Bloat, also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), occurs when the stomach swells with air or gas to the point where the gas and air is unable to escape. The stomach may flip over on its axis (think of twisting a balloon), which cuts off the blood supply. This is called torsion. This condition, untreated, can be deadly in a matter of minutes.

Risk Factors

While the genetic connection to GDV is not entirely clear, researchers at Purdue University determined that a dog with a first-degree relative (parent, littermate, or offspring) who has bloated has a 63 percent higher risk of GDV than a dog without an affected relative. The researchers therefore recommend that dogs having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV should not be bred.

This research also determined that dogs with an especially deep and narrow chest (compared with dogs of the same breed) are at higher risk of bloating. Large-breed dogs that eat quickly have a higher risk of bloat than their slower-eating counterparts. Surprisingly, the Purdue researchers found that raising the bowl when feeding (a common practice to try to avoid bloat) actually increases the risk of bloat by 110 percent. The risk of bloat also increases with age.

Treatment for Bloat

A dog that bloats needs emergency veterinary assistance. The vet will try to pass a tube down his throat to the stomach to let the gas and air out. An x-ray will be taken, and if the stomach has twisted, emergency surgery will be performed to untwist it. At that time, the stomach will be tacked to the abdominal wall (a procedure known as gastropexy).

If your poodle bloats but his stomach doesn't twist, emergency surgery won't be necessary, but your vet might ask you to consider having gastropexy done anyway, to stop it from twisting in the future. Dogs who have bloated once are highly likely to again bloat with torsion, so veterinary researchers consider gastropexy a prudent action.