Is Your Breed Prone To Bloat?

[melbournecritters]

When our new pup comes home she will obviously be on the diet her breeder uses but we are trying to work out what diet to use in the long run. Can anyone who owns a breed that can be prone to bloat tell me what they feed please, also any no-no's?

[Poodle wrangler]

Bloat is thought to be caused by a whole range of factors, not just food/ diet e.g. hereditary component, nervous temperament.

Bloat study: http://www.poodlesinaustralia.com/health/health18.html

I have a standard poodle and they can get bloat- 25kg dog with a deep chest (under all that fur ).

I feed a mixture of dry food and raw foods e.g. brisket bones, chicken carcass, chicken wings.

I don't usually feed both dry and raw at the same meal. Feed twice a day.

Clean water always available, indoors and outdoors.

Charlie tends to eat dry food very quickly, so I spread it out over the floor to slow him down.

I always feed after exercise/ walk, not before.

If your dog is a large breed, there are plenty of special puppy large and giant breed formulas available- too much fat and protein isn't advised as you want their growth to be nice and steady (growing bones), not too fast.

[melbournecritters]

Thanks, that was very interesting. We plan to keep her on the breeders diet for as long as possible, but as we are moving to the country later in the year we may be more limitted in what we have available. I would like to move on to a BARF type diet once she is grown. Is that OK and how do you change it to suit growing puppies? She is a Bassett

[Shepherd Lover]

Some tips:

Soak dry biscuit in hot water until soggy - so that the swelling of the biscuit is done before ingestion not after. Feed two smaller meals per day rather than one large meal.

Make sure the dog has access to electrolytes during hot weather.

Rest the dog at least half an hour before eating. No exercise after for a couple of hours.

Don't allow the dog to drink huge amounts of water in one go after exercising (especially in hot weather).

Watch the dog if they are swimming that water is not being taken in while they are swimming, particularly if they are in the water for a very long time and have a tendency to chase sticks balls etc in the water.

Avoid large leather chews that can be ingested whole. Even chicken skin. In fact anything large which can obstruct the passage of food. I had a dog bloat on chicken skin which covered the piloris (the outlet to the intestines) and caused bloat.

Edit: spelling

Edited May 6, 2008 by Shepherd Lover

[Miranda]

I feed a minimum amount of dry food, and latest research shows that including meat or canned food with the meal tends to lessen the chances of bloat.

However food and feeding practices aren't the only causes of bloat. Dogs that have a first degree relative who bloated (especially if it bloated under 5 years of age) and dogs that are underweight and/or of a nervous disposition seem to be more susceptible and happy, laid back dogs have been found to be much less susceptible. IMO often there is a genetic predisposition to bloating and I steer well clear of lines that have more than the usual incidence of this disease.

[Stirling]

Does anyone know if there is any validity in feeding a very tall deep-chested breed at chest height, to decrease the risk of bloat?

I do it, as I heard (can't remember where!) it can lower the risk. I just put the bowls on a chair.

Is this an "old wives tale"?

[Legacee]

dont feed with bowls on floor, have them at chest height. always add water to dryfood when feeding. You can either soak biscuits (I prefer not to do this as they are then soft and dont help their teeth). I add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of biscuits. You can also soak some biscuits before feeding to see how much they expand.. many of the cheaper dry foods expand quite a bit..

[sas]

With Bloat we can only guess what causes it and can only guess what preventatives to take, it's tricky everyone has different methods from either raising food and water to keeping it on the ground.

A university study consisting of 50 dogs found that the higher you elevate the higher the risk, so who knows eh. I know there is a clinical trial happening at the moment to Bloat so it will be interesting to see the final results.

My girl is fed from the ground and my boy is fed elevated. My girl is into the years (5+) where bloat seems to take our breed and she's still going strong.

My girl is fed a BARF pattie and a cup of kibble (no water).

My boy is fed Mince and Mashed Veggies (It's a sloppy mix)

Our main thing is no exercise an hour before or after food.

Some people feel that the bigger the piece of Kibble the more danger of it expanding in the dogs stomach.

Some people dont' touch raw hyde either due to concerns about it expanding, we give the dogs raw hyde from time to time.

[cassie]

Does anyone know if there is any validity in feeding a very tall deep-chested breed at chest height, to decrease the risk of bloat?

dont feed with bowls on floor, have them at chest height.

Sorry, but nothing I've ever read (and I have looked for some cold hard evidence) has ever shown me that feeding from a raised surface does anything to help breeds prone to bloat. If it works for you, then great, I choose not to. Both of my breeds are prone to bloat, and I questioned each of my dogs' breeders on this exact topic and neither of them feed from a raised surface, both have been in their breed close to 20 years and never had a problem

I do definitely agree with the no food before or after exercise rule though. Also don't allow your dog to gulp large amounts of water at once, a slow controlled intake is much better. I also feed two smaller meals per day (although my puppy is still on three) rather than one large one.

[Dogsfevr]

yes i have a breeds prone to bloat.

I never soak biscuits,i feed raised because it is easier for them to eat .

I agree totally with miranda though,family tree plays a major factor & the over all happiness of the dog.

Dogs that bloat often do so during times of stress.

We have had 2 dogs bloat (greys) one was an old girl & the other was a young dog that had all sorts of health issues & the bloat was no surprise.

Edited May 6, 2008 by settrlvr

[KitKat]

I feed my GSD's whatever i happen to be feeding them - dry food with extras, dry food by itself, raw meaty bones etc. They get one meal at night but aren't allowed to be too active after dinner, they can be as active as they like beforehand.

For every tip to stop bloat you will find another tip that says that causes bloat (eg feed kibble soaked, don't feed soaked kibble, feed off of the ground, don't feed off of the ground etc). I work on the whole common sense idea and continue with what has worked for me.

[Guest Tess32]

My GSD got bloat and he hadn't exercised, hadn't drank excessive water, had eaten a dry-free dinner and was sitting down doing nothing when it happened. You just can't tell.

He DID however have a direct relative who bloated (Awol) and had a nervous, stressed temperament.

[Kavik]

I feed dry and chicken frames from the ground. Diesel is a pretty relaxed eater though - he lies down! One of his relatives I looked after for a while was a stresshead (not socialised) and I worried she might get bloat as she tended to look uncomfortable after eating.

[Danois]

Thunderfire

This is a good article from one of the leading dane breeders in Aus.

[Legacee]

I have also heard that giving charcoal tablets daily helps.. There are so many ifs and buts - there are no definite answers to Bloat....

[Poodle wrangler]

A bit from the Bloat Study quoted earlier (studied many breeds, not just standard poodles)

Factors which were found to increase the risk of bloat.

1. Increased Age

There is a 20% increase in risk for each year increase in age

2. Having a first degree relative who has bloated (offspring 4X the risk, siblings 3X the risk & parents1.5X the risk)

This turned out to be one of the strongest predictors. Dogs with such a relative had a 3 and 4 fold increased risk of developing bloat. A first degree relative was defined as either a parent, sibling or offspring.

3. Deep, narrow thorax/abdomen

Dogs which were broader in body type had a lower incidence of bloat. Dr. Glickman postulates that the deeper and narrower the abdomen, the greater the room for the stomach ligaments to stretch down of lengthen as part of the aging process.

4. Underweight

Dr. Glickman felt that these underweight dogs may have problems with their gastrointestinal tract which prevents them from gaining weight and that would predispose them to bloat.

5. Feeding only once daily

Several studies, including this one, showed that as the number of meals increased per day, the risk of bloat decreased.

6. Fearful, easily upset dogs

Personality turned out to be a major predictor. According to Glickman, it is not the amount of stress in a dog's life that is significant, but the way in which the dog handles the stress. "When animals are placed under stress, there are certain stress hormonal and neural responses. Some of these responses affect gastric motility. A fearful dog may have a very different response physiologically to stress than a happy, easygoing dog. We think those physiological responses may contribute to the rotation of the stomach because of the motility. This is the second or third time we have demonstrated temperament, particularly easygoingness or fearfulness is related to the risk of bloat".

7. Raising food bowl

The study revealed that the higher the bowl, the higher the risk. Dr. Glickman feels the elevation may be causing an increased incidence of swallowing air which could account for the higher risk.

8. Rapid eaters

Since bloat does not usually occur immediately after eating, Dr. Glickman has no explanation for this. He did find that the faster the dog ate, the greater the risk for bloat

Factors which did NOT appear to influence risk of bloat.

Moistening food

Exercise before or after mealtime

Change of weather

Stress

Unrestricted access to water before or after mealtime.

The one factor that was consistently associated with a lower risk of bloat was having a personality that the owner described as "Happy".

Dr. Glickmans Recommendations For Lowering The Risk Of Bloat

Don't breed a dog if a first degree relative has suffered an episode of bloat.

Consider a prophylactic gastroplexy for dogs that fit the high risk profile.

Owners of anxious or fearful dogs should consider behavior modification and consult a behaviorist. In some instances drug therapy is warranted.

Feed smaller, multiple meals instead of one large meal per day.

Do NOT elevate food bowl.

Owners who have dogs that eat rapidly should do anything to slow the speed of eating. The most common and effective way was to place a large object in the food bowl that the dog had to eat around. A suggestion was a heavy link chain which forces the dog to eat under and around it.

[Tibbiemax71]

I lost a German Shepherd Dog to Bloat, we are not really sure what caused it, it was hot weather (February) maybe he did gulp water after running around outside, he was fed dry, not soaked, after it happened I fed my other dog dry that was soaked, then read that this can cause boat to, I never let them gulp water after exercise, no exercise and hour before or after food, like others have said, no one really knows what causes it, the main thing with Bloat is to become very familiar with the first sighs of Bloat in a dog, if you catch it early the dog has more of a chance of surviving it.

[Tibbiemax71]

A bit from the Bloat Study quoted earlier (studied many breeds, not just standard poodles)

Factors which were found to increase the risk of bloat.

1. Increased Age

There is a 20% increase in risk for each year increase in age

2. Having a first degree relative who has bloated (offspring 4X the risk, siblings 3X the risk & parents1.5X the risk)

This turned out to be one of the strongest predictors. Dogs with such a relative had a 3 and 4 fold increased risk of developing bloat. A first degree relative was defined as either a parent, sibling or offspring.

3. Deep, narrow thorax/abdomen

Dogs which were broader in body type had a lower incidence of bloat. Dr. Glickman postulates that the deeper and narrower the abdomen, the greater the room for the stomach ligaments to stretch down of lengthen as part of the aging process.

4. Underweight

Dr. Glickman felt that these underweight dogs may have problems with their gastrointestinal tract which prevents them from gaining weight and that would predispose them to bloat.

5. Feeding only once daily

Several studies, including this one, showed that as the number of meals increased per day, the risk of bloat decreased.

6. Fearful, easily upset dogs

Personality turned out to be a major predictor. According to Glickman, it is not the amount of stress in a dog's life that is significant, but the way in which the dog handles the stress. "When animals are placed under stress, there are certain stress hormonal and neural responses. Some of these responses affect gastric motility. A fearful dog may have a very different response physiologically to stress than a happy, easygoing dog. We think those physiological responses may contribute to the rotation of the stomach because of the motility. This is the second or third time we have demonstrated temperament, particularly easygoingness or fearfulness is related to the risk of bloat".

7. Raising food bowl

The study revealed that the higher the bowl, the higher the risk. Dr. Glickman feels the elevation may be causing an increased incidence of swallowing air which could account for the higher risk.

8. Rapid eaters

Since bloat does not usually occur immediately after eating, Dr. Glickman has no explanation for this. He did find that the faster the dog ate, the greater the risk for bloat

Factors which did NOT appear to influence risk of bloat.

Moistening food

Exercise before or after mealtime

Change of weather

Stress

Unrestricted access to water before or after mealtime.

The one factor that was consistently associated with a lower risk of bloat was having a personality that the owner described as "Happy".

Dr. Glickmans Recommendations For Lowering The Risk Of Bloat

Don't breed a dog if a first degree relative has suffered an episode of bloat.

Consider a prophylactic gastroplexy for dogs that fit the high risk profile.

Owners of anxious or fearful dogs should consider behavior modification and consult a behaviorist. In some instances drug therapy is warranted.

Feed smaller, multiple meals instead of one large meal per day.

Do NOT elevate food bowl.

Owners who have dogs that eat rapidly should do anything to slow the speed of eating. The most common and effective way was to place a large object in the food bowl that the dog had to eat around. A suggestion was a heavy link chain which forces the dog to eat under and around it.

That article is very informative, thanks for posting it

[Jimmay]

How common is it for large dogs to be actually getting it? Like a 1 in 5 chance or something like that? I hope it's not too common.

If no one knows what causes it i guess there's no need to be getting yourself worried over it, there's nothing you can realy do. (Although what everyone elce has said sounds like good precautions to take just to be extra safe)

Edited May 6, 2008 by Jimmay

[Tibbiemax71]

How common is it for large dogs to be actually getting it? Like a 1 in 5 chance or something like that? I hope it's not too common.

If no one knows what causes it i guess there's no need to be getting yourself worried over it, there's nothing you can realy do. (Although what everyone elce has said sounds like good precautions to take just to be extra safe)

Yes exactly, that's why its so important to learn what the early signs of Bloat are so you can catch it early