This short article is written specifically for those who have never heard of Gastric Torion or do not know the signs.

If Gastric Torsion occurs in your dog it is ALLWAYS FATAL unless treated within minutes.

It can occur on deep chested dogs, I am told (by vets) that its occurrence in small chested dogs is low. Dobermanns are a high-risk dog, people might wish to add others.

Gastric Torsion is the bloating of the gut which then starts to twist, the dogs stomach starts to swell up with gasses and often it is in pain, at that stage, it can all happen in minuets and death is minuets away.

The symptoms are usually unexpected, repeated regurgitation of stomach contents, often the dog has a glazed look in its eyes, the dog might belch or wretch foam or bubbles, the most certain sign is that the stomach starts to swell.

A dog, which is not operated on within 20 minuets, is unlikely to survive.

As far as I have been told by vets there is no one cause but some things might heighten the risk, such as, feeding soon after exercise, exercise within 2 hours after small meals, allowing the dog to gulp lots of water after exercise, SALT WATER, be careful on beaches dogs swallowing or even picking up seaweed are at HIGH risk, a muzzle failing all else.

Action, you have no time to guess “Is it or isn’t it” the slightest suspicion at all you must get the dog to a vet, it is already dying, IGNORE guesswork and drop the Brit stiff upper lip, if no nurse is at the reception go straight into a consulting room and just say Gastric torsion NOW.

Your dog will be taken straight to operating table, all you can do then is hope for the best.

This, unfortunatly is not an uncommon event so do not take chances when away, find out the nearest 24 hr vet.

If you are passing through a strange town in a situation which you suspect a torsion is occurring try pubs, modern police stations will make you wait in a queue and start altercations if you just barge in and shout I need an emergency vet, you don’t have time, a 999 call to get a vets address wherever you are might bring results, you will not loose anything.

To follow on a bit from that as I have experienced this dreadful condition in one of my own German Shepherds is that a sign can be TRYING to vomit but not being able to because the stomach has already rotated on its axis and the ends have nipped off. My dog was panting and showing signs of distress and shock with pale gums. He was also trying to defecate repeatedly. He survived the surgery.
A dog of a friend of mine also survived a torsion operation where the torsion did not follow a bloat. The dog was foaming at the mouth but had a flat stomach.
I have now raised his feed bowl to prevent him gulping his meals and ingested excess air.
This is a terrifying condition and I had to wait 12 hours to find out if he was going to survive the initial surgery and then a further 24 hours to see if the lining of his stomach was going to die.
The salt water is a new one on me. It's one of the remedies I would use to make my dogs vomit if they had eaten anything icky and I didn't have any mustard. I think I'll give it a miss now!

Hiya
Weimaraners are prone to this conditon. I was in the
vets the other week and they had just lost one due
to bloat.
The sea weed and salt water is a new one to me also.
I will bear it in mind as the last time I went to the beach
my dog ate gulps of sea weed, and kept drinking the sea
water. So I will watch out for that
Thanks

I lost my last as a result of eating/swallowing seaweed, I had lost him by the time I got to a vet but they said it was not uncommon there (Suffolk coastal area) for torsions after taking in salt water, they said all the vets in that area were aware of it.
But yes, I raise my dogs food and water bowl as the told me that is a precaution.

My Gsd's Father died of a stomach torsion, He ate his food very fast, and apparently his stomach twisted, just after. He was taken to the vets, but there was nothing they could do, it was to late. It doesn't take long appently.

Jane

Recent studies are indicating that raising food and water bowls does not prevent bloat, maybe just the opposite.

I don't have time at the moment but will see if I can find the articles (they are on the web somewhere) next week.

Christine

Hi Christine I have also read the same thing. I would also like to add that it can happen when they are recovering from illness. It happened to my pup.
Her food had been moistened, she hadnt been excercised & the only symptom she had was swelling of the sides.
Christine

Hi Christine

Raising the food bowl stops my dog gulping his food. I can't see the point in doing it if your dog does not have the action of picking up his food in his front teeth and snatching it to the back taking in excess air before he swallows - usually with little if any chewing.
My other dog of the same breed picks his food up delicately and chews thoroughly - his food bowl is on the ground as I don't feel it necessary to raise it.
It works for me! There are pro's and con's for everything.

Lara

That sounds terrible?

Julieann