My dog's stomach is bloated and he's walking stiff. What should I do?

Poor pup! From your description, it sounds like something is seriously wrong. Trouble walking could be caused by arthritis, a neurologic problem like a stroke or herniated disc in the spine, or generalized weakness due to a severe illness of some kind. A bloated abdomen can be caused by GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus, or "bloat"), which is a life-threatening condition where the stomach fills with air and twists on itself; other possible causes would include congestive heart failure, an abdominal tumor, liver failure, or internal bleeding. These signs are indicative of a severe, possibly life-threatening problem that needs immediate veterinary care, so I would recommend taking your dog to an emergency vet right away. He/she can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to help her.

Hello, sorry to hear about Draco. It sounds like he may be having mild sings of an upset stomach. You can continue to monitor him for any vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, or lethargy. If you note any of these, then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Otherwise, you can feed him a bland diet of plain white rice, skinless, and boneless boiled chicken, and low fat cottage cheese. If he has any other signs including panting, persistent vomiting, or retching and if his stomach becomes severely distended very fast, then he should be seen on emergency basis by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I'm sorry that Jasper is uncomfortable! I'm concerned because you say that he has stomach pain and is acting restless - these can be symptoms of a life-threatening condition called bloat, or GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus). This is a problem that can affect large breed dogs, in which the stomach becomes overly full of air and/or food and twists on itself. Symptoms normally include acting painful, restlessness, panting, unproductive attempts to vomit, and sometimes a large or bloated-looking abdomen. If this sounds like what Jasper is doing, I would recommend getting him to a vet immediately as this is a medical emergency - bloat requires emergency surgery, and is fatal within hours without treatment. If this isn't possible or you opt not go to the vet, you can try offering him some plain boiled chicken and rice or chicken-flavored baby food to help settle his stomach. There are no over-the-counter human medications that are recommended for use in dogs for this problem, so unfortunately there is nothing you can give him apart from small amounts of a bland diet to see if this helps.

As long as she is acting ok you could monitor her for additional signs. If she starts retching, seems uncomfortable, starts drooling, is painful, or the distension persists then she should be examined by a vet. Your vet can take an X-ray to evaluate her abdomen and determine the exact cause of her problem.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Alfie. Poor boy. It's good that he's acting normally, so it doesn't sound like he has bloat. I'd without food for tonight, and keep a close eye on him. If you see pacing, anxiety, restlessness, trying to vomit but can't, and excessive drooling, take him into an ER vet right away. Otherwise, feed him his normal breakfast in the morning. I hope this helps!

It definitely does look bloated. It could be from eating a large meal or from intestinal parasites (worms). I would have your vet take a look a him. They will likely want to do a fecal on him to check for worms and if needed, they will deworm him. I hope this helps!

Hello. I am sorry to hear that Rilo has an upset stomach and is fidgety. Any upset stomach can cause pain, and this is likely causing Rilo to be fidgety. If he is unable to settle, is lethargic (quiet/sad), not wanting to eat, or appears to have a distended or bloated (sticking out the sides and hard) stomach or abdomen, he needs to be seen immediately. Also, if he has vomiting and diarrhea he should be seen by a veterinarian. Either way if he is fidgety I would recommend a consult with a vet to get Rilo pain management. If he is otherwise happy, eating/drinking, and urinating and defecating well, and not vomiting, you can try fasting him for 24 hours and see if that improves. Any bloating requires immediate vet care or it can be fatal however, so make sure he has a comfortable and soft stomach when you touch it. I hope he feels better soon.