It's second only to cancer as a killer of dogs.

Could you recognize the symptoms? If not, your healthy dog could be dead in 8 - 12 hours, or less.

Become informed now!! Ask your vet. Go to your dog books. Visit the Internet. Just a few of the web sites that can inform are:

www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
www.canismajor.com/dog/bloat.html
www.adoptagolden.com/k9stuff/vetcorner/bloat.htm

The beginning symptoms are not exceptional. You may have seen them in your dog before. It's the combination that must alert you, and even then you have very little time to get your dog to the vet. It is an emergency! Here are a few typical symptoms. (But not necessarily all....and all do not necessarily occur.):

Licking the air, attempts to vomit (usually unsuccessful); may occur every 5 - 20 minutes. (has been referred to as the "hallmark symptom") Doesn't act like usual self. (Perhaps the earliest warning sign and maybe be the only sign that almost always occurs.) Significant anxiety and restlessness. Bloated abdomen that may feel tight like a drum. (However, many times this symptom never occurs or is not apparent.) Gagging. Heavy salivating or drooling. Vomiting foamy mucous. Whining and pacing. "Hunched up" appearance. May refuse to lie down. Drinking excessively. Heavy or rapid panting. Shallow breathing. Apparent weakness. Accelerated heartbeat. Finally, collapse and death in 8 to 12 hours or less.

The causes are wide and vary from study to study. They include some of the following: Eating from elevated food bowls, rapid eating, stress, heredity, and size, shape, and age of your dogs. (Larger and older dogs at greater risk)

Preventions are also wide and vary from study to study. Mostly they talk about diet, what sorts of foods to use, which ones not to use, when and when not to feed, when and when not to allow them to drink, exercise and eating, and more along those lines. Check with your Vet., go to the Internet, go to the library, just find out what should work best for your dogs.