08/31/2026
As some of you know, a little over a week ago, I almost lost Bo.
We were camping about three hours from the nearest emergency vet when Bo suddenly started acting like he had a stick lodged in his throat. He was struggling to breathe, trying to throw up, and clearly very uncomfortable. It was the middle of the night, and we immediately started the three-hour drive to the emergency vet. What we thought was a respiratory emergency ended up being bloat/GDV.
GDV (gastric dilatation-volvulus) is a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off blood flow to vital organs. In Bo’s case, he also had a splenic torsion, where his spleen had twisted and lost its blood supply.
Miraculously, Bo made it nearly five hours from when his symptoms started until he went into surgery. He needed his stomach corrected, a gastropexy to help prevent his stomach from twisting again, and his spleen removed.
Thankfully, Bo made it through and is home recovering. He still has a ways to go, but he’s getting a little better every day.
This was a huge reminder of how quickly GDV can become life-threatening. Sudden restlessness, repeated attempts to vomit with little or nothing coming up, excessive panting, a distended abdomen, or signs of discomfort should always be taken seriously. GDV is an emergency, and every minute matters.
And something I still can’t quite put into words—while I was focused on getting Bo through surgery, people were quietly coming together behind the scenes and raising money to help with his surgery. I had absolutely no idea it was happening. Finding out how many people cared enough about Bo and me to do that was incredibly overwhelming.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for him, checked on us, donated, or helped behind the scenes. ❤️
I’m just very thankful my boy is still here.