Hello,

Last night my 6 year old boston terrier was fine when I took her out around 1 am. This morning she has a very hard time getting up on her hind legs, they seem stiff when she walks she almost hobbles and looks sad. She had diarrhea all day almost yellowish orange. She is still having a hard time getting up from sitting/laying. In the last week I have been feeding her a lot of barley and bread. I have felt her all over to see if there is any pain but she doesn't seem to show any signs of it. As soon as this happened I ran out and got her some really good dog food and she ate that up very fast, she is eating and drinking fine. If I take out her ball she will run and get it although still hobbling on her hind legs. I called the vet and they said it could be bloat a dealy problem, although I have been unemployed and have no money to see a vet. Her stomach does seem a little bloated and stiff. Does anyone know what could be wrong with my baby?

To be truthful, only a qualified veterinarian can help you. However, I understand that many times we don't have money to seek medical care for ourselves, much less our dogs. If you are looking/hoping for a home remedy by which to heal your dog without going to the vet, maybe try looking up "bloat in dogs" elsewhere on the net. If you are lucky, you might find something you could try. Otherwise, if your dog's situation is looking desperate, you might try to work out some mercy deal with the vet-- maybe offer to clean the clinic in exchange for care-- I don't know what your physical capabilities are, but it's worth a try, if you are up to it.

I know that I need a proper vet to help. I am trying to figure out how I can pay for it at the moment. Just trying to find out if anyone has any information on this issue. It is so odd, she wants to sit the whole time but she will walk and even get excited and play with the ball, playing hard actually. She will eat which seems to be weird for bloat, most symptoms lists that they will not eat and try to throw up. I just got laid off last month, and it makes me feel sad and guilty that I cannot bring her in. Do vets bill you or make you pay at the office, I rememeber last time I had to pay before I went in. I could pay a bill in a week or two, do any vets do this type of billing? Im scared about this and the only place open is an emergency clinic 20 miles away.

It all depends on the vet, really. For standard purposes, all the medical professionals these days, whether for people or animals, are now requiring payment at time of service. The only places that are required to render care regardless of ability to pay are public emergency rooms for people. However, once in awhile, a mercifully kind and generous vet can be found who will work with you, depending upon the urgency of the pet's condition, and your own difficult situation. Understandably, a lot of vets cannot afford to offer these kinds of concessions to everyone, due to their own bills they have to pay, or maybe they've been "burned" too many times. But every now and then, you'll find one who can work with you. What you'll have to do is ask to speak privately with the vet, not the office personnel. Ask him if some kind of payment deal can be worked out, explain your situation. Like I said, sometimes you can even offer trade for services, depending upon what kind of skills you have to offer. There have been difficult times in my family's life when my husband did computer work in trade for medical care, car repairs, all kinds of stuff. Once upon a time I cleaned houses professionally. I cleaned the vet clinic one night, in exchange for neutering and declawing my cat. My mother has cleaned dentists' offices in exchange for dental care. What did you do for a living, before you got laid off? What kind of skills are you able to offer? Who knows, maybe you'll find a new job this way! Anyway, like I said, the only way to find out is to ask around. There are still helpful, charitable people to be found. I wish you luck, and I hope your circumstances improve very soon!

Okay, I just looked up the condition myself, and one site suggested giving your dog a gas relief medicine, such as Gas X or Mylanta Gas (not regular Mylanta). The sites I visited also listed some other very serious symptoms, such as pale gums, rapid breathing, trying vomit with nothing coming up, and to listen to your dog's tummy for gastric sounds. The belly would feel tight, like a drum if it is true bloat. They also said that this condition acts rapidly, and can kill a dog within hours. But... here's some good news for you: There was a list of breeds most at risk. The breeds are almost all large, with deep, narrow chests (Great Danes ranked #1 at risk). Boston Terrier was NOT on the list. This isn't to say that BTs cannot get bloat, but only that it is not very common in this breed. So if your dog is still alive by the time you read this, it most likely is not bloat, but something else. Try some Gas X and see if that helps, and in the meanwhile see if you can't work something out with the vet.

[mrandrei]

I read somwhere that dog food can cause your dog bloating, when the dog drinks water with the dog food it swells, is this correct?

One of the sites mentioned several food-related things that can contribute: 1) dry food that contains citric acid/ adding water to dry food containing citric acid, 2) if the dog drinks a lot before, during, or after eating, 3) eating too fast 4) eating out of an elevated dish 5) exercising within an hour before or after eating

I doubt this is bloat. If it were, your dog would most likely be dead by now. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have a serious condition, like gastroenteritis or a blockage. If you have a regular vet who has been seeing your dog, give them a call. Explain your situation honestly and ask if there's any way you can keep costs down. Perhaps just take in a stool sample first to see if there's something like coccidia or giardia that's causing the problem.

Actually, the problem could be the barley and bread you've been feeding. If she's still having diarrhea, try fasting her for 24 hours to give her gut a chance to settle down and clear out the gas and grain. Then give her a little yogurt to replace the good bacteria she needs. Feed her rice with a little chicken or boiled hamburger.