Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Bella, You are a lucky girl to have owners who acted quickly when you developed GDV!


Bella developed GDV (Gastric dilation and volvulus) commonly known as bloat with stomach twisting.

Common signs of bloat are restlessness and pacing, drooling, apparent discomfort, retching, unsuccessful attempts to vomit, and enlarged (bloated) abdomen. 

Bella had several of these signs and her owners took her immediately to the vets for treatment and surgery.

If you own a standard poodle, PLEASE read about this condition and be prepared to act quickly. Talk to your vet about current preventive measures and treatments of bloat.  Know your vets office hours and have an emergency clinic that you trust as a backup for off hours.  

GDV is a life threatening condition...your dog can go from healthy to gravely ill in a matter of hours.

Here are some preventive measures that are believed to help.  Feed 2-3 smaller meals a day rather than one large feeding, include wet food in your dog's daily diet, feed from a dish on the floor (NOT raised) and avoid exercising heavily before and after meals.

Some owners choose to have elective surgery on their poodles to prevent the stomach from twisting..it is called  "Gastropexy" or stomach tacking.  
Below is one place you can check out for more information:
Here is a picture of Bella recovering at home.

Get well quickly Bella and we hope you are up and playing VERY soon!

1 comment:

  1. This happened to my Violet when she was 14. I noticed it and rushed her to Dr. Benson at AdvanceVet in Reisterstown MD. Thanks to him and his crew he saved her and tacked her stomach. Biggest scare he said is a potassium surge during surgery that can cause arrythemias in the heart and possible death. With lidocaine drip he prevented that and all was happy in the end.

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