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Bloat / Gastric Torsion/GDV - GASTRIC
DILATATION/VOLVULUS
Bloat is a serious, life threatening condition
of dogs whereby the stomach fills with gas and twists upon itself. With bloat
the stomach becomes over distended with gas and twists so the entrance from the
oesophagus and exit to the small intestine are blocked nothing can leave the
stomach and there is rapid swelling. This is known as dilation which is due to
an accumulation of gas formed from digestive and bacterial process.
This condition is very very serious and it is essential to get to a vet AT
ONCE. If neglected the dog will go into shock and death can occur very
quickly.
If treatment is not started immediately, the dog will
begin to show signs of shock.
Despite much research into the causes
there is still nothing definite known.
· Owners are advised to
always feed adult mastiffs at least twice a day
· Avoid exercise
before and after meals
· Avoid large drinks after meals.
· Try to stop your dog from gulping its food, not easy, as this causes a
large amount of air to be swallowed
· Following recent research it
has become debatable whether raising the food bowl by means of a stand is
advisable.
Depending on the severity of the condition treatment will vary,
if the stomach has not twisted some relief can be obtained by passing a
catheter into the stomach thereby removing some of the gas and stomach
contents, usually by the time you get the dog to the surgery, the stomach has
already twisted upon itself, the dog is stabilized with fluids to lessen shock,
followed by emergency surgery to return the stomach to its normal position.
It is fairly common today for the stomach to be attached to the wall
of the abdomen to prevent it from twisting again.
If your dog gets
bloat, you will know, the signs are very obvious :-
· Retching
with an inability to vomit is commonly seen.
· Wanting to drink
excessively.
· Extreme salivation.
· Standing with head
held very low ( usually a sure sign of discomfort)
· Swelling of
the sides of the abdomen will occur after a short while.
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GUIDELINES to FEEDING
There is such a vast selection of
manufactured diets on the market; it is not possible to make hard and fast
rules, though many feed mastiffs on the well tried tripe and biscuit method. If
you do feed complete food additional supplements should not be required as the
manufacturers have already added a selection - 'read the bag'.
Mastiffs in general do not require a high protein diet and many of these feeds
are very high. If the food vanishes from the dish and they look good on it, you
must be on the right road. Obviously young puppies' pregnant bitches and the
oldies may require something a bit different. I have found it helps to wean
puppies as soon as their eyes are open. They are introduced to finely minced
beef or lamb, about the size of a small walnut, which is fed to them
individually by hand, once a day for 2 days and then twice a day, moving them
on to a manufactured puppy porridge at about 3 weeks, or when they are standing
firmly. At 5 weeks they go on to tripe and biscuits. I do not give milk after
they have come off mum.
For a newly purchased puppy I would strongly
advise keeping the pup on the food the breeder has suggested, at least for the
first few days any changes should be made gradually or you will end up with
'upset tums'. Don't be caught in the trap of speaking to everyone you know with
a dog and taking a little advise from each of them, it just doesn't work. Do
remember to increase the size of the puppies meals as he grows.
FRESH CLEAN WATER SHOULD ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE.
Worm regularly
monthly for puppies, twice yearly for adults with additional worming if you
think it necessary. Mastiffs seem to avoid most flea invasions but not
all.
Mastiffs are easy to keep clean, a daily brush and ear check with
an occasional bath, should keep them sweet. We clean their teeth occasionally
and they have marrow bones. Cheese or liver is a good titbit, NEVER chocolate
made for humans as this can be toxic to dogs.
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Some
Do's and Don'ts to Raising a Mastiff Puppy
· For about 12 months
don't be tempted to over exercise your pup, the first 9 months playing in the
garden is adequate with a small amount of controlled exercise such as getting
them used to wearing and walking calmly on a collar and lead. Soft webbing
collars are much kinder for young dogs and pups than metal ones. Do however,
socialise them. This is very important, without adequate socialisation, your
pup can become nervous of people, other animals, and unfamiliar situations. It
is your responsibility to help them become used to all aspects of normal
everyday life. Join the local training classes, but check that the floor is not
slippery before taking part. Take them to the local market or to the railway
station where they will get used to loud and sudden noises. Start doing this
socialising as soon as they have had their vaccinations. Stay calm and praise
them for being brave.
· Avoid the pup running up and downstairs
DON'T let your pup jump in and out of the car, avoid them jumping up always go
down to them.
· DON'T over feed your pup, when giving treats
these are part of the diet, use cheese or dried liver.
· Balls
are great fun but should always be larger than the dogs head
·
Many experts have been employed in developing Proprietary dog foods and their
guidelines on feeding should be adhered to as much as possible
·
If your pup has loose stools, this generally means you are over feeding if
constipated you are not feeding him enough. If either of these conditions
continue contact your vet.
· Plenty of fresh drinking water
should always be available. Change it regularly, the saliva they produce can
make it very slimy
· Toilet training starts as soon as you get
your puppy. On waking, after play after meals take him to the area you want him
to use, no matter what the weather stay with him and lots of praise when the
deed is accomplished.
· Be firm but kind. With a good dog
training group your pup will meet other dogs and people and learn the basic
social skills required of him. Usually the owner needs more training than the
dog and this is a good place to learn.
· Basic commands such as
'heel', 'sit', 'stay', 'lie down' and 'recall' will make for a happy
relationship. When disciplining your puppy a simple 'NO' should be
enough, if this is ignored say 'NO' in a harsher tone. You must remand them
whilst they are in the act of displeasing you, it is no good after the event,
they have short memories.
· Always praise your pup when it has
done well. Remember you are 'TOP DOG' and your puppy is the lowest member of
the pack and should never let the pup dominate you or any member of the 'pack'
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THE
MEDICINE CABINET.
• Your Vets Telephone Number
•
Cotton Wool and Gauze dressings
• Nail clippers
• Scissors and
Tweezers
• Some form of replacement salts obtainable from your
vet
• Soda to force vomiting in the event of swallowing poison or
stones
• Antiseptic lotion - for cleaning cuts and grazes.
•
Kaolin & Morphine lotion - for diarrhoea.
• Milk of Magnesia for
upset stomachs.
• Ear cleaner from your vet
• Eye lotion - for
foreign bodies or irritation.
• Arnica (from Boots or Health shops) -
for trauma after an operation, or bruising.
• Rhus Tox (from Boots or
Health shops)- for short term aching joints.
• Some form of
antihistamine
• Should your dog need to be bandaged there is an
excellent self adhesive bandage on sale now which can be bought through your
local horse suppliers, it MUST be put on over a medical dressing, it adheres to
itself and is almost mastiff proof.
• In hot weather it is handy to
have some sun screen in your dogs medicine box as the skin round their noses
can dry out and crack.
• All of the above are handy in an emergency,
but it must be remembered that if any symptoms persist it is advisable to see
your Vet.
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A
BITCHES FIRST SEASON
A Bitches first season can be at anytime
between 6 months to 2 years, if you have other bitches on the premises they may
'bring in' a youngster as they tend to come in together, but not always. Some
will be as regular as every 6 months, others will go much longer some as long
as a year. It is easy to miss the first season as these can be very light, but
if there are any males in the area they will be fully aware and may well come
to visit.
Normally the hormones become active some 10 days earlier and
there will be some marked changes she will urinate a lot to let the boys know
where she is, the vulva will become enlarged and in some bitches really swollen
and sore looking. The discharge varies a lot from bitch to bitch and most
bitches keep themselves scrupulously clean. A gentle wipe with a tissue first
thing in the morning before she has been out to relieve herself will confirm
your suspicions. If you want to breed from her it is very important that you
are aware of the first day of the season, to enable you to have a rough idea
when the best day for mating is. This normally takes place between the 13 -15
day but bitches can vary a lot so from the first season watch her, the
discharge will pale off and the vulva become soft and flabby, she will often
stand for you if you rest your hand on her rump, (it helps if you keep a record
each season to find a pattern). During this time she should not be taken out on
exercise and when she is in the garden keep a watchful eye as she will be more
than likely looking for an escape route and the dogs in the area are just as
likely to try to get into your garden.
It is best not to mate a bitch
until her third season, certainly not under 20 months. -
Mastiff Club Code of Ethics
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