My husband, being the clueless type (he would be the first to admit this - in fact, he just received his certification in Florida, making it the third state he has been certified (8A-1) in cluelessness), recently fed the dogs and took them out to play. Yes, it was probably only 90 degrees and about an hour after they ate. In his defense, he believed they had not been fed yet. Well, flash forward 30 minutes after the dogs came inside - and Tuna is pacing around, panting. This I would have expected of Bishop - it takes him a long time to relax and settle down after coming inside but Big Tuna, she settles down in minutes. She was laying on her side and panting, the later being the unusual behavior. I noticed she looked...well, unusually rotund. I poked her abdomen and it barely moved. I realized, to my horror, that she may be experiencing "bloat"...a scenario where a dogs stomach actually twists and pinches off the blood flow to the lower intestines. Long story short, we drove to the emergency clinic and stopped on the way to pick up Mylanta - this actually helped her burp and pass gas...if they can do that, they are not bloating.
Here is an excellent site for information on Bloat. I would encourage you to pass this information along - so few pet owners are aware of this very serious condition!
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