If Marley & Me (the book or movie) was the first time you heard about bloat in dogs, you're not alone.
Poor Marley had a tough time with it (twice!) and his owners agonized over his situation.
Knowing more about bloat could have helped them make better, faster decisions.
Here's what you need to know.
Canine bloat is a life-threatening condition that's more common than we'd like to think.
Although it can occur in any dog, it tends to show up more frequently in large, deep-chested dogs such as Great Danes, Irish Setters, St.
Bernards and Retrievers.
Older dogs (over 7) are at greater risk than younger ones.
So what exactly is dog bloat? Technically known as GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus), it's caused when gas builds up in a dog's stomach and can't get out.
As the gas accumulates, the stomach swells and often twists.
That blocks food passage out of the stomach, as well as blood flow to the stomach and other internal organs.
Here are several symptoms of bloat in dogs you can watch for:

• Attempting to vomit, with no results
• Restless, uncomfortable pacing
• Excessive drooling
• Weakness
• Swollen belly
• Heavy panting or shortness of breath

If your dog shows any of these symptoms, get him to your vet immediately! This is truly a life-or-death emergency.
Every moment counts.
While it isn't clear exactly what causes a dog's stomach to bloat and twist, there are several common factors leading up to the condition:

• Feeding only one meal a day
• Gulping too much air while eating too quickly
• Feeding from an elevated bowl
• Drinking too much water before or after exercising
• Eating dry food, then drinking too much water afterwards, making the kibble swell up in the stomach

So what can your vet do to fix up your dog? Although he can just "let the air out" and send your dog home, that's not the best option.
Bloat tends to recur about 75% of the time in such cases (as happened to Marley).
The best option is for your vet to surgically untwist the stomach and then sew it to the inside body wall so it can't twist again.
Survival rate for such surgeries is an encouraging 95%.
What can you do to prevent this tragedy from striking your big dog? Here are some suggestions:

• Feed Hungry Harry two or three smaller meals a day rather than one large meal.
  
• Add water to his dry food and let it get soggy, so his stomach fills up at a safe rate.
  
• Avoid strenuous exercise for one hour before and two to three hours after a meal.
  

Although bloat in dogs is definitely a medical emergency, it doesn't have to be a tragedy.
Armed with these facts, you have an excellent chance of keeping your dog from becoming a sad statistic.