veterinarians/bloat

Is there anything you can do at home to "decompress" him so you can get him to either his vet or the ER depending on which is open? 

Not sure where you are in Ohio, but how close are you to either of these vet school hospitals? I think the Indiana school is on the western part of the state, so that might be too far. It might be worth talking with them to develop an emergency plan...

Ohio

The Ohio State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

Hospital: Veterinary Teaching Hospital

601 Vernon L. Tharp Street
Columbus, OH 43210

Phone: (614) 292-3551

http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/hospital.htm

Kate

There is a decompression "first aide technique" I heard about in a handling seminar.  A gentleman from Oh first name Bill (lives up near Toledo).  He handled quite a few danes and had all these things in his first aide kit.  My suggestion (especially considering your background) that you check out seminars for vets that you might be able to attend.  Maybe they have such seminar information at the dane club or at regional specialties...Another option would to check for continuing ed seminars on first aide for vets....

Good idea to LEARN yourself what to do, I have a friend that I worked with when I first started at the vet clinic who now is at Ohio State Veterinary School...I can shoot him an email.

You know Lori...I broght home a few needles from work for Gibby in case I would need them. I don't remember the actual name of the procedure..but two vets told me that I could save their life by letting the air out of their stomach with that needle..I believe its the left side..right under the last rib.  I guess I could do it to save his life but it sure sounds scary, doesn't it?

FrisbyPI..thank you. If a Dane bloats their stomach could flip...you sometimes have a very very short time to get them help..which would be surgery.  A drive to Columbus where Ohio State is well over a couple of hours.  I suppose if he was stabilized maybe. But your right...good idea to talk to them to get an emergency plan. 

I had ER clinics mapped out and put in a place to get to in a hurry..but it never occured to me that they are not open by day.

krbshappy71

We are fortunate to have an actual vet paramedic/ambulance that will come to the house. I have their number in my phone, on the fridge, and have checked out their unit in person. I am very thankful for this because physically I could not lift my bloodhound into the car, let alone up the basement stairs if she bloated downstairs. Are there any companies of this sort in your area?

Gosh...not that I am aware of....but what a great thing.  And for sure something I have to check out!  After contacting my vet that I worked for about this issue, and having worked there for 4 years...you would think I would have heard about something like that here......but yet maybe not. I will check into that though.

I have heard that long time Great Dane breeders have learned to tube dogs themselves so that they can at least decompress in the case of bloat.  I have no idea where or how they learned.  But I know that tubing equipment is pretty standard fare with a lot of old time Great Dane people. 

 I learned to tube feed a newborn puppy.  It's not hard to learn to to.  The process can't be much different in a larger dog.  Granted, handling the dog is much more complicated than handling a small newborn pup.  But the theory is the same.

The one thing the layman can not do is determine if the stomach has flipped.  This is an EMERGENCY situation as you know.  Time is of the essence.  Blood is being cut off to part of the stomach.  That tissue will die very quickly if the stomach can not be turned. 

I lost a horse to colic,which is essentially bloat in horses.  We acted quickly to stabilize him.  But his stomach ruptured.  It was horrid.  So I know how you large dog people fear bloat.  I do.  I wish you luck in creating an emergency plan.  In horses too, there is a medication the owner can administrate for pain relief and other good effects before the Vet arrives.  It's called Banamine.  Maybe there is something like that for dogs.  At least if  you could keep your dog calm and in less pain while transporting.  That could be of great help.  I'd work closing with a Veterinarian you trust to help you figure out what you can do to help your dog before Vet treatment is available.  I hope you get somethiing figured out.

The horse thing sounds so terrible.....what I picture!   I have simethicone..... not just GAS PLUS or any of the over the counter meds..but plain liquid simethicone....its supposed to help too. Rescue Remedy to keep from shock.  A needle to let the air out ( shutter ) and I do lots of things to try to avoid it in the first place......but I do need to get the the bottom of this all..... as you say..once that stomach starts turning you don't have much time.  Its the Great  Dane scare, BUT personally ( not people from the Dane forums ) I know only of people that had German Shepherds the died of bloat.

 Apparently, the Dane people aren't the only ones who are self-teaching: http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/BloatFirstAid.htm

The company that I order probiotcs from sells the kit like that.... I'm sure lots of places do.  However..... by the time you fool with all that you could be getting the dog in the car and leaving.    My vet ( and another one that works at the clinic that I worked at ) suggested the needle going into the stomach to release the air.   He told me he knows a girl that saved her dogs life doing that...someone else driving the car and she saw the dog was really having a problem so she did use the needle...he was the first to tell me and suggested I take one home.