Natural Cures for Bloat in Dogs

Hey Stephanie!

I suspect that the bloat symptoms you saw in your dog was not bloat but rather a sour stomach from too many cow pies. The use of AC is spot on.

Bloat involves the dog's stomach twisting and cutting off the blood supply to the stomach tissue. Symtoms are unproductive retching - trying to vomit but bringing nothing up, along with excessive drooling, restlessness, and a large, bloated painful stomach.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/digestive_system/diseases_of_the_stomach_and_intestines_in_small_animals/gastric_dilation_and_volvulus_in_small_animals.html?qt=bloat&alt=sh

Interestingly enough, in ruminants the twisted stomach condition is a secondary form of bloat, the primary type of bloat being "an overdistention of the rumenoreticulum with the gases of fermentation, either in the form of a persistent foam mixed with the ruminal contents, called primary or frothy bloat, or in the form of free gas separated from the ingesta, called secondary or free-gas bloat. It is predominantly a disorder of cattle but may also be seen in sheep. The susceptibility of individual cattle to bloat varies and is genetically determined."

Source: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/digestive_system/diseases_of_the_ruminant_forestomach/bloat_in_ruminants.html?qt=bloat&alt=sh

So for this form of bloat I see the AC being a remedy for this too.

Lost my 10 year old Labradoodle today bloating killed him had him to the vet

He gave him some treatment I took him home but he ditnt make it

I blame myself after reading the articles posted

But what was my VET thinking of

I'm gutted I lost my best friend

HI,

Sorry you had to deal with all that, check out Dr Dobias on-line, you can also email them. Make sure you have a human grade diet for you dog, either cooked or raw, commerical dog food is your main culprit for this issue, yes some breeds are more prone to it but rarely have I known a raw fed dog to go through that. So how to transition-I gave dogfood mixed with cooked human food for 3 days, each day less dog food and more human food, as long as there is no issues then stop the commercial stuff. At this point just do cooked food until you feel you want to try some raw. Check our Chronically Jacqui a disabled chick who managed to change despite her concerns and limitations, the difference is drastic and in the long run you will spend less and basically hardly ever see your vet, no smelly poop, less loss of hair, silky smooth and not smelly, fresh breath, clean teeth, just to name a few. There are plenty of sites to do BARF just check it out, then find a vet you can talk to and knows a little thing or 2 about herbs and alternative meds. Hope something here helps, I have successfully transitioned 5 senior dogs this way all with varying issues, we were rescuing at that time, they all lived into their teens from small to medium in size, the others were younger and larger and despite their owners still using commercial at least now I convince them to add in people food. Research the commercial foods and you will wonder why you ever let that stuff in your home let alone handle it. Best of the best to you in all of it. Blessings!

How do u get a dog to eat the capsule, as my dog won't and won't eat any food.

Almost 1 year past took my rescue dog to emergency vet with bloat after eating, many months later found my pet had bloat.

The vet took 800.00$ in X-rays to save his life wanted to keep him over for observation & IV. I told them I had enough to pay for visit and X-rays but that was all of my resorces.

They had no diagnosis for me, I took him home.

He recovered but has now started again with this bloating syndrome.

Ana, you have helped me and my pet beyond measure.

It was the food and amounts given plus he was eating too fast.

Thank you!

V. Kaye

Hi guys, I have an 11-year-old chao lab that overate on a new dog food we got him and since then his stomach never regained its normal shape. He looks bloated. I took him to an expensive vet for an emergency visit and they just confirmed the overeating (back in December that was.) I noticed that he is losing weight since then. He eats and is constantly hungry but even when I started feeding him twice a day he does not regain the weight or have that belly look any better. I went to another vet two weeks ago and they did blood tests all of which came normal.

Has anyone ever encountered anything like that? Any suggestions for home remedy? Anything?

How do you make the cayenne tincture? Our dog is displaying similar symptoms for two days now.

Jason, feed your dog 3 small meals a day and get a muffin pan and put a small amount in each hole, don't let dog drink straight after eating and maybe stay away from dry food. Try rubbing peppermint oil mixed with a little carrier oil on the tummy. I have heard you can give a little my mylanta but I don't have dosages or experience with this.

Jason, in my previous post forgot to add put a little fresh parsley, oregano, thyme sprinkle on meal

Where can I buy cayenne and how do I use it on my dog? I think my dog may have bloat and I can't afford the large vet bill

Any food store that sells spices, the better the quality the better you are. Also feed human food, commercial food will kill your pets and give you high bills. In the end its easier, safer and cheaper.

I am aware of how healthy cayenne is. What info I need is what kind of drops is she referring to. And how did she administer them?

Hey Carlene,

The post is almost a year old so the original poster may not see your question. She indicated she "gave a dropper full of very strong cayenne tincture". If you Google "cayenne tincture" you will find both products to buy and also how to make a cayenne tincture. You will need to do additional research on just what 'very strong' cayenne tincture actually is. Good luck and please report back!

Congrats, just please don't make your dog a vegan or vegetarian, in the short run it works but dogs need to be mostly carnivores due to their enzymes and intestinal set up. Hoping things stay good for you all!

Regarding bloat: I never heard before that there was any connection with kibble. The only thing I heard was that my dog probably did too much jumping around or activity after a meal. I had a large Doberman (very deep chested) who was well on her way of dying a painful death before I could get her to the emergency vet in time. All the times I had been to any vet, no mention was ever made to be cautious for bloat because of her deep chest. If only I had known what it was or any of its symtoms. If large deep chested animals are prone to this, you would think it would be something that a vet would mention. Thank you for the information regarding kibble.

Dry kibble should be soaked in water until it completely expands(about 30 mins. ). This is what our vet told us years ago. You would be shocked if you saw how much expansion there is in dry dog food.

Just a warning. There is new evidence that raising your dogs food/water bowls can actually exacerbate the problem with bloat.

Well the dog bloating we have going in right now, may have been some dog food, but mainly its the owners fault. My mother takes care of two dogs whos owners are now currently living with her, one of the owners is uneducated and is the male hes like 45, so he feeds the two dogs, the fat dog which is extremely overweight constantly steals the food from the small dog and and no one takes them for a walk, the fat dog is now finally bloated after 5 years of not been taken care of correctly. So now its bloated and slowly dying, I keep telling them go walk the dog, but seem to care less about it- very sad. I stay out of it.

Regarding Bloat or gassy dogs - I was told to give my Chihuahua Ovol. This is medication for human babies with gripe problems that you purchase over the counter. It comes in a small bottle and must be well shaken then attach the dropper and give 0.25 mls for a 3- 10 lb. Dog. Do not give more without checking with your vet. Usually this amount will settle my dog down and bring him relief swiftly that lasts at least 8 hours or usually until the next day. If bloat or gassy tummy is extreme you must give this Ovol dosage 2 x daily. I realize that we are looking for alternative meds but whatever works for this ailment is probably welcome and certainly worth a try if your dog is suffering from gas that just won't come out. I also pat my dog on his upper back the way I would a baby after feeding to burp him.

NOOOOOO to elevated food bowls! It is a CAUSE of GDV!

Cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% for large breed and giant breed dogs. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were increasing age, having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV, having a faster speed of eating, and having a raised feeding bowl. Approximately 20 and 52% of cases of GDV among the large breed and giant breed dogs, respectively, were attributed to having a raised feed bowl. " (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:1492-1499)

My dog (english mastiff) had bloat two years ago. Luckily we were able to get him to the vet in time even though he showed no visible signs of bloat other than distress and listlessness. It was terrifying and caused me to go into a research frenzy over what causes bloat and how I can prevent it.

Changes we made after our dog had bloat was the following:

1. No longer elevated his bowls!!!! This is big, because companies market their elevated bowls as keeping bloat at bay. Incorrect, it makes it worse because the dog can eat quicker and swallow more air because its easy to snatch at and gulp down.
2. Changed our food to a better organic brand that does not swell when it is in the stomach or water is added to it. You can test your own food by adding water to the kibble and seeing how much it expands. If it expands more than a little. GET A NEW BRAND.
3. Spaced out feedings to 3 times a day. Once in the morning and twice at night (waiting 30 minutes in between). Knowing our mastiff and how much he swallows air when he eats we generally wait for him to burp. No playing, just resting 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating. Which is easy once we got him into the routine.

I have 2 vet books and one is the vet DR. PITCAIRNS & they both recommend juiced cabbage & freeze till needed, that it is very good at helping, but you have to give it quickly as soon as you have symptoms...

Hope this helps...

Prayers to you all, so sad. If you want to save money and feed your dog cooked human food, just remember they need more meat than we do. Commercial food is scary, too scary to even keep around your house, just research the chemicals they put in there. Just know that the bones must be raw and never cooked. Hope that helps. Our earlier dogs ate anything, but they also hunted our farm so I rarely had issues with rodents of any kind. The only thing I had to deal with was their worms from eating rodents, but it was a small price to pay for great teeth and good health. When the older pup got lazy and stopped hunting her health went down hill from the commercial food.

THANK YOU!!!! Everyone who has posted here. I love that someone told me about Earth Clinic because I've been able to treat my dog successfully without having her on poisonous meds and saving me $$$$ of Vet bills as well. I have a Shih-Tzu/Maltese mix, 11 y/o, and recently I noticed her belly was huge. I'm ashamed to say that it's been like that for weeks and I really just thought she had gained weight over the winter because she's now a "senior" and we have not been walking her. Having said that, another change was that she was lapping up tons of water at night before bed. She pretty much drank all her water in her other bowl next to her food as well. She's also been panting pretty hard for no reason. Fear and anxiety overwhelmed me thinking about the possibility of losing her to this "belly bloat" everyone is talking about that is life-threatening. After reading all your posts here...again...I started to put 2 and 2 together and wondered if it was, indeed, her new kibble food. It is Organix from Petsmart and it's "organic" with dehydrated raw kibble mixed in. Thank you for posting about how it can expand up to 5x. This kibble is not like any of her other harder kibbles. I've had her on a commercial raw diet, on and off before that. Thinking back now, I can see she was in distress and the way she looked at me with her pleading eyes for help. The sad thing is I did take her in to the Vet a few weeks ago to check on this specific issue. The Vet said her belly was too full for her to check anything. Blood work was ok and she recommended an x-ray. Really? Two days on home cooked chicken and pulverized veggies and fruits for snacks and her belly looks normal again. She was fortunate it was her food causing issues. You guys are life savers! My heart goes out to those who have lost their beloved furry companions. Thanks again for all your comments and suggestions. Bless you all!

Hi Christine,

So glad to hear peppermint oil helped your pup with bloat. It is such a dangerous condition.

Since it's the second time your dog has gotten bloat, just want to make sure you are aware that if you are feeding your dog kibble (or freeze-dried raw food), it should always be soaked in warm/hot water for 5-10 minutes so that it softens considerably and is easier to digest. Also, making sure they drink plenty of water after a meal.

Hey TPM!

Thank you for sharing this remedy!

I tried the peppermint oil last night. My dog doesn't have BLOAT, but he was bloated and I didn't want to bother my vet at 11 pm. The peppermint oil worked.

What else can be used as a carrier oil?

You also can use coconut oil and cold pressed olive oil

Cool, definitely assess his diet, it makes a big difference using human food.

The message was good but too alarming. There are many home remedies that can be done at home to ease the situation so don't rush like a mad man to the vet risking an accident.

Leann from Nashville those comments are spot on and not overly cautious. In fact, we have lost several German Shepherds over the years and the symptoms were spot on as if you were there. As are the preventative measures and outcomes. Anyone who does not abide by your comments/ advice or observations has not had or experienced true "bloat" or stomach turning in a dog.

Again people, please read her post again and recognize the symptoms -- they are spot on.

Reading Leann from Nashville comments on bloat are as you say spot on.

Today my dog has bloat. I wasn't sure that was what it was so I had a quick search on the internet and reading the symptoms on this post made me recognise that my feelings were correct. I rang the vet immediately and went straight there she's had some gas drawn from her and antibiotics as she's running a high temperature and another injection to help.

She is not out of the woods yet but like the post says, if you suspect that your dog has bloat don't hang around waiting to see. My little girl's gut hasn't twisted and she has no peritonitis but it's still very dangerous and needs a vet's attention!!

I am so sorry for the loss of your dog. I just returned from an all nighter at the vets, luckily with my dog in tow. I have been making a list of things to do to decrease his chance of rebloat and many of the things you have listed are on mine. Thank you for taking time to make such a valuable list.

My 10 yr. old GS bloated in August. He was showing symptoms about two weeks before his stomach completed bloated. I just didn't realize it at the time. He has been on a raw food diet since he was 1 yr. old. I decided to alternate between kibble and raw food to save money. I had been doing this for about 2 mos. I noticed that he was panting heavily and licking the air excessively. He couldn't get comfortable during the night. He would want to go out in the middle of the night and was drinking water excessively. He was still eating well and sometimes still active. Except one day he did not want his food and I thought it strange. But later on he ate it.

One night I came home and fed him raw food and started watching T.V. I called out to him but he did not come. I went outside and called him, but he still would not come. Then we noticed that he was hiding in the back of the yard and would not come. He looked like he was trying to throw up. I went to get him and brought him in the house and that's when I noticed that his lower stomach looked like a basket ball. I went into panic mode. I got dressed so fast, my son picked him up and put him in the back seat of the truck. My daughter-in-law tried to keep him calm because he looked like he was in shock. Thankfully, I remembered there was an emergency hosp. 15 miles away. We looked it up on our cell phones, called them and let them know we were coming.

When we got there, they took him to the back immediately and started working on him. They said his stomach twisted and they also found a large tumor on his spleen, so the spleen also had to be removed. They said it was benign, I'm hoping they were correct. I keep a close eye on him now. He developed stomach motility problems. That's where the food sits in the stomach for a long period of time before it enters the small intestine. But we think he may have already been having problems with that for over a year before this happened. The vet had x-rays that were taken last year of his stomach and intestines which showed trapped gas and food in his stomach. We had completely forgot about that incident and I don't know why she didn't see that in his chart. At that time, they just injected him with a fluid and sent him home.

Dogs with motility problems are probably at higher risk of bloating because it causes a lot of gas. I think that issue really needs to be addressed and by a vet who has experience with these types of problems or, preferably, a holistic vet. The vet and the holistic vet both agreed that he needs to be on herbs for the motility problems and for his immune system for the rest of his life. The holistic vet says he has seen too many dogs who have had their spleens removed and eventually develop cancer due a compromised immune system. Anyway, that was my horrible experience.

Darlene,

My little Maltese has the same problems. He suffers terribly with gas and indigestion and has to burp at least 3 times after a meal or he is in distress. He eats every 2-3 hours and I burp him like a baby. The vets have not been much help at all. I wondered if it was a motility problem since it's like his stomach is not digesting the food. Have herbs or any medicines worked for your dog and if so, what have you used? Any advise would be appreciated.