A dog owner in the Netherlands recently found herself with a $600 vet bill, all because of an unexpected culprit: her Staffordshire bull terrier‘s gas. Jen Lee, 30, from Amsterdam, took her dog, Maggie, to the emergency vet after noticing that the dog’s breathing seemed rapid, fearing it might be heart failure. The shocking cause? A simple case of gas.
In a viral TikTok video, Lee can be seen massaging Maggie’s swollen belly to help ease the dog’s discomfort. The caption reads: “I give my dog a fart massage after spending $600 on an emergency vet visit thinking she had CHF [congestive heart failure] but it was just gas.” In her conversation with Newsweek, Lee humorously described the smell as “deeply unpleasant,” though she could tell the massage had given Maggie some much-needed relief.
The concern about Maggie’s heart health stemmed from a recent diagnosis. Just days before, Maggie had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition that often affects large breeds and can lead to heart failure. Her vet had advised Lee to monitor Maggie’s breathing closely, warning that a respiratory rate above 30 breaths per minute could be a sign of distress.
When Maggie began breathing heavily, Lee panicked and rushed her to the clinic. After examining Maggie, the vet determined that her rapid breathing and bloated belly were simply painful gas, likely the result of a sudden switch to a heart-friendly diet recommended for her DCM. Maggie had started a regimen of heart medications and supplements, which had apparently upset her stomach.
@maggiepotamus_ ♬ original sound – Song-_-
DCM, which commonly affects large breeds like Dobermans and Great Danes, weakens the heart muscles, affecting the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. While it’s often linked to genetics, other causes can include nutrient deficiencies, chemical exposure, or viral infections. Lee has since continued Maggie’s heart-healthy diet, as well as carefully monitoring her digestion.
Lee shared her experience to reiterate the importance of annual checkups, noting that Maggie’s heart murmur was only detected during a routine visit. Her video resonated with other dog owners, garnering over 184,500 views on TikTok. Viewers shared their own stories of costly trips to the vet for similar “gas emergencies,” with one commenter joking, “My dog just had a $1,100 fart.” While it’s a costly scare, Lee’s story serves as a humorous yet heartfelt reminder to monitor our pets’ health, even when the solution is as simple as a “fart massage.”
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