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My small dog's stomach is hard and she screamed. Is it bloat?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) | Female | spayed | 30 lbs

hi my dog is a chihuahua her name is Doba and shes 5 she seems bloated and her stomach is hard to the touch. she screamed uncontrollably but went out for a walk and stopped. note she walked funny with her hind legs. she seems tense and since then has stopped shaking.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 14th, 2020

Poor girl. She may have an overly full stomach or potentially an enlarged organ. It is really hard to say for sure without an exam. Pets this small don't get bloat, so that is not a concern. Based on her symptoms of just seeming uncomfortable, I would let her rest tonight and then if she still seems out of sorts in the morning, it is best to get her seen by your vet. The vet needs to feel her belly to try and pinpoint the source of pain and discomfort so that we best know how to treat this moving forward. She sounds uncomfortable but stable for now and so the best thing is to make her comfortable with nice soft bedding let her try and rest until morning. If she will tolerate a warm Epsoms salt soaking bath, then you can also try that. However, if she does seem to pace and develop more symptoms (vomiting, restlessness, diarrhea, etc) tonight, then its best to take her to an ER vet for further evaluation. I hope that Doba continues to improve her condition. Best of luck moving forward. Take care.

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