Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) can occur in any dog at any age but most often occurs in middle-aged and older, deep-breasted, midsize to large dogs such as Akita, Basset Hound, Bloodhound, Chinese Shar-Pei, Collie, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle and Weimaraner. I personally know of a Small Munsterlander that died of bloat. This particular dog was a grandson of our breeding pair at the time, so it hit home. The Epidemiology Department of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University has performed several studies of GDV in dogs. In a study of more than 1900 dogs 105 developed GDV and of them 30 died.

With such a high incidence of death, it is important to be aware of the signs a dog may display if it has bloat. Initially, the dog may appear distended and its abdomen may feel slightly tight. The dog may appear lethargic. The dog is obviously uncomfortable and it may walk on stiff legs. Later signs include pale gums and tongue, a rapid heart rate, labored breathing and the dog may collapse. Get the dog to a vet as quickly as possible.

If you cannot get the dog to a vet quickly and you cannot get the dog to vomit, the only way to possible save the dog is to pass a long rubber tube into the stomach to relieve the gas pressure. If you spend a lot of time in the outdoors away from vet assistance I suggest that you talk to your veterinarian before hand. Ask your vet to instruct you in the proper inserting of the tube. Because of the high incidence rate, it is important to know how you may possibly prevent it happening to your dog. You should know if any of your dog's ancestors have had GDV because there might be a hereditary effect. You clearly should not breed a dog that has had GDV. You should possibly feed a high-energy food so your dog will have less quantity of food in the stomach at any given time. Also it is better to feed the dog three times a day than in one big meal. And never feed a dog a big meal before a strenuous day in the field. Personally, I will not feed my hunting dogs in the morning if I am going to be in the field with them for any length of time. If I am on an extended hunting trip I only feed my hunting dog in the evening with a high protein dog food. I will rather have my hunting dog lose some of his body weight than getting bloat. It is about the worst thing I can think of that might happen to any of my hunting dogs. So please be aware of the early signs and get the dog to a vet whenever you suspect bloat. Better safe than sorry.