Tiny's Final Entry
29 November 2008
NOTE: For the story of how Tiny came to join us, please read this page first
Rather than retelling Tiny's story from the beginning (at least the beginning of his life with us), I will let his prior page tell that story, as with Junior and Clayton. Tiny lived a peaceful, contented life with us (and especially his playmate Lori Bay) until this past February, when things got a little more complicated...
In February 2008, Tiny bloated for the first time. As luck would have it, we were in the yard with him when he started showing signs of bloat, and having experienced it before with Rion, we knew what to do. So, late on a Sunday evening, we called the vet's office and, to make a long story short, we got him in as quickly as possible and tragedy was avoided. The fact that we didn't hesitate to get him to the vet and get him treated prevented the need for surgery, or worse. After a couple days in the hospital, Tiny came home with us and began the long process of recovery.
A couple of months later, when all seemed to be going well, we once again heard the familiar, dreaded retching sound that signals another adventure with bloat. Tiny's stomach had been delicate since his first bloat, so it wasn't all that unusual for him to gag or vomit occasionally, but there is a different quality to the sound when a dog bloats. Once again, we were off to the vet and another long recovery. We were doing everything we had been told to do - smaller meals, moisten the food before feeding, restrict activity and no water for an hour before and after feeding, etc., but it happened anyway. Once again we were able to act immediately and keep Tiny around.
It seems that once a dog has bloated, s/he is far more likely to bloat again, and the more often it happens, the higher the risk. Each time, the ligaments supporting the gut and the stomach itself are stretched just that much further, increasing the vulnerability to a repeat occurrence. This certainly proved to be the case with Tiny. Another effect we noticed on him was that he aged very rapidly after the first bloat, and the second time increased this effect, too.
This past Sunday evening (23 November) was going more or less like a typical Sunday evening until a little after 11:30. The kids were in bed, long asleep, and Tina and I were putting the rest of the house to bed when Tina came in and told me, "call the vet - right NOW." I asked her, "Bloat?" and she said, "Bloat." I grabbed the phone and went out to look at Tiny - he was down on the deck, grossly distended and breathing rapidly and shallowly. Obviously he had been in distress for some time before we found him. This was unusual in that he had eaten about 2.5 hours before, and thrown up afterward. As previously mentioned, this was not all that unusual, so we had just crated him and kept him quiet for about an hour and a half before we let him out. He seemed fine when we let him out in the yard at about 10:30. I had never heard of a dog bloating on an empty stomach before, but believe me, it CAN happen.
Again, making a long story short, after one emergency house call by a vet and another trip to he vet's office later when he bloated a second time, Tiny seemed to be doing fairly well at the vet's office in the morning. Needless to say, Tina and I got very little sleep Sunday night... Fortunately, the kids were blissfully unaware that any of this was going on. Tina stopped by the clinic right after they opened to check on Tiny, and while he was not happy to be there, he seemed to be doing better... Tina hadn't been home for 30 minutes when we got a call from the vet to let us know that Tiny was gone. It seems there was simply too much damage from the first bloat, and there was nothing anybody could have done.
So, on Monday 24 November 2008, around 9:00 am, Tiny went to join the other Mastiffs who went before him. We don't know how old he was, but he did have just over four years with us. We don't know what kinds of torment he might have had before he came to us (it was obvious he had had a difficult life), but the time he had with us was a blessing for him and for us. As with all of the other Mastiffs we have shared our lives with, he had his own endearing traits (LOTS of them), and we all miss him. Once again, I find myself counting out one too many Milk Bones in the evening, and looking for one more bowl to put the food in at feeding times... Eventually we'll get used to the new routine, and the blessings will outweigh the hurt in our hearts, but not yet.
Tiny's story gives us all a lesson, which must be well learned - we must always be aware of the possibility and the devastating results of bloat in our dogs. Please, if you haven't already read up on the subject, take the time and learn the symptoms and the courses of action available to you should this deadly situation arise in your home. We have had four incidents of it over the years, and saved the dog three of those times - ONLY because we knew what was happening and took it seriously. There is no time to delay, no "let's see how he does overnight, and if he's not better in the morning we'll call the vet..." You must act immediately if your dog is to have any chance of surviving. If you need further information on bloat, please check the following link: http://personal.uncc.edu/jvanoate/k9/bloatfaq.htm (and please email me if the link goes bad)
The other lesson is to treasure every moment you share with your loved ones - dogs, family, friends, other critters, etc. It's over too soon, but it is easier to deal with if you have fewer regrets...
Back to Wes & Tina's *Mostly* Mastiff Website