Any dog can experience mild to severe cases of bloat. It is much more common in larger breeds, but even smaller breeds like beagles are also susceptible to it. 

Beagles are notorious food lovers and are prone to overeating, and eating way too fast. Eating too much and too quickly can make beagles develop bloating pretty easily. 

Bloat, in general, refers to an inflammation, enlargement, or swelling of the abdomen. It happens when gas or food starts to stretch inside the dog’s tummy. If left untreated, bloating can develop into a serious condition known as GDV(gastric dilatation-volvulus), which is a medical and surgical emergency. 

GDV is also known as ‘twisted stomach’. The twisted stomach traps the food, water, and air, ultimately getting itself distended. A distended stomach compresses the veins, leading to low blood pressure and damage to the internal organs. Bloating and GDV can occur together in your beagle at the same time, or one may lead to the other. 

Generally however, bloat is a common, mild inconvenience in the short term.

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Bloat in Beagles?

A bloat or gastric dilatation is an accumulation of gas. Sometimes this accumulated gas can cause the stomach to twist on its own axis, which is called volvulus or torsion. Many people use bloat and GDV interchangeably, but the two conditions are two separate gastric disorders. Bloat is a simple gastric dilatation, whereas GDV is a progression of the bloat into a volvulus or twist. 

Your dog’s stomach may be bloated due to several underlying causes and it can vary from mild to severe, including heart failure or liver dysfunction, pregnancy, internal bleeding, GDV, uterine infection, and many others.

Because of the severity of these potential conditions, your dog should be taken to a vet as soon as possible if they are experiencing long term bloating. The early signs may look somewhat similar to an upset stomach. For this reason, it may be difficult for a vet to diagnose bloat without running tests like ultrasound, radiographs, blood tests, etc. If your dog’s tummy is bloated, then they could have some of the following symptoms.

• Enlarged stomach
• Restlessness and inability to lie down
• Distressed behavior
• Pawing or looking at their belly
• Rapid and shallow breathing
• Whining when the belly is touched or pressed
• Firm abdomen
• Pale gums
• Trying to vomit but nothing or very little comes out; dry heaving
• Drooling
• Trying to defecate but unable to; constipation
• Licking the air

What Conditions Are Related to Bloat In Dogs?

Beagle Colic Syndrome

Colic syndrome is a condition that causes gas, inflammation, pain, and discomfort in the dog’s colon. Colic syndrome is mainly associated with bloat or abdominal distention and irritability. 

Colic pain can be excruciating and cause lots of trouble. Your beagle can feel weak, lazy, restless, have terrible gas, lose their appetite, and even collapse. In some severe cases of colic syndrome, a lack of prompt medical attention to the dog can also be fatal. 

Colic presents itself in two forms – acute and chronic. Acute colic in beagles is caused by eating garbage, spoilt food, or poisonous substances like pesticides or even bacterial or fungal infection. Chronic colic results from underlying causes such as pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, tumors, deficiency in liver or gall bladder functions, or an injury in the digestive tract. 

To treat colic in your beagle, they must undergo physical checkups to identify the underlying causes. Colic syndrome is a digestive disorder, so it is crucial to improve your dog’s digestive system by giving them supplements of probiotics and digestive enzymes. To prevent the onset of colic in your beagle, try the following:

• Do not feed sugary or greasy foods.
• Keep all poisonous substances away from your beagle. Do not allow your dog to eat spoiled food from garbage cans.
• Have your dog drink plenty of clean water.
• Switch your beagle’s diet to a balanced all-natural diet and feed them home-made food every day. If you can’t cook for your dog every day, there are other options also. If you feed kibble to your beagle, then add fresh foods such as frozen raw food, bones, or freshly cooked meat, dehydrated foods, to enhance the nutritional quality of the overall diet.
• Get your beagle checked for worms regularly to make sure they are worm free.
• Feed your beagle in small doses throughout meal time, so that they learn to eat at a slower pace. I like to use slow feeder bowls, which are designed to help your dog learn to eat slower.

GDV (Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus)

GDV, or gastric torsion is a life-threatening disease. In this condition, the stomach of the dog dilates and then rotates or twists. GDV does not resolve itself on its own and needs immediate veterinary care and in some cases surgery, or the effects can be fatal. 

Your dog can go into shock from a bloat of this severity, because the stomach expands and puts immense pressure on various large arteries, veins, and internal organs. Also, the blood supply to the stomach is cut off, which can lead to toxin build up in the digestive tract.

Causes of GDV

The exact causes of GDV are still mostly unknown. GDV mainly tends to take place in larger deep-chested dogs such as Saint Bernards, Great Danes, Gordon Setters, Doberman Pinschers, and Old English sheepdogs, who eat or drink quickly and then exercise vigorously. 

A bloat can progress into a volvulus (twisting) in which the gas-filled stomach twists, making both the entry and exit of the stomach obstructed. During this obstruction, the dog is unable to vomit anything up to empty the stomach as the outflow tract gets closed. The trapped food, air, and liquid will then produce a gas, which can cause the stomach to swell. 

The swollen belly then puts pressure on the large vessels that lie above it, compromising blood flow to the entire body. GDV can result in a plethora of emergency conditions, including progressive enlargement of the abdomen, increased pressure within the stomach, and damage to the cardiovascular system. 

Male dogs are more likely to develop GDV than females. Other factors that can increase the risk of this type of bloat include feeding only large one meal a day, being underweight, having a nervous or fearful disposition (heightened anxiety), old age, and genetics.

Symptoms of GDV

• Abdominal pain and distention
• Inordinate drooling
• Labored breathing and rapid heartbeat
• Anxious behavior and depression
• Loss of appetite
• Dry heaving

How to Prevent and Fix Bloating in Dogs

In severe cases, bloating can be excruciatingly painful in dogs and can become fatal in a matter of hours without any medical intervention, so it is indispensable that pet owners know the signs and ways to prevent it. Preventing bloating in dogs is difficult because several things play a part in causing it, but there are a few things that can be done to curtail your dog’s risk:

• Do not let your dog eat or drink quickly.
• Your beagle’s digestive tract is ideally suited for protein, that means meat and not carbohydrates like grains and starches. So reduce carbohydrates in your dog’s diet if they are overweight.
• Feed your beagle multiple meals in smaller portions throughout the day.
• Ensure your dog rests after having a full meal.
• Avoid any strenuous exercises immediately after feeding.
• Consider using slow feeder bowls to help slow your dog’s eating speed down.
• Both underweight and overweight dogs are prone to bloating, so maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial.
• Do not feed your dog in an elevated food bowl.
• Avoid dairy products they may be allergic to, such as milk or cheese
• Feed your beagle wet and dry food mixed.
• Avoid giving soybean products to your beagle, as they promote indigestion and inflammation.
• Mix an enzyme product to your dog’s food and some herbs to reduce gas.
• Reduce stress in your dog, especially around the feeding time.
• Avoid giving only dry kibble to your dog, as it can be harder on the digestive tract.
• Take your dog for regular checkups to the vet so that they can monitor the health of your pet’s lungs, heart, stomach, bowels, and other organs.

For more tips, check out this short video on preventing bloat:

Final Thoughts

If some or all of the symptoms of bloat are noticed in dogs, you should seek prompt veterinarian care. Depending on the severity of the situation, your veterinarian may recommend surgery to immediately try and remedy the problem, though surgical intervention comes with its own set of risks, so staying proactive and recognizing bloat early on is vital.