My dog almost died tonight

[undeterred]

He was having dry heaves for hours after I fed him some pork. Finally I called an emergency ER and they said to bring him in. He had "bloat" which is extremely painful- stomach fills up with gas and twists off other organs. He had a tube put down to remove the gas and wash out his stomach. I just spent 5 hours there and finally came home. The vet said it will probably happen again. I can't afford the surgery.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Melodybe]

1. I'm sorry, no more pork and give him lots of TLC.

Is he an older dog?

[undeterred]

2. He's 12 but this has never happened before

Once the stomach bloats and twists they say its more likely to happen again.

[Melodybe]

3. Ask about a better diet and some doggy gasX,

just love him, 12 is young.

Lots of luck to you both.

:hug:

[China_cat]

5. It happens in deep chested breeds most often

Ok, you can't eliminate the risk completely, but after years of dealing with a breed prone to bloat, here are some of the things that can lessen your risk;

elevate the food bowls so that the dog is eating level...prevents the swallowing of air.

slow down his eating. if necessary, put a rock in the middle of his bowl so he's not gulping his food.

no exercise at least 30 minutes to an hour both before and after eating

feed smaller meals more often

It wasn't the pork alone that did it. It was more likely the speed with which he ate it and then ran around like a fool afterward. Don't beat yourself up about it. It's a condition not many people are familiar with.

[undeterred]

6. thank you

yes he is a deep chested breed. He has always eaten lying down. The vet made it sound like it is going to happen again no matter what I do. It was so hot here last night it took me a couple of hours to realize he was very sick.

[China_cat]

7. The probability is that it will happen again

that's one of the bad things about bloat. Even with the operation to tack the stomach into place, it can still recur. Your vet may be trying to prepare you for the worst but I don't think it's right that he didn't give you information you could use to protect your dog.

You can do everything you can to lessen the risk and I have known dogs that have had one incidence and then never suffered from it again. With some care, your dog could be in that category. Scaring you half to death is not the way to prepare you.

http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/gdv/ has a pretty good article about it.

[undeterred]

8. thank you so much

yes I am scared half to death

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Is he ok?

[Branjor]

4. Yes, try to prevent it.....

via diet, doggy gas-x (if there is such a thing), and NO EXERCISE for about two hours before and after meals. If he needs surgery and you can't afford it, try this organization: http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html.

Hope he feels a whole lot better now!