02/25/2026
A little piece if knowledge on this wonderful Wednesday:
BLOAT: WHAT IS IT? WHY IS IT A GENUINE CANINE EMERGENCY?
Alice Jeromin, DVM DACVD
Speaking of Pets Podcast
When people say bloat, they usually mean Gastric Dilatation–Volvulus (GDV).
It has two parts:
1. Gastric dilatation – The stomach fills with gas, fluid, or food and becomes distended.
2. Volvulus – The stomach then twists on itself, trapping contents and cutting off blood supply.
The twist is what makes it rapidly life-threatening.
Why GDV is so dangerous
Once the stomach twists:
• Blood can’t return properly to the heart → shock
• Blood supply to the stomach and spleen is compromised → tissue death
• Toxins and inflammatory mediators build up → arrhythmias, organ failure
• The distended stomach presses on the diaphragm → breathing difficulty
Without treatment, dogs can decline within hours.
Classic signs owners might notice:
These often come on suddenly, especially after eating, drinking a lot, or exercise (but not always).
Big red flags
• Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes up or just foam)
• Distended, tight abdomen (may look drum-like)
• Restlessness — can’t get comfortable, pacing
• Drooling or excessive salivation
• Panting or rapid breathing
As it progresses:
• Weakness or collapse
• Pale gums
• Rapid heart rate
• Signs of shock
If an owner sees retching + a swollen belly, that’s an immediate ER visit, no waiting.
Dogs at higher risk
GDV can happen in any dog, but risk is higher in:
Large & giant deep-chested breeds
• Great Danes (very high risk)
• German Shepherds
• Standard Poodles
• Weimaraners
• Dobermans
• Setters
Other risk factors:
• Eating one large meal daily
• Eating very fast
• Stress/anxiety
• Older age
• First-degree relative with GDV history
What happens at the ER
Treatment moves fast and usually includes:
1. Stabilization
o IV fluids for shock
o Pain control
o Oxygen if needed
o ECG monitoring (arrhythmias are common)
2. Decompression of the stomach
o Orogastric tube or
o Trocarization through the body wall
3. Surgery (definitive treatment)
o Untwist the stomach
o Assess stomach & spleen for damage
o Remove dead tissue if necessary
o Gastropexy (tack the stomach to the body wall to prevent future twisting)
Without surgery, recurrence is very likely and survival is poor.
Survival chances
With prompt surgery:
Survival rates are often quoted around 70–85%, depending on:
• How quickly treatment starts
• Degree of shock
• Tissue necrosis
• Presence of arrhythmias
Delay = worse prognosis.
Prevention (super important for at-risk dogs)
The gold standard prevention is prophylactic gastropexy.
Often done:
• At time of spay/neuter
• During another abdominal surgery
• Laparoscopically in some cases
It does not prevent gas bloat, but it does prevent the stomach from twisting — which is the deadly part.
Lifestyle steps that may help (not guarantees):
• Feed 2–3 smaller meals instead of one large meal
• Slow down fast eaters (puzzle/slow bowls)
• Avoid vigorous exercise right around mealtime
• Reduce stress during feeding
(Elevated bowls used to be recommended — evidence now suggests they may actually increase GDV risk in some dogs.)
The takeaway:
If a dog is:
Retching + bloated + restless = ER NOW
Not “wait and see,” not “call in the morning.” This is one of the true middle-of-the-night emergencies.
A recent JAVMA study (McCord MA, et al, JAVMA 12/2025) looked at 170 dogs out of 47,444 dogs from the Dog Aging Project and found GDV is most associated with Poodle breeds, increased body size, and male s*x. They DID NOT associate fear/anxiety, intact vs. neutered, age at neuter, type of diet fed, or number of meals fed/day with increased incidence of GDV. There remains many unknown factors in the development of GDV in dogs-there is no “one” factor that is true but a multifactored occurrence.
