Dog Bloated Stomach Hard: Causes, Emergency Signs, and When It's GDV
Your dog’s abdomen looks swollen and feels hard to the touch. They seem uncomfortable, restless, pacing around the house. They may be trying to vomit but nothing comes up. Is this bloat? Should I rush to the emergency vet right now? How much time do I have?
When it comes to a bloated, hard stomach in dogs, time is literally life or death. Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), commonly called “bloat,” is one of the most urgent veterinary emergencies. Without treatment within 1-2 hours, the survival rate plummets. Yet not every bloated abdomen is GDV—other conditions can cause similar symptoms but aren’t immediately life-threatening.