Just lost our baby. - Page 2

 It is such a tough way to lose a young dog, I know.

My youngest dog will be gastropexied soon.

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Keef  I am so very sorry that you have lost your best friend my thoughts are with you and your family  take care

Thank you all for your kind  thoughts. There are some really decent people out there.  Will take "hexe"s advice but it's far too soon to be thinking about another dog. Viggo was our third GSD, Sadly we had to have our last boy "Jago" put down 3 yrs ago and we still grieve for him.
 
At this stage....not even 11 hrs have passed yet.....we are all still in utter shock and totally heartbroken. Have been through this before and I know time will heal but it doesn't get any easier.

At times like this I always wonder whether the pain is worth it........of course it is I know. Wonderful memories to come but not today.

Would like to post some pictures but I don't know how to use the system.

Thanks once again.......I really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

RIP baby xx

Hexe, where do you get the supplies for the bloat kit, like the stomach tube?

A few years ago I lost my dear dog Evee to bloat.  I was not aware nor prepared for it.  I can understand your feelings.  There are a few things that can be done to give the dog a fighting chance and the "kit" is one.

According to this website, you can use Tygon tubing from your hardware store.

Keef:

I wanted to thank you again for your post.  I just got home from our ER vet.  My 4 year old Molly was acting strange and her stomach was distended.  I debated about calling the vet as she was not really exhibiting the same signs that I noticed in my other dog that had bloated last year.  Because of your post I decided not to take any chances.  I got to the vet before her stomach flipped, so they are treating her now to prevent it from happening.

Again I thank you as I may have waited longer to see if it was just a stomach ache before calling the vet and who knows what the outcome would have been.

I hope soon your memories of your beloved Viggo will bring you comfort.

If you would like to email me pictures of your Viggo, I would be happy to post them here for you.

Cheryl

Doberdoodle, as charlie319 says, you can use any clear, non-toxic, non-siliconized plastic tubing that's available by the foot at most hardware and farm supply stores.  Minimum diameter for a GSD would be 1/2 inch--I keep lengths of both the 1/2" and 3/4" tubing on hand for my GSDs.   After you purchase some lengths of it, you'll want to bevel the ends at home by either sanding it with a Dremel tool, or by rolling the end of the tubing through a flame to soften the plastic and smooth the cut edge.

The rolls of tape are for use as a mouth-gag, and basically you can use any large diameter roll of 1 inch width bandaging tape; the benefit of using a tape roll versus a wooden block as a mouth gag is the tape roll is easier on the dog's mouth (you're not going to risk damaging a tooth if the dog struggles while you're placing either the tape or the tube) and easier for you to hold in place while you're passing the tube. 

One more thing you can try--an acupressure point for bloat relief.  As with the stomach tube and any other first aid measure, this is NOT a substitute for veterinary care...just a first aid effort that may help.  An advantage with this effort is that you can do this while you're actually transporting the dog to the vet, as long as you've got someone else driving...

www.iwane.org/acp_point_v2.htm