My dog is bloated. What is the cause and treatment?

Original Question: Hi, I have a 12-year-old black lab and the last few weeks he’s not been eating. He seems bloated and my heart is broken. I don't’ have the money to bring him to the vet and I'm not sure what I should do. - Jody

Jul 19, 2017

Hi Jody,

Thanks for the question.

There’s not a lot of information in your question so it’s very difficult to help.

You mention possible bloating which can be a fatal condition. Bloating in dogs or gastric dilatation +/- a volvulus or twisting of the stomach can cause symptoms such as a lack of appetite, salivating, rapid breathing, discomfort, pain, excessive repositioning of their body to find a comfortable spot and vomiting. If some of the more serious of these signs exist, I would recommend you visit a veterinarian right away. If the stomach twists on itself then blood flow can be restricted to it and the tissue can begin to decay, worsening the damage and outcome. If your dog is bloated he can most certainly die from this condition and they say that the success of treatment is approximately 50/50, however, in practice, I’ve seen it a lot better than that.

You mention that you may not have the funds for an appointment and treatment. Many clinics will have payment plans and there is also a credit line called Petcard that many clinics will be affiliated with which extends credit during times like these to almost anyone. If you are on assistance you can contact the Farley Foundation here in Ontario at the University of Guelph and they may be able to help. As a last resort, humane societies may be able to help but they often require you to surrender your dog to them. This may seem inappropriate to you but the reason they do is simply because such an event suggests that a pet owner can’t adequately take care of the pet sufficiently and they would place them with someone who is able to. In the very least, you would be saving his life.