WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Dog movie prompts pet owner concerns

Dog movie prompts pet owner concerns

By Brooke Kelley - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - When you think of a bloated stomach, you probably think of someone eating too much. But in a dog, it's something more dangerous and possibly fatal.

In the movie "Marley and Me" the dog dies from stomach bloating and since the release of that movie, worried pet owners have been calling veterinarians around the area asking what it is and how it can be prevented.

We spoke to a local vet who explains the problem and the cure.

Veterinarian Dr. Carla Case-McCorvey is a busy woman, treating dozens of animals each week for all sorts of ailments. But lately a lot of dog owners are contacting her about bloating.

"Everyone is asking us about this a lot of people being aware of this syndrome that might not be known about before and they are asking how can this not happen to my dog," she said.

Carla Schaff lost one of her pets after it developed this severe stomach distress. "We are very aware of bloating and looking out for it," said Schaff.

Bloating happens in several breeds, mainly medium to large sized dogs and especially as they get older.

"A lot of speculation that it's eating very quickly or swallowing a lot of air or drinking very quickly. No one really knows what causes it to happen," said Case-McCorvey. "Once it does happen, it's life threatening and needs to be addressed within 12 to 24 hours before we lose them."

The only option used to be surgery but now there's a new, less invasive procedure that can be done by inserting a scope through a tiny incision and as a preventative measure, it can often be done while the dog is being neutered or spayed.

"We are able to go in with a small camera and grasp the stomach and bring up to the body wall and make an incision over the area," explains Case-McCorvey.

Schaff says after tragically losing one pet, she wasn't taking any chances with her Great Dane Hanna. Dr. Case-McCorvey performed the procedure on Hanna.

"There's no reason why you wouldn't do it," said Case-McCorvey.

Veterinarian tech Missy Schneider's Boxer Rowdy is going to get the procedure done soon.

"They do it so much here so, I don't worry about it," said Schneider.

"It's a benefit that every medium to large pet owners can have peace of mind and less likely to have problems in the future," said Case-McCorvey.

Which could save on medical bills and most importantly, keep their furry friends around a lot longer.

If you would like more information about the procedure, you can contact Case Veterinary Hospital by visiting their website at, http://www.case.vetsuite.com.