Humans experience it, just think about Thanksgiving dinner, so do dogs. Dogs who overeat, even if it’s just on their regular dog food, or drinking excessive water after exercises, might experience an inflated stomach that looks like a balloon and twists – a very unpleasant situation.

Dogs can also experience this balloon-like stomach WITHOUT overindulging; it will inflate and twist on itself for no known reason. When an animal is bloating it can also ezperience dry heaves, gagging or attempting to vomit without discharge. Please read our article Dry Heaves .

In any case, bloat is an emergency and you need to see the vet or an emergency vet hospital immediately.

The bloating and twisting of a dog’s stomach is called GDV (gastric dilation volvulus) and a very serious condition. This has to do with the anatomy of a dog. A canine stomach is only securely attached at the spot near the top. When the stomach is dilated or full it can easily rotate. This bloating in combination with the rotation is painful, but even more, very dangerous. The blood vessels that feed the stomach are stretched and the blood flow gets insufficient. Because of the reduced circulation the lining of the stomach can be damaged or die, allowing bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream. The enlarged stomach can also put pressure on major veins, which results in limited blood flow back to the heart. That can cause the blood pressure to drop too low and the animal going into shock.

As mentioned at the beginning, GDV can be caused by overeating but also appears without any underlying cause. Some breeds though, especially deep-chested animals, such as Doberman Pinchers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Great Danes, Gordon and Irish Setters, Saint Bernards, Springer Spaniels and Basset Hounds are more pre-disposed to this condition. GDV may occur at any age, more likely though in older or middle-aged animals.

Most dogs need emergency surgery to release the pressure and stabilize blood pressure. The stomach then is untwisted and attached/taped to the body wall to prevent further twisting. Even this surgery will prevent the twisting of the stomach, the dilatation may still occur in future. Animals prone to this disease have to be watched very carefully so they don’t overeat, fed smaller, more frequent meals, and should not be allowed excessive drinking.

Since GDV does not only occur when overindulging, it is the responsibility of the dog owner to carefully observe the animal, even after surgery. The mortality rate when untreated is extremely high.