From Caitlyn B, Cocoa Beach FL
Hi Dr. Gail! I love Xena! We have a Great Dane too but last weekend she almost died from having a bloat. She is ok now. What is a bloat and how did she get it?
Dear Caitlyn:
So sorry to hear about the close call with your dog, but glad she is OK now!
Bloat is much more common in Great Danes than other breeds. They have a deep chest and their stomach can move around more. It can get twisted on itself, which is very dangerous.
The reason it is called ‘bloat’ is that that the stomach gets really big when it is twisted. It is blocked from moving anything through and can be very painful. It can also shut off blood supply to other parts of the body.
Most bloats need emergency surgery. Sometimes the stomach will untwist on its own, but that is not common, and it may twist up again in the future. If your dog had surgery, they probably stitched up her stomach in a way that it won’t have the chance to do this anymore.
Dr. Gail
Hi Dr. Gail! I love Xena! We have a Great Dane too but last weekend she almost died from having a bloat. She is ok now. What is a bloat and how did she get it?
Dear Caitlyn:
So sorry to hear about the close call with your dog, but glad she is OK now!
Bloat is much more common in Great Danes than other breeds. They have a deep chest and their stomach can move around more. It can get twisted on itself, which is very dangerous.
The reason it is called ‘bloat’ is that that the stomach gets really big when it is twisted. It is blocked from moving anything through and can be very painful. It can also shut off blood supply to other parts of the body.
Most bloats need emergency surgery. Sometimes the stomach will untwist on its own, but that is not common, and it may twist up again in the future. If your dog had surgery, they probably stitched up her stomach in a way that it won’t have the chance to do this anymore.
Dr. Gail
