Jess, an Incredible Livestock Guardian Dog whose Life Was Cut Tragically Short by Bloat

Jess - March 31, 2019 - June 14, 2023

I have owned Maremma Sheepdogs since 2016 and have been breeding since 2017. I have had the honor of placing my puppies in many wonderful homes throughout the United States and Canada. Our puppy families absolutely adore their dogs and many of them stay in contact with me, even as far back as my first litter. I hear from some of them several times a month or more. Others send me occasional updates and photos. People are busy so I understand if not everyone has time to keep in touch. But I really appreciate those who do. I never tire of hearing how my pups are doing, how they serve their owners as Livestock Guardian Dogs or companions, and how much they are valued and loved. I especially love receiving photos of the dogs with their human and animal families. This connection is so special and makes me feel that I still know these dogs, even though I have not seen most of them in person since the day they left my farm. 

For a long time I have wanted to start a blog post series about the amazing dogs I've bred and the lives they live out in the world, in their various jobs and families. I wanted to give people a glimpse of what life looks like for these cute little puppies after they leave my farm. The dogs I've bred are living and working in such a wide variety of homes, from small one acre urban homesteads to huge ranches of hundreds of acres. They guard everything from chickens and goats to Emus and Dressage Horses, and everything in between. A few guard only their human families or the other family pets. All are wonderful dogs, doing important work and very beloved by their owners. There are a lot of great stories to tell so I knew this new series would be both educational and entertaining for my readers.

​However, life sometimes goes differently than planned when you own animals. Sometimes as a breeder, we are called to mourn with our clients instead of celebrating. That was the case recently when one of my puppy families lost their dog tragically and unexpectedly to bloat, or Gastric Dilation-Volvulus. Her name was Jess, and she was an incredible Livestock Guardian Dog and much loved member of her family. She was only 4 years old when her life was so cruelly cut short. So in order to honor Jess and raise awareness about bloat in dogs, I am writing my first post in this new series about her.

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The Story of Jess, Beloved LGD and Family Member

Randy & Stacey, with granddaughters Sadie & Lily, the day they picked up Jess & Jack from my farm

Jess was owned by my client, Randy and his wife, Stacey. They raise Soay sheep, a small breed of sheep which they use for fire abatement. (The sheep eat down the excess vegetation around their house and property, reducing the risk of forest fires.) They run a flock of around 60 sheep in bear and mountain lion country in northern California. Bears and lions are some serious predators, but thanks to Jess and her other Maremma partners Randy and Stacey have never lost a single sheep.  

Randy and Stacey first visited my farm in 2019, when their family came to choose two pups from my third litter of Maremmas Sheepdog puppies. The parents of the puppies were my first two unregistered Maremmas, Olaf and Genevieve, whom I still own today. Accompanied by Randy and Stacey were their daughter, Shelbie, who was soon to be leaving for college, and their two adorable and sweet granddaughters, Sadie and Lily.

I immensely enjoyed the couple of hours the family spent visiting with the puppies and me. They met parents Olaf and Genevieve, and one-year-old big sister, Polar. (Polar was born in 2018 in Olaf and Genevieve's second litter.) They asked many thoughtful questions and discussed the merits of each puppy with me and each other. They intended to buy two puppies for their farm, but choosing two from a litter of nine was no easy task! But eventually, the family did choose their pups, a brother and sister they would later name Jack and Jess. The puppies were not quite ready to leave yet, so they came back 2 weeks later to pick them up. I enjoyed occasional updates about the pups from Randy after that, as well as photos of the dogs with the family and the sheep.

Photos of Jess and Jack's Litter

In 2021, Randy returned to purchase an MSCA registered breeding male for his farm. Like me, Randy greatly valued his unregistered Maremmas, but had decided to transition into breeding MSCA-registered dogs. He also purchased a breeding female from another MSCA breeder around the time that he bought his third puppy from me. Randy came by himself to pick up his new puppy, whom he named River.

Again, I really enjoyed my time talking with Randy. He is such a nice person and we share so much of the same goals and values in relation to Maremmas, including a deep love and respect for the breed. He told me how much he adored Jack and Jess and what excellent LGDs they were. He also told me that Jess was his particular favorite of all his dogs and pure perfection as an LGD. I feel the same way about Polar, whom I consider my best LGD, so this made me very proud to hear. 

Photos of River's Litter

Jess & River

Jess & River

Randy sent occasional updates about Jess, Jack, and River over the next few years. He later told me that he had made the decision to spay the breeding female he had bought from the other breeder. He said that while he loved her and would keep her, her temperament was much harder to manage than Jess, Jack and River's and required a lot of extra training. He didn't want to risk passing that temperament on to puppies or causing difficulties for potential owners, so he spayed her. I applauded him for making the right decision for the breed and future puppy owners.

He told me that all three dogs he had bought from me were outstanding LGDs. He calls them, "Plug and Play", a term I love and that describes perfectly what I have seen in Polar and the other pups I've bred. He also said that he had decided that he was going to breed Jess to River, even though the puppies would not be eligible for registration and, thus, would not sell for as much money as puppies from his other female would have. He chose Jess as a breeding dog instead of his registered female because her temperament was perfect, and he knew that temperament was what mattered most in an LGD. Once again, he placed what truly mattered over profits. This showed his true character and commitment as a breeder. Jess went on to produce two litters, sired by River.

Jack (L) and Jess (R) with their sheep

A Very Sad Day
I hadn't heard from Randy for a while, but on June 14th, 2023, he texted to let me know that Jess had died of bloat earlier that day. He said he had seen her at 8 am that morning and she appeared fine, but when he again saw her at 11:45 am she was very sick. He reported that her abdomen was large and tight as a drum, her gums were white, and she was very ill. Randy immediately rushed her to the vet. By the time they got there she could not walk and had to be carried in on a stretcher. They attempted emergency procedures but sadly, she did not make it. Randy and his family were understandably devastated over the loss of such a wonderful, beloved dog.

The news of Jess's death was heartbreaking for me. I felt grief for Randy and his family and immense sadness that such a great dog had endured such a terrible end. But I greatly appreciated Randy letting me know what had happened. As a breeder, I care deeply about the puppies I bring into this world and the families they eventually end up with. And part of that caring is sharing the happy times as well as the tears with my clients. Therefore I appreciate it when owners keep in contact with me, even when they share sad news. 

Jess (on top of hay bale) and Jack

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I also appreciated Randy sharing the news of Jess's death for another reason. I knew that bloat was a health risk in all large breed dogs, but I had never really researched it much, so I didn't know much about the illness or how much of a risk it was for Maremmas.

I have had two other puppy owners over the years who reported to me that they found their young, healthy dogs dead, with no idea what happened. The last time they saw the dogs they were fine. Then they were gone. Both owners were understandably devastated. I wondered both times if their deaths could have been due to bloat. Both dogs were full siblings to Jess. One was a year older (from the same litter as Polar) and the other was from the same litter as Jess and Jack. Of course we will never know what those dogs died of, but after hearing the news about Jess I am even more inclined to think it was bloat.

But now that I knew that a dog I bred had succumbed to the disease, I decided it was something I should research. Randy shared some information his vet had given him, and I also did my own research. Below are a few things I learned that might be useful to owners of Maremmas or any other breed. And just maybe this information can help save other dogs like Jess. 

What All Dog Owners Need to Know About Bloat or Gastric Dilation-Volvulus

Bloat, or gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV), is one of the most dangerous and painful conditions a dog can get and is fatal if not treated. One article I found during my research called it "The mother of all emergencies." No one knows exactly how many dogs in the US are diagnosed with bloat, but some estimates are as high as 60,000 cases per year. Unfortunately, many dog owners know little to nothing about this condition until it is too late, and they have lost a beloved dog to it. If you would like to maximize your chances of preventing your dog from succumbing to this terrible illness please read on.

"Many injuries and physical disorders represent life-threatening emergencies, but there is only one condition so drastic that it overshadows them all in terms of rapidity of consequences and effort in emergency treatment: the gastric dilatation and volvulus – the bloat."
​~ Wendy Brooks, DVM DABVP

What is bloat?

​Bloat is a condition in which food or gas stretches the dog's stomach, causing extreme pain. Sometimes the stomach twists, causing even more damage and sure death if not treated quickly. Dogs that weigh more than 99 pounds have a 20% risk of bloating. (That means most Maremmas are at risk.) Deep-chested breeds are most at risk, but any dog of any breed can bloat. ​​

​Below is a link to a list of the breeds that are most at risk for bloat. While Maremmas are not specifically mentioned (probably because they are a less common breed so most vet practices never see one) they are similar in conformation to many of the listed breeds, including Great Pyrenees.

Breeds That are Predisposed to Bloat

Factors that are believed to increase the risk of bloat are:

• Increased age
• Having close family members who have bloated (A genetic predisposition)
• Eating too quickly
• Overeating
• Feeding from a raised bowl
• Exercising after eating
• Feeding dry food with oil as one of the first four ingredients
• Drinking a lot of water in a short period
• Stress and anxiety (Reduce stress for your dog, if possible. This is another reason to always keep LGDs in compatible pairs or teams and to use positive training methods only.)

Signs of bloat:

• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Distress
• Pacing
• Distended or swollen abdomen
• Excessive drooling
• Extreme panting
• Unsuccessful attempts at vomiting
• Inability to stand
• Collapse

If you suspect your dog is bloating, you should immediately rush him to the vet. Bloat can be fatal if not treated within an hour or two of the onset of symptoms. The treatment is complicated and may require emergency surgery, among other measures. Sadly, despite heroic efforts, 30% of dogs who receive emergency treatment will die anyway. Taking preventative measures is worth trying because bloat is so life-threatening and challenging to treat. ​

If you have horses you may think that bloat sounds similar to colic in horses. I did. But what I learned is that bloat is actually much more dangerous and a bigger emergency than colic. Whereas some horses get over colic with mild intervention by their owners, bloat always requires immediate medical treatment. If you suspect your dog is bloating get him or her to the vet immediately.


Some factors that might decrease the risk of bloat are:

• Adding table scraps, canned food, or other supplements (goat milk, water, broth) to the dry dog food
• Feeding a dry food with a calcium rich meat meal in the first four ingredients
• Feeding two or more smaller meals instead of one large meal per day
• Not allowing the dog to drink too much water at once
• Restricting exercise for 1-2 hours after meals
• Avoiding raised food bowls unless medically indicated
• Using slow feeder bowls if your dog bolts their food
• Not allowing your dog to overeat​
• An easy-going, relaxed temperament. (Reduce stress for your dog, if possible. This is another reason to always keep LGDs in compatible pairs or teams and to use positive training methods only.)

Gastropexy
Another preventative measure that may help save dogs from bloat is a surgery called a gastropexy. This is an elective surgery where the stomach is tacked to the body wall. This can be done during a spay or neuter procedure and reduces the likelihood of the dog bloating by as much as 95%. ​

Moving On - Life Without Jess

Randy told me that he had been feeding his adult dogs once per day for years (as do I) with no problems. He uses the same brand of food I do (Diamond Naturals) mixed with wet food. That brand has no oil in the first four ingredients but has the recommended meat meal, so it should be a "safe" formula.

​He said he would be switching his dogs to twice-per-day feedings and having gastropexy done on all of them at the time of spay/neuter. He said, "We never want to go through this again, and it's a simple procedure to eliminate the risk."

"We never want to go through​ this again, and it's a simple procedure to eliminate the risk. ~ Randy

Randy still owns Jack, Jess's littermate brother; River, the other dog he bought from me; and Prairie, the spayed female he purchased from another breeder. He also is blessed to still own three of Jess's puppies. He will keep one of them so that her legacy lives on in her absence. He said, "We miss her and can't believe she's gone." ​

"We miss her and can't believe she's gone." ~ Randy

Having lost beloved animals of my own, I can sympathize so much with Randy and understand the pain he feels. Those exceptional animals are the hardest to get over. I don't think you ever truly can. But over time, you can eventually get to a place where you remember the good times instead of being blindsided by the overwhelming pain of their loss. My prayer is that Randy and his family would get to that place soon. But having gone through similar losses many times myself, I know it will take as long as it takes to heal their broken hearts. 

More Information on Bloat

If you own a Maremma or other large breed dog, I urge you to research bloat, and take whatever preventative measures you can to prevent this terrible illness from taking the life of your precious dog. I know I will be making some changes with my dogs, just as Randy is. Below are some links to get you started on learning how to protect your dog:
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• Bloat, the Mother of All Emergencies (Veterinary Partner)
• Bloat (Or GVD) in Dogs: What it is and How Is it Treated? (AKC)
• Bloat in Dogs (Pet MD)
• What is Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (Bloat)? (Veterinary Medical Center)

Jess, faithful guardian to the end, gone but never forgotten

If you enjoyed this story about Jess and found this information on bloat helpful please share this post, to help raise awareness of this dangerous health risk to dogs. If you would like more content like this please subscribe to our mailing list. Thank you.

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