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Why is my Great Dane's belly severely swollen? Could it be bloat?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Great Dane | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 1 month old

My female Great Dane has a severely swollen abdomen.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on January 13th, 2017

Oh dear! It would help to have more information about how she is acting, but one of the first things that all vets worry about in a giant breed dog with a swollen abdomen is called a GDV (gastric dilatation volvulus, or "bloat"). This is a very serious problem in which the stomach becomes filled with air or fluid and twists on itself. Affected dogs often have a visibly swollen abdomen, and may also act restless and uncomfortable, pant a lot, and try to vomit frequently. If you think that this could be consistent with how Rosie is acting, I would recommend taking her to an emergency vet immediately, since affected dogs will die in a matter of hours without treatment - GDV is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate surgery to treat.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I would have Rosie seen by a vet right away. It's possible that she has bloat, which is a life threatening condition in dogs that is fatal if untreated. Any time a giant breed dog has a severely swollen abdomen, they need to see a vet right away. Please take Rosie into a vet ASAP.

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