Holistic Pet Care w/ Dr. O: BLOAT Mother of All Emergencies

Sylvia Global

"BLOAT" The Mother of All Emergencies In the bloated stomach, gas and/or food stretches the stomach many times its normal size, causing tremendous abdominal pain. For reasons we do not fully understand, this grossly distended stomach tends to rotate, thus twisting off not only its own blood supply but the only exit routes for the gas inside. Not only is this condition extremely painful but it is also rapidly life-threatening. A dog with a bloated, twisted stomach (more scientifically called gastric dilatation and volvulus) will die in pain in a matter of hours unless drastic steps are taken. Patient Mike Gang Mike came into Becky Gang's life at the age of 8 weeks. Mike was born in Colorado and along with his 5 siblings was donated to the Eye Dog Foundation in Phoenix, AZ. Mike was originally going to be in the breeding program, but that changed and Becky adopted Mike as a family pet. Mike was a very healthy dog most of his life, with the exception of a sensitive tummy on occasion and "growing pains" in his early years. He became a therapy dog and enjoyed playing ball with residents at a local nursing home. Mike was about 11 years old at the onset of his "bloat." He died May 1, 2012 just weeks short of his 14th birthday.