|
|
Article: Change dog's eating habits to avoid bloat.
- Article from:
- The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)
- Article date:
- June 14, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Dallas Morning News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: Dr. Shawn P.Messonnier
Q. Our greyhound Charles was recently diagnosed and treated for a mild case of bloat. His doctor said we were lucky since most dogs with bloat need surgery. Is there anything we can do to prevent this?
A. Bloat occurs when the stomach fills with air and the dog is not able to belch the air to relieve the discomfort. In some cases, the stomach enlarges so much that it turns on its axis, causing volvulus.
Bloating can be treated by inserting a needle through the skin and into the stomach; the air in the stomach exits through the needle. If this is not successful, the dog is anesthetized and a tube is placed through ...