Boxergirl
Well-Known Member
I lost my Ella to bloat on Saturday night. I've spent my adult life worrying about GDV (boxers are prone to it) and have the chart I will post in a separate thread on my cabinet. My girl had her normal dinner of 1 3/4 cups of food. She didn't play. She didn't drink too much water. In fact, because my daughter's boy lives with me now and they don't get along, she was gated in my room sleeping on the bed immediately after eating. It was her turn to sleep with us. She showed not one early symptom. Not one. At 10pm she "coughed" and didn't bring anything up. Then a few minutes later she did it again and I got up to check on her. Her gums were pure white and she was just a little bloated. I immediately called my daughter who is a vet tech and has worked emergency. She also has a small car and Ella couldn't get in my jeep at that point. She drove over and took one look at her belly and gums and said she has to go NOW. We got her to the emergency vet by about 10:45pm. 45 minutes after the first symptom I saw. Xrays showed her stomach had twisted. She was in severe shock. At a little before midnight we let her go. My heart is shattered. I KNOW about this condition. I KNOW what to look for and what to do. For whatever reason she didn't do any of the usual things. I'm going to make a separate post of things I've shared many times over the years with the hope that it will help someone else. Here are two pictures of my beautiful girl. The one laying on the bed was taken a week or so ago. The one of her sitting was taken only a couple of hours before she was gone. Of all the dogs I have, Ella was mine and only mine. My love. My protector. My girl. I miss her.