Bloat

[redangel]

I lost a doberman bitch aged 9 from bloat, it was a nightmare experience. I am no expert but I guess the heriditary link of bloat isnt in a specific gene but more so the structual likenesses in some lines that may lay down an increased chance of bloat.

[barly]

Hi all,

Well the first night home went well. I'm worried to let him eat or drink too much. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should help him donthis without him over doing it. Ive split his meal into 2, but not sure about the water thing. Thanks

Edited March 9, 2010 by barly

[sas]

Hi Barly,

From knowing other people whose dogs have bloated they have bloated under none of the typical senerio's, so really the best you can do is go by the theories out there:

1) Provide Breakfast & Dinner rather than one large meal

2) Eat off the floor, a study has shown the higher the bowl is raised the higher the inccidence of Bloat

3) Have 30-60 minutes either side eating.

4) Keep dog in a calm frame of mind, remove stresses to the dogs environment

It's hard not to go over the top when you are worried about Bloat.

Edited March 9, 2010 by sas

[cointreau]

Hi Barly,

From knowing other people whose dogs have bloated they have bloated under none of the typical senerio's, so really the best you can do is go by the theories out there:

1) Provide Breakfast & Dinner rather than one large meal

2) Eat off the floor, a study has shown the higher the bowl is raised the higher the inccidence of Bloat

3) Have 30-60 minutes either side eating.

4) Keep dog in a calm frame of mind, remove stresses to the dogs environment

It's hard not to go over the top when you are worried about Bloat.

Hi Sas

Can you point me in the direction of the study showing eating off the ground is better than higher up, I have always read and believed bowls should be raised to help prevent bloat and would be interested in studies showing otherwise.

Thanks.

[centitout]

I never feed from raised either,and i also DONT restrict water at any time.I cant see how that works,just makes the dog more thirsty and will drink more?

The only thing i do ,is i dont feed for 1 hr after strenuous excercise,and if very hot i will either feed very late and only 3/4 of the normal feed,or i just give them a frozen chicken frame.Same goes for travelling anywhere.

Picked up my very skinny new bloodhound the other day,and nearly died when the driver said he had fed him 5 times that day,all dry food,because he was so skinny

Hourly checks all that night.

[Diva]

Hi Sas

Can you point me in the direction of the study showing eating off the ground is better than higher up, I have always read and believed bowls should be raised to help prevent bloat and would be interested in studies showing otherwise.

Thanks.

cointreau

SAS may have a different source, but one I've seen is:

"Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

November 15, 2000, Vol. 217, No. 10

Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs

Lawrence T. Glickman, VMD, DrPH Nita W. Glickman, MS, MPH Diana B. Schellenberg, MS Malathi Raghavan, DVM, MS Tana Lee, BA

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1243. (Glickman, Schellenberg, Raghavan, Lee); Center for the Human Animal Bond, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1243. (Glickman)

Objective—To identify non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in large breed and giant breed dogs.

Design—Prospective cohort study.

Animals—1,637 dogs ≥ 6 months old of the following breeds: Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner.

Procedure—Owners of dogs that did not have a history of GDV were recruited at dog shows, and the dog's length and height and the depth and width of its thorax and abdomen were measured. Information concerning the dog's medical history, genetic background, personality, and diet was obtained from the owners, and owners were contacted by mail and telephone at approximately 1-year intervals to determine whether dogs had developed GDV or died. Incidence of GDV, calculated on the basis of dogyears at risk for dogs that were or were not exposed to potential risk factors, was used to calculate the relative risk of GDV.

Results and Clinical Relevance—Cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% for large breed and giant breed dogs. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were increasing age, having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV, having a faster speed of eating, and having a raised feeding bowl. Approximately 20 and 52% of cases of GDV among the large breed and giant breed dogs, respectively, were attributed to having a raised feed bowl. "

I no longer have the whole paper but that should help you track it down.

I also remember another study that identified raised bowls, the percentage of poultry fat in dry food, and a couple of other factors as significant, but despite racking my memory I can't track that one down

Edited March 9, 2010 by Diva

[cointreau]

Hi Sas

Can you point me in the direction of the study showing eating off the ground is better than higher up, I have always read and believed bowls should be raised to help prevent bloat and would be interested in studies showing otherwise.

Thanks.

cointreau

SAS may have a different source, but one I've seen is:

"Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

November 15, 2000, Vol. 217, No. 10

Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs

Lawrence T. Glickman, VMD, DrPH Nita W. Glickman, MS, MPH Diana B. Schellenberg, MS Malathi Raghavan, DVM, MS Tana Lee, BA

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1243. (Glickman, Schellenberg, Raghavan, Lee); Center for the Human Animal Bond, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1243. (Glickman)

Objective—To identify non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in large breed and giant breed dogs.

Design—Prospective cohort study.

Animals—1,637 dogs ≥ 6 months old of the following breeds: Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner.

Procedure—Owners of dogs that did not have a history of GDV were recruited at dog shows, and the dog's length and height and the depth and width of its thorax and abdomen were measured. Information concerning the dog's medical history, genetic background, personality, and diet was obtained from the owners, and owners were contacted by mail and telephone at approximately 1-year intervals to determine whether dogs had developed GDV or died. Incidence of GDV, calculated on the basis of dogyears at risk for dogs that were or were not exposed to potential risk factors, was used to calculate the relative risk of GDV.

Results and Clinical Relevance—Cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% for large breed and giant breed dogs. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were increasing age, having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV, having a faster speed of eating, and having a raised feeding bowl. Approximately 20 and 52% of cases of GDV among the large breed and giant breed dogs, respectively, were attributed to having a raised feed bowl. "

I no longer have the whole paper but that should help you track it down.

I also remember another study that identified raised bowls, the percentage of poultry fat in dry food, and a couple of other factors as significant, but despite racking my memory I can't track that one down

Thanks for that Diva, will try to find the full report.

My bowls are raised but not terribly high and I never make a fuss about feeding and removing food within a certain time so my dog doesn't have to gulp their food. The best advice I can give anyone is make sure you know your dog, you can tell when something is wrong with them and also make sure your vet & their nurses know how to treat bloat. I know of one vet surgery that made a lady wait half an hour when she said she thought the dog was bloating. The poor dog did bloat, survived but never properly recovered and was pts less than an year later as a result. I hate the B word.

[Diva]

I hate the B word.

Me too. I haven't had a dog with it thank goodness, but my breed does get it. Any time anyone looks restless after eating I'm on tenderhooks.

[OSoSwift]

I used to fee my dogs two smaller meals.

I was told to feed no more than 3 cups of food in any one meal (taking into consideration dry food and how much it swells)

I was also told to part soak any dry food before feeding.

I did not feed within at least an hour of exercise

If the dogs had been at the beach or having hard exercise I would allow them to drink then stop them and allow them back in 10 to 15 minutes etc until they we happy. I found if I let them gulp they would drink heaps, if I stopped them and gave them a small break they would drink less.

No exercise for 2 hours after and I also crated my dogs or had them in the dog run which is 5m X 2M.

I had GDV once and bloat twice, all in the same dog.

The first time we have no idea why, all the above was followed, she developed it at 5.30 am after eating her dinner at 8 the night before.

The second time she broke into a laudry at the breeders and ate over 5 litres of food. And the third time she broke into a bag of dry Lupins and guts herself.

After that she wore a basket muzzle whenever she was outside and running around as she would eat rocks, weeds, wood and anything else she could wrap her mouth around.

She had her last surgery at 7 and a half and lived to not quite 12, dying from DCM

[Diva]

I used to fee my dogs two smaller meals.

I was told to feed no more than 3 cups of food in any one meal (taking into consideration dry food and how much it swells)

I was also told to part soak any dry food before feeding.

I did not feed within at least an hour of exercise

Current advice seems to be that soaking dry foods with a high grain content is not a good idea for bloat prevention. Soaking dry foods with a high meat content seems to be OK. Not sure I can find that article, but that is what I recall.

Of course like all things with bloat, there is a range of advice out there, it's hard to judge.

One thing that does seem constant in the research is that the risk of bloat is much higher if a direct relative has had bloat.

[OSoSwift]

I used to fee my dogs two smaller meals.

I was told to feed no more than 3 cups of food in any one meal (taking into consideration dry food and how much it swells)

I was also told to part soak any dry food before feeding.

I did not feed within at least an hour of exercise

Current advice seems to be that soaking dry foods with a high grain content is not a good idea for bloat prevention. Soaking dry foods with a high meat content seems to be OK. Not sure I can find that article, but that is what I recall.

Of course like all things with bloat, there is a range of advice out there, it's hard to judge.

One thing that does seem constant in the research is that the risk of bloat is much higher if a direct relative has had bloat.

That was a few years ago now, so not sure any any current changes to protocols. She was on Eukanuba fish and potato as it was the only thing she tolerated.

I was told to feed them from a raised bowl as well. I am not missing having a bloat prone breed that is for sure!

Having Whippets is so much easier, however I still follow the exercise after eating and before regime as I would not like to eat a roast dinner then run for an hour either.

I have no idea regarding history of bloat in relatives with my dog. I had her grandaughter who never bloated and as far as I know her mother didn't either. The grandaughters father died as a result of bloat, but was elderly and had been on arthritis medication for an extended period.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Rommi n Lewis

[Jed]

the research on feeding off the ground has now been discounted. That study was 2000. It is now believed that feeding off the ground may be a contributing factor.

Yes, I have read studies, and yes, I could probably find them, will see if I can.

I personally think feeding dry food is too risky. There seems to be a link between grain and bloat.

I think 2 or 3 meals per day is optimum, no exercise straight after food. I have found the dog isn't keen to drink for a long while after eating.

In one of the dogs I know which died of bloat I believe stress was a major factor.

all anyone can do is avoid all the things which have been implicated in previous cases, and hope for the best.

[Diva]

the research on feeding off the ground has now been discounted. That study was 2000. It is now believed that feeding off the ground may be a contributing factor.

Jed, are you saying the 2000 study I cited at length is now discounted? But that is the one that says that feeding off the ground may be a contributing factor.

edited: rereading your post I think I may just be confused by your wording, or you missed the previous citation, either way don't worry about it. Unless of course you're aware of something more up to date that refutes the 2000 study I cited, I'd love to know if so.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Diva

[Jed]

the research on feeding off the ground has now been discounted. That study was 2000. It is now believed that feeding off the ground may be a contributing factor.

Jed, are you saying the 2000 study I cited at length is now discounted? But that is the one that says that feeding off the ground may be a contributing factor.

edited: rereading your post I think I may just be confused by your wording, or you missed the previous citation, either way don't worry about it. Unless of course you're aware of something more up to date that refutes the 2000 study I cited, I'd love to know if so.

Sorry, I wondered if I would be misunderstood. The study I read recently said the food bowls should be placed on the ground, not raised above it. Previous thought was raising the bowl up off the ground might help prevent bloat.

In the study I read, several dogs suffered from bloat after eating from bowls which were elevated off the ground. So, the conclusion was that it would be safer to feed from bowls sitting on the ground.

[Dogs4Fun]

There is reasonable data to suggest an inherited increased risk of bloat in siblings and offspring of affected animals. If a dog that had bloated itself was bred from, and the pups suffered bloat later, the breeder could be up for some expensive costs.