All you can eat buffet...

Anyone who's ever had a Lab knows that this breed likes to eat. I mean they REALLY like to eat. So when they accidentally get access to the entire bag of food, this is what happens.


This is an x-ray of the abdomen of a Labrador Retriever who managed to sneak his way into the food bag. Ouch! Talk about a tummy ache. Actually it can be a bit more dangerous than just an aching belly. The dry food tends to absorb water, and the food often swells. The result is that the animal can actually get dangerously dehydrated. And then there's the mechanical danger - the weight of the food can increase the risk of the stomach twisting on itself (GDV - gastric dilatation and volvulus). GDV is an immediate danger, and is often fatal without emergency surgery.

In the picture below the blue circle represents the approximate size of the normal stomach, the red circle represents the approximate size of the stomach after a normal meal. The green line is the outline of the stomach in this pet.


Some people jokingly say that Lab's don't have the "I'm full" neuron in their brain. But it's not just Labs; lots of different breeds of dog will eat themselves into a hospital visit. Fortunately, they also usually do quite well with appropriate treatment.