My dog's stomach is swollen, hungry. Is it bloat? Can I feed?

Sheena should be evaluated by a veterinarian right away! If her belly is swollen she could be suffering from bloat (stomach full of air), a GDV (where the stomach bloats and turns on itself) or she could have fluid in her belly or uterus (pyometra). All of these conditions are very serious and require immediate veterinary care. I hope Sheena is doing ok! Please let us know if you have more questions.

These symptoms are very concerning for a possible organ enlargement in the abdomen or even heart disease (causes fluid build up in the belly). I would highly recommend taking Buttons in to your vet for some testing (bloodwork and radiographs) to determine the exact cause of her illness. Once we know what is going on internally then we will know what type of treatment she needs to hopefully get better. I hope Buttons is able to turn around. Best wishes and take care.

You are honestly too kind to me! Bloat is fatal without treatment, but if she is acting normally now, then she doesn't have it. You would see unproductive vomiting, restlessness, pacing, a swollen abdomen, and looking at the abdomen. It's good that she stopped the previous behavior, and it could be that she had something stuck in her throat but has now passed it. I would monitor her for now, and if she does show any concerning signs again, have her seen by a vet. As for the swelling of her stomach, it could be possible that Bella is pregnant if she's been around intact male dogs. She could have be going into heat, as the mammary glands can swell when a dog is in heat.

If she hasn't vomited again and doesn't seem uncomfortable, you can try giving a 1/4 portion of food or even boiled chicken and rice to see how she handles it, and then gradually increase back to her normal meals. If she seems in distress and is very painful or bloated, or is trying to vomit/pass stool and can't, or begins to vomit a lot after eating, I would bring her into your vet right away for care.

If Faithlynn had bloat, you would not only see an enlarged belly, but you would also see pacing, restlessness, anxiety, excessive drooling, and trying to vomit but cannot. A bigger belly only simply could be due to a big meal.

Oh no, poor Goober! If he had bloat, his entire abdomen would be swollen, he would be restless, anxious, unproductive vomiting, and would be looking at his abdomen a lot. I would suspect that he may have an umbilical hernia, which is not a medical emergency. At this point in time, given that he is drinking and eating with no problems, he's calm, and he's not vomiting, there's no need to rush him into the vet. Waiting until Monday will be fine. If you do see any of the signs of bloat that I mentioned above, then yes you need to rush him into a vet right away. I hope this helps!

Awww, she’s a cutie!! If she’s still acting normally... seems comfortable, is energetic and ready to play if prompted, and hasn’t seemed nauseated or like she’s trying to vomit, I would just give her some time. She may have eaten really quickly and have some gas buildup or something of that nature. If she starts retching like she wants to vomit, or if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, take her to the vet. You can check her heart rate as well. Her heart rate at rest should not be faster than 130 beats per minute. If it is faster than that when she seems calm, take her in. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!