The puppy has a swollen tummy - what to do? Causes and treatment of flatulence in dogs The dog has a very hard stomach

There are no particular concerns, the dog is cheerful and playful, the appetite is normal, but there is “rumbling” in the abdominal cavity and the release of gases from the intestines. If such cases are rare, then they do not deserve attention. In case of frequent gas discharge, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian for pathology in the gastrointestinal tract.

Flatulence is not a disease, it is a symptom.

As a rule, the term “Flatulence” does not mean a disease. This is a sign. Gases are released during the work of intestinal microflora.

However, the microflora does not process all feed with the same “zeal”, and not every organism reacts equally to certain ingredients of the diet. Excessive gas formation may be due to:

• nutritional (feed) reasons;
• pathological condition.

Alimentary flatulence

The dog is a carnivore. Feeding feeds rich in fiber, grains, legumes, as well as granulated grains containing an excessive amount of cereals may not have the best effect on gas formation.

Food rich in fiber can affect your dog's gas production.

Industrially produced food, no matter what is written on the label, basically contains grains, and only a few manufacturers add a significant portion of meat and bone or fish meal. The animal gets used to these feeds and the intestinal microflora “learns” to digest them faster. However, nature takes over and after a while even the usual foods cause flatulence, this indicates that the body’s reserves are running out and irreversible changes are possible.

Peculiarities

Sometimes increased formation of gases occurs due to the indigestibility of certain feeds, for example, of dairy origin, due to not releasing a specific enzyme , which would promote the breakdown of lactose.

Milk promotes increased gas formation.

Treatment

To determine which food is causing the unpleasant phenomena, observation is necessary. After each new change of food, observation is necessary, taking notes on the type of food, manufacturer and clinical signs. After some time, the picture will become clearer, and you will be able to independently reduce the non-responsive foods in your diet or completely eliminate them.

Flatulence may occur after a dog has been fasting for a long time. This phenomenon does not last long and, as a rule, is restored after a few days of regular feeding.

After a hunger strike, a dog may experience flatulence.

If there are no other signs, such as: constipation, painful defecation, vomiting and the urge to vomit, then adjusting the feeding diet will quickly solve the problem.

Pathological flatulence

Diseases in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal lead to the formation of excess gas, they can be:

A dog leads its social life regardless of sterile conditions and will become infected with anything, anywhere, maybe every minute, so the main efforts should be aimed at maintaining the immune status of the body.

Signs

Flatulence associated with pathological phenomena is accompanied by a number of other signs, so identifying them and contacting a doctor will speed up the solution to the problem.

In this situation, observation is also necessary. In this case, you should pay attention to:

• thermometry. Infectious processes are always accompanied by an increase in temperature. Sometimes it is possible not to “catch” a high thermometer reading, since febrile phenomena are manifested by a sharp rise and fall in temperature, so the measurement must be taken several times;
• appetite (especially distortion of appetite) amount of food eaten;
• quality of fecal matter (dense, liquid, formed or not);
• the presence of foreign matter, such as mucus, blood, helminths or their segments;
• amount of fecal matter;
• frequency of fecal excretion;

During an infectious process, the dog's temperature rises.

Flatulence and helminths

A big problem today is the helminthological situation.

When taking soil samples in dog walking areas, a huge number of helminth eggs are found, but even if the dog does not visit common places, quarterly deworming is a prerequisite for maintaining the health of the animal.

Your dog should be dewormed quarterly.

For preventive deworming it is necessary to select only complex preparations . A drug that acts only on roundworms will not be able to destroy flatworms, etc., so the selection of the drug plays a huge role.

Treatment of a dog with flatulence

Initially, it is necessary to identify the cause and eliminate it. However, this is not always possible, and the animal requires immediate treatment.

Meat introduced into a dog’s diet will not lead to flatulence.

1. First of all, the dog must be switched to a meat diet . Or rather, not on a diet, but on feeding with those products that are necessary for the full restoration of the microflora. Meat and bones, dairy products, and eggs are the diet that does not lead to flatulence.
2. The frequency of feeding the dog should be at least 2 times a day , but during the period of exacerbation, in order to normalize processes in the gastrointestinal tract, it is advisable to feed 3 times in small portions.
3. The food must be high in calories . You can't limit yourself to bare bones and skim milk. Fats are also necessary for the body, especially for those dogs that lead an active, mobile lifestyle.
4. As first aid, until the cause is clarified and the animal has not been examined by a veterinarian, you can use activated carbon ¼ tablet 3 times a day or enterosgel ½ teaspoon an hour before or an hour after feeding the dog. Taking medications should not be limited to 1–2 days; the course is prescribed for 5–6 days.

conclusions

If flatulence is stable, you should contact your veterinarian.

If you have stable intestinal flatulence, you should not delay your visit to the doctor. Timely identification of the cause and the appointment of qualified treatment will contribute to a quick solution to the problem.

Video about worms in dogs

Acute and sudden bloating in dogs followed by gastric volvulus is a life-threatening condition for the pet, with a high mortality rate within a few hours/minutes. For large breeds, bloating of the abdomen (stomach) is one of the common causes of death.

Bloating syndrome, basics

An acute pathological condition in a dog is characterized by the following points:

· Acute bloating and reversal of the stomach (severe form of gastrointestinal tract);

· Development of circular collapse, disruption of blood supply to organs and tissues (death in 20% of cases);

· Cardiac arrhythmia often develops after elimination of VZH;

· When contacting a veterinary center, first of all, you need to pay attention to the degree of change in the blood supply;

· Upon palpation, results will vary greatly, from minor changes to swelling with a “drumming” sound when percussed;

· The most important thing is to quickly eliminate the circulatory collapse; surgical intervention begins later;

· The main direction in treatment is the differentiation of gastrointestinal tract and gastrointestinal tract, decompensation of the stomach and, in the presence of volvulus, its return to its normal position with mandatory fixation. Subsequently, treatment of possible complications.

Etiology of the disease

Bloating of the abdomen (stomach) in a dog develops for reasons that are not fully established. The only known predisposing factors are:

· Sudden movements, jumping, active walking immediately after feeding;

· Large and giant breeds of dogs;

· Feeding once a day with bulky/easily fermentable feeds.

What's happening?

In the first minutes, the stomach becomes bloated with gases and food; this phenomenon is reversible, but passes very quickly. Unfortunately, most owners do not have sufficient knowledge and simply do not notice the primary signs of pathology. When volvulus occurs, the stomach twists around the esophagus, resulting in an airtight container. As fermentation continues, gases accumulate in large quantities (usually released in the form of belching), which sharply increases the pressure in the stomach.

In almost a short time, the stomach develops like a balloon and begins to put pressure on the organs; the movements of the diaphragm become difficult, which leads to respiratory failure. The animal breathes frequently, the mucous membranes turn pale, and as a result of compression of large blood vessels, severe disruption of the heart and death occurs.

What the owner may notice, symptoms

Bloating with signs of volvulus:

· At first, the pet begins to get very worried, does not find a place for itself, whines, moans;

· There is a frequent urge to burp/vomit. At the same time, the animal cannot “squeeze” anything out of itself. At the same time, bloating begins, breathing quickens and becomes shallow.

· The animal weakens, the urge to belch/vomit disappears.

Important! If your dog has gastric bloating and volvulus, IMMEDIATE help from a veterinarian is needed. The real survival limit is no more than 10 hours from the onset of the first symptoms to surgery.

· Feed with activated carbon;

· Knead, press on the stomach;

· Give a laxative or an enema.

General physical condition

The pet is in a state of shock, the mucous membranes are pale, the pulse is weak, poorly filled and rapid. Sometimes an enlarged spleen is palpable due to stagnation of blood, dyspnea is observed due to aspiration of vomit, or when a distended stomach interferes with breathing.

If help is not provided in a timely manner, the stomach ruptures, the bloating disappears and the dog feels better for minutes, but later collapse (coma) develops due to shock.

What will they do at the veterinary center?

They will establish a diagnosis and, if necessary, conduct an X-ray examination. The success of the operation depends on the speed of the dog owner’s reaction and delivery of the animal to the operating table. It requires coordinated work of a team of doctors. If the animal was delivered too late, it happens that it dies even after the introduction of anesthesia and the skin incision.

Hour X! When a diagnosis is made, the veterinary center begins infusion therapy, intravenous anesthesia is administered, and after 2-3 minutes the operation begins. Within 5-10 minutes, the surgeon opens the abdominal cavity, puts the stomach in place (in the correct position) and inserts a probe for emptying.

An important point of the operation is gastropexy or fixation of the stomach to prevent re-torsion.

Postoperative care

For the owner, post-operative care is the most important thing in the pet’s recovery.

· Droppers (3-6 days), daily seam treatment;

· Do not give water for 24 hours;

· Do not feed for 2-3 days;

· Antacids, antibiotics for a course of 5-9 days.

Additionally, the doctor makes prescriptions depending on the condition of the animal.

They begin to feed small portions of food with a semi-liquid consistency (cooked rice and grind meat in a blender), no more than 100 ml per meal. Feed every hour, gradually increasing the time between feedings and the portion.

You can’t: give flour products, bread, cabbage, carrots, milk and other easily fermented foods.

How to avoid pathological bloating?

Large breed dogs need to be fed twice a day, only after exercise (walking). The diet should be minimal in volume and maximum in digestibility. This means that the dog should not eat a bucket of porridge, buns, or sweets.

Veterinary center "Dobrovet"

Hello. I'm in a panic! Dachshund, 7.5 years old. 2 years ago I underwent surgery to remove a herniated disc - successfully! She quickly recovered. Now it’s been 3 months of incomprehensible symptoms, doctors contradict each other, they’re infuriating! The symptoms are absolutely different from those with a hernia 2 years ago. We took him to the doctor who performed the operation, the doctor prescribed Prednisolone and observation - we have been observing for three months, there are no specifics! Symptoms: she began to walk barely, in order to go outside, she had to pace, then her walking began to worsen, she could not lie down at night, she whines, growls, gets to her feet and cannot move her paws, leans on her nose. They introduced Prednisolone, injected it 3 times at intervals, it felt better for a week... Then again, again. You can’t keep your dog on Prednisone all the time! I started breathing poorly, my nose is dry and I cough sometimes, it happened before, but I didn’t pay attention, my stomach is swollen, I have gas, and the lymph nodes in my neck are large! The other day we donated blood and they said the protein was slightly elevated. It was recommended to buy food with a reduced protein content. What to do? Can Prednisolone 0.5 affect breathing and heart?

Answer

Abdominal bloating can be accompanied by severe pain, severe weakness, restlessness of the animal and refusal to eat. The main reason is improper feeding of the pet. Feeding disorders lead to the formation of gases in the intestines, stretching of the walls, and ultimately to obstruction of the stomach and intestines. Gastric volvulus can cause acute deterioration of the condition.

Constant bloating provokes disorders in the functioning of a number of organs, leading to heart failure. Severe forms of gastric bloating can lead to the rapid death of the animal. Often, disorders are caused by swallowing air when the animal swallows food too quickly during a meal.

Bloating is acute or chronic. The chronic course of the disease may not manifest itself for a long time. Inflammatory processes in the liver and pancreas gradually appear. This leads to the formation of a “vicious circle” - liver diseases further aggravate digestive disorders.

Clinical manifestations and diagnosis

In the acute form of gastric volvulus, the pet’s health is in serious danger. The animal's behavior changes dramatically - the dog begins to whine and squeal, cannot stand on its paws, arches its back, and rubs its belly on the floor surface. The dog's abdomen swells, increases in size, is tense and sharply painful upon palpation. Side effects include frequent difficulty breathing, wheezing, dry cough, and heart rhythm disturbances. The pet refuses food and water, becomes lethargic and weak. If the cause of bloating is an infectious disease, enlargement of the lymph nodes is possible.

To clarify the diagnosis, you will have to undergo the following types of studies:

• General blood analysis.
• Analysis of stool for coprogram.
• Biochemical blood tests.
• Serological tests for the presence of antibodies to viruses and bacteria in the blood.
• X-ray of the abdominal cavity and chest.
• Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.
• Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
• Puncture of lymph nodes.

A gastric juice test may be needed to determine the amount of enzymes.

Nutritional Features

You will need to analyze and adjust your pet’s diet. This will be the main recommendation for bloating. Make sure your dog eats in a calm, quiet environment. Don't bother her when she starts eating, don't try to stroke or caress her. Warn children not to disturb your pet. During feeding, the dog is hypersensitive and the slightest irritation can lead to injury.

The place where the dog eats is arranged separately, away from strangers. The dog usually swallows food in large chunks without chewing. If there are other animals in the house, this can be a concern. If the dog does not swallow food too quickly, there will be no accumulation of gases in the stomach.

A pet with a bloated belly needs to be provided with liquid, boiled food. Dry food will have to be completely excluded from the dog’s diet. The food actively absorbs water in the pet’s stomach and aggravates the symptoms of bloating. If it is not possible to prepare natural products, soak dry food with plenty of water.

It is preferable to prepare homemade food for your pet from natural products. Dogs that eat homemade natural products recover faster from gastrointestinal disorders.

Treatment of bloating

When the stomach is bloated, it is useful to give your dog a chamomile decoction. The plant has a pronounced anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antibacterial effect. Chamomile has a detrimental effect on a number of pathogenic microorganisms. Offer your dog a tablespoon of chamomile tea three times a day.

If you cannot force the animal to take the medicine voluntarily, it is possible to add the decoction to the food or pour it into the mouth using a plastic syringe.

It is possible to eliminate the accumulation of gases in the intestines using homeopathic remedies.

From medications, the animal is given enzymes, myotropic antispasmodics, and sorbents.

If helminthiasis is suspected, the dog must undergo appropriate therapy.

In a veterinary clinic, a doctor can rinse the animal’s stomach using a special probe or puncture the dog’s belly with a special puncture needle.

Intensive therapy is prescribed to correct the functioning of the heart. Based on the examination results, antibiotics and antiviral drugs are prescribed.

Preventive actions

To prevent intestinal bloating, first of all, it is necessary to provide the dog with fractional meals and prevent the rapid swallowing of large pieces of food. An hour before meals and for an hour afterward, limit the animal's drinking so that water does not reduce the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and does not lead to increased gas formation. You should not give your dog intense physical activity an hour before meals and an hour after.

If you are switching your pet from one type of food to another, proceed carefully and gradually. If you plan to feed your dog dry food, choose low-fat varieties. The carbohydrates contained in cereals cause intense fermentation processes; it is better to choose a reduced amount of cereals in the feed.

With natural feeding, the pet's diet consists of one third of meat and includes a sufficient amount of pectin.

When you hear the word puppy, your imagination immediately draws a picture of a well-fed four-legged toddler - the cutest and funny creature. As a rule, all puppies have a certain amount of potbelliness, but what should you do if your pet's belly looks overly bloated? A noticeably rounded belly can signal several things:

Firstly, about overeating. Many dogs tend to be insensitive when it comes to food, and even more so for puppies. If you think that the option of overeating is excluded, just in case, double-check the food supplies that could be in the puppy’s field of view and only then consider other options. Also, if you are overfeeding your puppy, I advise you to reconsider its nutrition. Overeating is unacceptable for dogs. You will find out what foods should be excluded from a dog's diet by reading .

Secondly, bloating may indicate increased gas formation. Puppies who eat greedily, along with the most delicious meal, swallow a lot of air, which, in turn, enters the intestines and is responsible for flatulence. In this case, you can give the puppy activated carbon or enterosgel.

If a bloated belly does not go away for a long time and causes anxiety for the dog, it makes sense to get tested for the presence of worms. They can also be detected “by eye” by examining the puppy’s morning feces. Currently, there are a huge number of drugs on the animal medicine market that help cope with such a problem as worms; all you need to do is strictly follow the instructions and adhere to the dosage. How to protect your dog from worms, I wrote about this .

A bloated tummy and pain can also be signs of food poisoning or constipation. A curious child can easily pick up a suspicious bone or stale food scraps while out for a walk. In this case, many owners practice gastric lavage after “treating” the puppy with activated carbon. You can induce vomiting in a puppy by sprinkling a little salt on the tip of his tongue or giving him a saline solution. If your puppy is constipated, Vaseline oil will help. In any case, if you see several signs of illness in your puppy, such as: bloated belly, loose stools, vomiting, pain, whining, seek veterinary help immediately.

In animals suffering from heart disease, fluid often accumulates in the abdominal cavity, which causes bloating. This is an extremely serious condition in which emergency medical care cannot be avoided. Fortunately, cardiovascular diseases can rarely be observed in young animals unless it is a congenital pathology.

If you carry out preventive measures with your puppy on time and feed him correctly, you have nothing to fear. By the way, small puppies often hiccup after a heavy meal. Hiccups should not be treated and there is no need to be afraid of it. Puppies simply eat greedily and swallow air along with their food. If you are feeding your puppy dry food, simply add a little boiled water at room temperature from a kettle to the bowl.

And one last thing. There is no need to panic for no reason and treat your pet for non-existent diseases. Reasonable attention to the health of your four-legged ward is the key to his long and happy life.

Health to you and your puppies!

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Bloating in a dog is a dangerous condition in which, if not treated promptly, the dog can die in just a couple of hours.

Most often, bloating occurs in older animals, also in dogs of large and gigantic sizes with a deep chest (Doberman, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Bobtail), but dogs of any size are prone to such problems.

A properly functioning stomach ensures the timely release of gases from the animal’s body, and if the digestion process is disrupted, this leads to their excessive formation and stagnation.

Causes of bloating

1. Excessively abundant feeding, especially with foods prone to fermentation;
2. Lack or insufficient physical activity after feeding;
3. Feeding several animals at the same time, when the dog, trying to eat more, swallows a large amount of air along with the food, which will cause flatulence.
4. Stress caused by childbirth, changes in place of residence, changes in the dog’s lifestyle.
5. Diseases of the pancreas or hereditary predisposition.

Bloating can be of two forms - acute and chronic.

Acute form

In the acute course of the disease, the symptoms of the disease develop rapidly and most often in the evening after feeding. The animal becomes restless, whines, and walks with an arched back. Shortness of breath and unproductive vomiting appear every half hour. Sometimes, with such urges, foam may be released. The abdomen becomes enlarged, tense and painful. The dog may try to go to the toilet, but to no avail. But sometimes loose stools may occur.

As a result, due to increased gas formation and, as a consequence, obstruction of the esophagus, such conditions end closure and even displacement of the stomach. And in especially severe cases, the accumulation of gases in the intestines can lead to the death of the animal due to cardiovascular failure caused by impaired lung function. Therefore, as soon as an animal develops symptoms of acute bloating, it must be urgently taken to a veterinary clinic, where the doctor will conduct an examination, take blood and stool tests, and conduct an x-ray to rule out other diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract.

Chronic form

In the chronic course of the disease, gas formation in the dog’s digestive tract is constant. This condition, although it manifests itself without painful and dangerous symptoms, still requires treatment. The causes of chronic bloating can be disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, such as diseases of the liver and pancreas. In addition, the cause may be unsuitable food or a lack of enzymes in it for the proper functioning of the stomach.

To identify the chronic form of the disease, the veterinarian prescribes blood and stool tests, ultrasound of the abdominal organs and x-rays. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment is prescribed. Usually this means choosing a balanced diet, taking adsorbents and medications for bloating and to improve stomach function.

Treatment

To provide qualified assistance to a sick animal, veterinarians first of all carry out manipulations on relieve stomach tension. To relieve pain and reduce stress, the dog is given special medications and antibiotics. This procedure is done using sorbents, or a gas outlet tube, which must be inserted into the dog’s esophagus through the throat.

In acute and critical conditions, emergency methods can be used, such as puncturing the stomach with a hollow needle, under general anesthesia, to remove gases or restoring and fixing its correct position (gastropexy) if a volvulus has occurred. In order to prevent re-bloating, the stomach must be attached to the right wall of the abdominal cavity. A tube is then inserted into the stomach to empty it. Sometimes, for successful surgery, it may be necessary to install a drainage or remove the spleen. After completion of treatment, a postoperative period begins, during which the animal is given IVs for 10 days and the sutures are treated.

During and after treatment, the dog is prescribed liquid food. Veterinarians often advise giving up dry food for a while or pre-soaking it in water, because... it absorbs a lot of moisture in the stomach, which can lead to sudden bloating.

You can completely give up food by replacing dry food with homemade healthy food. It is useful to brew chamomile and give it chilled, half a teaspoon per day. You can mix chamomile tea with food or inject it with a syringe.

Prevention

Prevention of bloating includes:

1. If the dog is prone to bloating, the owner should always have medications available to prevent gas formation.
2. Proper nutrition, eliminating the possibility of flatulence. In order not to provoke the formation of gases by improper digestion of food, the dog should not be given water an hour before meals. The diet should include food that is easily digestible. It is recommended to feed the animal three times a day after a walk. After active physical activity, you should not give your dog water to drink immediately to prevent swallowing air.
3. The transition to a new diet should be made gradually. It is preferable to feed your dog food with a low grain content.
4. If the food is natural, then the diet should include at least 30% raw meat and fiber. It will also be useful to give your dog special herbs for pets, which are sold in veterinary pharmacies.
5. Provide adequate exercise for the dog
6. Avoid stressful situations when feeding animals.