When It's Bloat

[nica]

Yes, cannot take bloat too lightly. my brother's dogs were diagnosed with cancer when they bloated suddenly....they both passed on at young age. Very sad....

[Cheza]

Great post, thank you for making this, and I'm so glad she's ok.

[showpug]

Wonderful post! I just wanted to add that ANY dog breed can bloat! Just had Alice to the ER about two weeks ago for bloat and she's a PUG! Luckily there was no torsion and no shock and we got it under control with Gas-x. I also lost an Aussie x Rottie cross to bloat with torsion.

So with that said, all dog owners beware!!!

[killerz298]

I have read about the issue and am very concerned about my lab. He is 7 months old and eats like a BEAST. I don't know why he eats like this, it is just his nature. He isn't protective of his food like we are going to take it away, he lets me put my hands on him and the bowl while he eats, he just is very excited about all things food.

He has a raised bowl and I feed him twice a day 1 cup per serving. I only pour 1/3 of a cup into his bowl at a time to pace his eating. He doesn't tend to drink very much after eating. Is there anything else I can do to help prevent this from happening to him.

[shadowfacedanes]

Originally Posted by killerz298

I have read about the issue and am very concerned about my lab. He is 7 months old and eats like a BEAST. I don't know why he eats like this, it is just his nature. He isn't protective of his food like we are going to take it away, he lets me put my hands on him and the bowl while he eats, he just is very excited about all things food.

He has a raised bowl and I feed him twice a day 1 cup per serving. I only pour 1/3 of a cup into his bowl at a time to pace his eating. He doesn't tend to drink very much after eating. Is there anything else I can do to help prevent this from happening to him.

Incidentally, Hannah eats (or did eat) from a raised feeder and she still bloated.

You could try one of the brakefast bowls: http://www.brake-fast.net/

But sadly, until they know for sure what causes this, all you can do is be extremely vigilant, and even then, such as in Hannah's case, it can happen.

Do make sure he does not exercise at least one hour before and one hour after he eats. Also limit the amount of water he takes in around feeding time (which you are doing). After strenuous exercise, don't allow him to gulp in large quantities of water at once.

Try to feed him in a "stress free" zone - a quiet low traffic area where he can eat. Sometimes this will help them slow down a bit.

I'll try to elaborate a bit more on this post later. I'm running on fumes right now.

[Spiritus]

This article on bloat says NOT to feed with an elevated bowl...

http://globalspan.net/bloat.htm

And one big thing is to not allow strenuous exercise after eating. My dogs aren't allowed to run and play for at least an hour after breakfast, and their evening meal is at bedtime.

[nica]

Go natural! Feed home cooked foods, less chance of bloating.
Here's a easy recipe for homecooked meals.

[Saintgirl]

The raised bowl issue is one that has been debated lots, however the recent purdue study indicates a correlation between raised feeders and bloating. I choose NOT to use a raised feeder.

I have read about the issue and am very concerned about my lab. He is 7 months old and eats like a BEAST. I don't know why he eats like this, it is just his nature. He isn't protective of his food like we are going to take it away, he lets me put my hands on him and the bowl while he eats, he just is very excited about all things food.

He has a raised bowl and I feed him twice a day 1 cup per serving. I only pour 1/3 of a cup into his bowl at a time to pace his eating. He doesn't tend to drink very much after eating. Is there anything else I can do to help prevent this from happening to him.

An easy way to slow your dog from gulping his food is to take a large rock, one bigger than your fist so there is NO chance of a dog thinking that they could swallow it, clean it, and then put it in your dogs dish. Your dog will have to eat around the rock which will make him slow down. Good luck with this!

[killerz298]

So I guess it is a choice between neck and back strain (for a larger breed using a bowl on the floor) vs. higher risk of getting bloat with a rasied feeder?

[Saintgirl]

I personally don't believe that they suffer from neck strain, if this were a problem then evolution would have done something about this. Wolves and coyotes albeit not dogs, have the same body shape and they eat just fine. My Saint is much, much larger than a lab and he doesn't strain his neck and back when he eats, so I highly doubt your lab would. It is no more difficult for a large dog to eat than it is a small dog, they have proportionate body parts, so a Saint eating from the ground bends and moves the exact same way a chihuahua would. I think the difference is that some people think that it looks more comfortable for their dog to eat from a raised feeder, and maybe it is. Personally, floor feeding works best for us and it is what makes me the most comfortable regarding bloat.