Emergency — phone the vet now Within 1–2 hours

Dog with bloat or suspected GDV (twisted stomach)

Suspected bloat is a true minutes-count emergency — drive to a 24/7 vet now, do not wait.

Dog

Recognise the signs

Visibly swollen, drum-tight belly (often behind the ribs)
Repeated unproductive retching — trying to vomit but nothing comes up
Heavy drooling and pacing
Restlessness, unable to settle, looking at flank
Pale gums, rapid breathing, weak pulse
Collapse in later stages

First aid steps

Call the nearest 24/7 emergency vet and say the words 'suspected bloat' — they will prep theatre.
Do not feed or offer water.
Get the dog into the car and drive — every minute matters.
Keep the dog calm and minimise movement; carry small dogs.

Do NOT

Do not give bicarbonate of soda, oils, or any 'home remedy' to relieve gas.
Do not try to make the dog vomit — the stomach is twisted, vomit cannot escape.
Do not press on the abdomen.
Do not 'wait an hour to see if it passes' — it does not pass.

While transporting to the vet

Phone ahead — surgical bloat needs theatre prepped, not a triage queue.
Drive smoothly — twisting risk increases with sharp turns.
If the dog collapses en route, keep going — there is nothing useful to do at the roadside.

When to phone the vet immediately

Any of the recognise_signs in a deep-chested breed = treat as emergency
Pale gums or collapse
Repeated unproductive retching for more than 5–10 minutes

Common causes

Eating a large meal then exercising or rolling vigorously
Gulping food and air rapidly (deep-chested breeds)
Drinking a very large volume of water in one go
Stress, kennelling, or recent travel can raise risk

What the vet will need to know

Breed and approximate weight
Time the dog last ate and what
When signs started
How many times the dog has retched without bringing anything up
Any prior history of bloat or stomach surgery

Aftercare

Surgical bloat (GDV) usually means several days of hospitalisation.
Many surgeons perform a gastropexy at the same time to prevent recurrence.
Once home: small, frequent meals, no exercise around feeding, slow-feeder bowl.
Watch for early signs of recurrence in the first 30 days.

Prevention

Feed two or three smaller meals daily rather than one large one.
Use a slow-feeder or puzzle bowl for fast eaters.
Avoid vigorous exercise for 60–90 minutes either side of meals.
Discuss prophylactic gastropexy with your vet for very high-risk breeds.
Keep stress around feeding low — feed away from other dogs if competition is an issue.

Breed-specific notes

Highest risk: Great Dane, German Shepherd, Standard Poodle, Weimaraner, Setters, Boxer, Saint Bernard, Doberman.
Risk rises with age and in dogs with a first-degree relative who had GDV.

Frequently asked questions

Can small dogs get bloat?

Yes, but it is much rarer. Bloat is overwhelmingly a deep-chested, large-breed condition, but small breeds have been reported. The signs and urgency are the same.

Is a dog with a big belly always bloating?

No — pregnancy, fat gain, fluid build-up from heart or liver disease, and Cushing's all cause a rounder belly over time. Bloat appears suddenly, typically with retching and distress.

Will my dog survive GDV surgery?

Survival rates are around 80–90% with prompt surgery, and drop sharply with delay. This is why driving immediately matters more than almost any other emergency.