress such as panting and restlessness.
The classic sign of bloat is unproductive retching (it looks like your dog has to throw up but nothing comes out). The abdomen appears to be swollen and firm to the touch. Breathing may also appear to be labored and they may have a hard time getting up or even collapse.
Will a Dog with Bloat Poop? Generally, a dog with bloat will not be able to poop. If they do, it will be diarrhea and of small volume. But do not assume that because your dog has been able to have a bowel movement they are not experiencing bloat.
The bloat occurs due to gas being trapped in the stomach area and thus begins to expand painfully, restricting blood flow and preventing digestion. There is no agreed-upon single cause for GDV. Even so, it is generally thought to be caused by swallowing excessive air and heavy exercise after a large meal.
What to do when a puppy's stomach is hard and big?
For the condition to truly be bloat and not weight gain, your dog's stomach will be swollen and hard or have an unusual shape. If you notice this, call your veterinarian immediately. If it's after hours, you should take him to the emergency vet. Bloat generally occurs when food or gas stretches the dog's stomach.
Water Intake Is Also Important When Trying to Prevent Bloat
The general idea is to avoid your dog's stomach getting too full, too fast. Drinking water not only stretches the stomach but your dog likely intakes a lot of air if they are drinking water too quickly.
If foreign material is suspected or the food cannot be removed with tubing, surgery may be warranted. Thankfully, with aggressive fluid therapy and support care, most dogs do well after 24 hours.
For the first 7 days at home feed your dog small meals about 3 to 4 times a day of a bland, low fat diet that is easy to digest. Examples include boiled / steamed / microwaved skinless chicken, pasta, cooked veggies and rice. Gradually wean your dog back on to its regular diet after this time.
I recommend all large breed and giant breed dog owners keep simethicone on hand for an emergency home treatment for bloat. Depending on the size of your dog, you may want to give 2-4 180mg capsules or a chewable form of simethicone. Another option is a product called Bloat Buster, which is a liquid form of simethicone.
You Cannot Treat GDV at Home
There are no home remedies, medications, or supplements that are safe or effective to give a dog that is suffering from GDV/Bloat. No amount of Gas-X® or any other at-home or over-the-counter treatment will cure or help a dog or prevent GDV from developing.
The condition has been reported to most commonly occur two to three hours after eating a large meal, although bloat and GDV can occur at any time.
Move your hand up the leg along the tibia's sharp crest; what in humans would be called the shin. As your hand approaches the stifle, or the “knee” the crest becomes very pronounced and then curls around to the outside (laterally). Just inside this curve is a depression. The acupressure point is in this depression.
What home remedies can I give my dog for gas? A tummy massage and a warm bath can help provide immediate relief for gas. Feeding probiotics and a limited ingredient diet that's low in carbs can also help.
Large-breed and deep-chested dogs are at the highest risk of developing bloat. Predisposed breeds include: Great Danes (39% of Great Danes will experience bloat during their lifetime) Standard poodle.
What can trigger bloat in dogs?
- Eating from a raised food bowl.
- Having one big meal a day.
- Eating quickly.
- A lot of running or playing after they eat.
- Other dogs they are related to have had bloat.
- Eating or drinking too much.
While there are mild cases of bloat in dogs, this should still be considered a serious medical issue. Without the appropriate treatment it could be fatal. As such, even if the symptoms don't seem severe, you should take your dog to see a vet as quickly as possible.
1 Still, puppies of any size can develop bloat. Ingesting too much food or water quickly: When puppies eat food or drink too fast, they can inhale and trap large amounts of air in their stomachs and create bloat.
You may see drooling along with other symptoms like unproductive vomiting, restlessness, or lethargy. If you think your dog ate too much food and you notice canine bloat symptoms, you should seek vet care immediately. Your pup may be one of the few dogs to survive this terrible disease.
- An enlargement of the dog's abdomen.
- Retching.
- Salivation.
- Restlessness.
- An affected dog will feel pain and might whine if you press on his belly.
What to Do If You Think Your Dog is Bloated. Take your dog to a veterinarian for immediate evaluation and treatment. If your regular vet isn't open, seek immediate attention at another veterinary practice or find your closest veterinary emergency hospital.
Water Intake Is Also Important When Trying to Prevent Bloat
The general idea is to avoid your dog's stomach getting too full, too fast. Drinking water not only stretches the stomach but your dog likely intakes a lot of air if they are drinking water too quickly.
The condition has been reported to most commonly occur two to three hours after eating a large meal, although bloat and GDV can occur at any time.
