Currently, The Kennel Club Genetic Centre are collecting information on dogs who have suffered bloat and/or torsion. They are doing research into this devastating condition. No one really seems to know what causes it, but genetic links are implicated. Certainly having a family member who's had torsion makes a dog more susceptible to it. It is more likely to happen to male dogs, more likely to happen to deep chested dogs and more likely to happen when a dog is stressed. Hot weather and the sucking in of excess air, or drinking excessively can trigger torsion/bloat ... but really at the moment no one really know why it happens, there are no definite answers, all we can do is be aware.
As Loki has suffered numerous episodes of bloat (but not torsion) we have signed him up for the research. All we had to do was fill in the paperwork, send up a copy of his pedigree and take cheek swabs. Loki didn't mind! I doubt there will be answers to help this generation, but if we can do something to help future generations, then hell I'm in.
We were so lucky with Blade. He survived 2 torsion 12 months apart. We were not so lucky with Storm, she survived the surgery but died 2 weeks later of peritonitis. The research also wants their pedigrees, the age they were when they had the torsion and the outcome. I've done Storm's, but Blade's pedigree will take some digging out!
