What causes a dog's stomach to turn/twist? How can you prevent it?

Question

This happened to my parent's chow-chow several years ago and I have yet to hear a descent explanation of this phenomenon.

Answer 1

Google: Torsion, Bloat and GDV
http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/bloat.htm
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/bloat_and_torsion_is_nutrition_a_factor.htm
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/bloat_prevention_gastropexy_htm.htm

There are many things that can cause Bloat.....diet etc...

Torsion: when the stomach twists may be caused by eating a large meal and then exercising or playing too soon afterwards.

Some of the easiest ways to prevent bloat is feed 2 to 3 smaller meals a day. Presoak dry food, so it does not expand too fast in the stomach. A good diet, no soy or other things to cause gas. Bloat can happen without torsion, but they can go together

Always keep Gas-X or Simethicone on hand.

Answer 2

usually two factors figure in to bloat. One is feeding dry food, which can then expand too fast in the stomach. The other factor is allowing the dog to exercise too much immediately after a meal. What happens is that the stomach swells up and flips, which twsts both ends and traps the food that is there IN the stomach.Digestion and swelling continue, but the gas and food have nowhere to go. It can sometimes, but very rarely , be corrected without surgery by inserrting a tube through the trachea and manipulating the stomach back into the right position, but once bloat has occurred it's very likely to happen again. It's most common in deep chested dogs (as opposed to broad chested dogs) like dobermans, shepherds and so on. You can help prevent it by soaking food before feeding (which reduces the swelling after eating) and feeding smaller meals twice a day instead of a huge meal once. You can also help prevent it by not allowing your dog to engage in vigorous exercise for an hour or so after eating.

Answer 3

I am sorry to hear that you lost your dog even if it was several years ago.

The condition you are referring to is called Bloat and it occurs in the large breeds. One way to help prevent it is to keep bowls of food down on the floor. It seems those cute raised feeding stands can actually contribute to bloat.

There also appears to be a genetic influence as it tends to run in certain lines. Dogs that gulp their food or eat a lot and then drink a lot of water are at a higher risk. This is one reason why it can be helpful to feed two small meals rather than one large one and, of course, every dog should always have a supply of fresh water at all times. Here is a link to some good information on Bloat:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bloat.html

Answer 4

RE:
What causes a dog's stomach to turn/twist? How can you prevent it?
This happened to my parent's chow-chow several years ago and I have yet to hear a descent explanation of this phenomenon.

Answer 5

I just lost my Bernese Mountain Dog on Sunday Sept 22 and we are absolutely devastated.
Tracey

Answer 6

My 10 year old Pom just passed last night, he was fine then all of sudden he started vomited. he stop drinking. I found him dead this morning. My family are very heart broken.

Answer 7

akitas also have this problem and it sucks because nothing can correct it but surgery and it is very costly around 800.00 and up . alot of large breeds have this problem . good luck .

Answer 8

We were told it can be congenital. We had this problem with our boxer. It was corrected by surgery.

Answer 9

Hope this sheds some light for you

http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/health-gastric_dilation_bloat.html

Answer 10

Usually with something harmful they eat or they get ill and are not taken to the vets quick enough...
Just keep them healthy and they should be fine
xxx