10/02/2026
We had an emergency situation with a dog on Wednesday, and her owner has given us permission to share and educate about the dangers of bloat! (This story has a happy ending, thankfully!)
First thing Wednesday morning, our staff noticed something wasn't right with one of our visiting dogs, Lucy, a 12-year-old Poodle mix. She was drooling a lot and very low energy. Then, they noticed her belly was distended and hard, and her ears were very cold. They called me immediately, I checked her out, and agreed that she needed vet attention quickly.
We rushed her to their vet and they confirmed yes, Lucy had bloat and needed surgery. She was supposed to go home that morning after a 2-week stay, so her owner met us there and was able to see her. Surgery went well and she went home for the night for monitoring, then went back to the vet Thursday morning to be re-checked. Everything looked good, and she wasn't back to 100% yet but definitely on the road to recovery!
Dogs can get bloat (medically called Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, or GDV) when their stomach rapidly fills with gas, food, or fluid and then twists on itself. The twist shuts off blood flow to the stomach and major organs, causing rapid shock and a life-threatening emergency. We hadn't fed breakfast yet and Lucy's water was full, so we're not exactly sure what caused her to bloat (although from my research, dogs can bloat many hours after eating or drinking). Some deep-chested breeds are more prone to bloat, like Poodles, Great Danes, German Shepherds, Boxers, etc.
If not treated, bloat can be deadly within a matter of hours. We are incredibly PROUD of our staff member, Tasia, for noticing the signs that Lucy needed help! We're also very thankful that Harrisonburg Animal Hospital could take Lucy right away and perform the live-saving care she needed.
We've always been aware that bloat could happen, so we already take precautions like monitoring water after yard time, using slow feeder bowls, and making sure dogs rest after meals. We've never experienced it, though, so this was a very important lesson for us, and we hope Lucy's story helps save other dogs, too! 💛🐾
