Young puppy bloat... with fever :(

by Anna
(Pretoria, South Africa)

Hello, my 2 months old Great Dane puppy was not eating correctly (probably too much, definitely too fast), and now she's been bloated for the past six hours (at least) - she sleeps tiredly, waking up only to burst out crying. She breaths a little heavily - I suspect fever.

How dangerous is all this? The other day I was told at the vet's that young puppies get bloating (twisted stomach) extremely rarely.

Could this simply be indigestion? It's 3 am here now, I am eagerly waiting till morning to get to a vet. Gave my pup some activated charcoal and no-spa. What else can i do, and how dangerous is the situation?





Hi Anna
I'm afraid that this is one of the situations that I mention on my Puppy Questions page.... the kind that need immediate veterinary attention. Whenever a pup is in pain or distress it's important to get them to a vet right away rather than wait for an answer online. I simply can't respond fast enough for this type of problem.

Bloat is extremely serious and if left untreated fatal. I'm sorry but if your pup is bloated then chances are that without veterinary help he will die. Bloat is fairly rare, but not rare enough that a puppy or dog with these symptoms shouldn't be taken straight to a veterinary clinic! You can read more about bloat on this webpage - Canine Bloat.

Great Danes and other breeds with narrow, deep chests are most at risk. I am so sorry that your pup has experienced a problem and I really hope and pray that bloat was not to blame and that your pup recovered.