Question:
Three months ago, I adopted a dog from my local animal shelter. They said he was a mix of German shepherd, collie and possibly Great Dane, approximately 7 years old. I fell head over heels in love with this gentle giant but soon found out he had ear infections, and I started a course of treatment with a veterinarian.Last Saturday night, right after he ate dinner, he started acting like he was going to throw up and seemed very uncomfortable. Nothing came up, but he couldn't seem to lie still for very long. After watching this for a short time, I took him to an emergency veterinarian, who told me he was suffering from bloat and needed surgery right away. They said the surgery and hospital stay would cost between $2,500 and $3,500. Since I am a widow raising three teenagers, the price was very high to me and, with all he'd gone through, I decided to put the best thing that has happened to us in the last year to sleep.Now I grieve more for this dog than I do for my husband. Do you think I made the right choice?
J.M., Lincoln Park, MI Jan 21, 2007
Answer:
I share your grief, knowing how agonizing such a financial and emotional decision must have been for you. The symptoms you describe should be read by all, since often the seriousness of this condition is not always recognized, being dismissed as acute indigestion that will soon pass.Deep-chested, big dogs are especially prone to bloat. Preventive measures include feeding three to four small meals a day and not allowing strenuous physical activity or drinking a lot of water soon before or after eating. Also avoid exposing bloat-prone dogs to emotional distress, such as having an in-house dog caregiver when you must travel rather than putting the dog in a kennel, where separation anxiety could trigger bloat, as well as any change in diet and feeding regimen.The one consolation is that, despite the expense, your dog would most likely have gone into shock and never recovered from emergency surgery.
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