What Is Bloat? Q. My daughter recently lost her 9-year-old collie/shepherd to what was diagnosed as bloat. It was quite a sudden occurrence. They took Kody to the vet where X-rays and other tests were done. It was determined that he only had a 40 percent chance of survival with surgery so they had to put him to sleep. Can you please explain what "bloat" is? BEVERLY ALLEN A. I am very sorry for your loss. Bloat is also known as Gastric Dilation and Volvulus, stomach tension or twisted stomach. The stomach bloats as a result of rapid accumulation of gas. Eventually the distended stomach rotates around its supporting ligaments, trapping the gas and choking off its own blood supply. The distended stomach presses on the chest, making it difficult for the dog to breathe and compresses large veins in the abdomen, preventing blood from returning to the heart. The difficulty breathing and poor blood flow eventually result in collapse and death unless treatment is sought promptly. Bloat can result in as short a time as 2 ¾ to 3 hours. Treatment begins with rapid IV fluid therapy and decompression of the stomach. When the patient is stabilized, surgery is necessary to position the stomach to its original placement and secure the position by suturing the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent future episodes of bloat. Prevention of bloat is difficult because the underlying cause is unknown, but there are some risk factors that can predispose a dog to bloat. For example, large deep-chested dogs, dogs that eat only once a day, dogs that eat very quickly, and dogs that exercise after eating are more at risk. LORI CIVELLO, DVM