Bloat In The German Shepherd

[Chitchat]

Hi people,

just asking if people here have had a case of the GSD getting bloat? if so what was your after care along with food given?

Thax

chitchat

[Dagmar]

Hi people,

just asking if people here have had a case of the GSD getting bloat? if so what was your after care along with food given?

Thax

chitchat

I do not have a GSD with bloat, but I will tell you anyway what I would do, if he was my dog ;-)

I would definitely not feed dry food any more. No exercise after eating. If your dog is afraid of thunderstorms and licks his lips continually, he will probably swallow a lot of air, so keeping him calm will help.

Do you know, what caused his bloat? Did they attach his stomach to the abdominal wall as they did surgery, so that it cannot twist easily again?

Dagmar

[OSoSwift]

No but I have had a Dobe with it 3 times.

She ended up only being able to tolerate one food which was a dry food, so I soaked it prior to feeding. I was told to give no more than 3 cups of food at any meal - I gave a maximum of 2.

She was not exercised for one hour before feeding and for 2 hours after. I fed her from a bowl at mid chest height, but I have been told that is not recommended now.

She was a gulper and soaking her food and leaving a little more water helped slow her down.

Her first case of GVD we have no idea what caused that she was crated from 10pm and woke me up at 5am, withing 15 minutes she was huge and in surgery. She had the tacking surgery.

Her second time she was at the breeders and the door was not shut properly and she got into the laundry with a big bin of food and scoffed herself stupid.

The third time she ate dry lupins which of course swelled and blocked everything up.

Her last surgery was when she was 7 and a half, she lived until not quite 12 and died due to a heart problem.

[best4koda]

hi, none of mine have suffered with it but I have known a breeder who's Favourite GSD passed due to it. After hearing how bad it was I have always headed her advice not to exercise after feeding. I believe hers was accidental exercise after feeding as guests arrived and GSD got excited before they realised. You just never know with such things. And yes, we always soak our kibble at least for a few minutes, never given dry except hand treats during training.

Edited May 21, 2011 by best4koda

[Vehs]

D bloated a few years ago - I became for vigilant with waiting 30min-hr after exercise before feeding him dinner and I also started to give him two meals a day. He was probably fed 15-20min after his walk on the evening he bloated as I walked him and then got ready to go out (shower etc) fed him and left, but he was also jumping around a lot at fences as the neighbors cat had been taunting him for the last few nights - so who knows, oh and he got his 'working mum' dinner of tin food! Thank god he's ok... although after having bloat (and having his stomached attached) I do notice he stretches in a different way... but I'm probably just reading too much into it.

I didn't really change his food - he gets bones in the morning when I goto work and in the evening gets mince/fish/leftovers/barf patties/loaf/meatballs - whatever!

[Vehs]

[Echo]

My GSD girl bloated at age 5.

She was at the Vet for 2 days after surgery in which her stomach was tacked to the abdomen wall.

When she came home, I started off feeding 5 very small meals per day.

I didn't change from her normal diet, (dry kibble and a bit of fresh meat, mixed with a little water) just fed smaller ammounts.

I did buy an elevated feeder, but it is debatable (depending on what you hear) if this is of any value.

Over the next couple of months, I reduced the number of feeds gradually, down to two a day, which is what she had for the rest of her life.

As others have already said, NO excercise or excitement at least 1 hour before/after feeding.

After she recovered, (gained back strength and the lost weight), we did not change anything about her routine or feeding that wasn't done before she bloated.

She went on to live a happy, normal life before passing at the age of 12. She never had another occurrence of bloat, nor any other illness until she died.

[Chitchat]

Thank-you for the replies.

There was no real reason for the bloat, dog was quite, ate slowly nothing that would suggest bloat. Yes the vet has removed spleen & tacked the stomach in the hope that it will all help.

I have been told to feed 4-5 small meals with no dry, so at this stage she will only eat fresh meat I have given BBQ chicken, My Dog but no good. I'm hoping this will change as she is very thin now from her stay in hospital.

[Danois]

I do not have a GSD with bloat, but I will tell you anyway what I would do, if he was my dog ;-)

I would definitely not feed dry food any more. No exercise after eating. If your dog is afraid of thunderstorms and licks his lips continually, he will probably swallow a lot of air, so keeping him calm will help.

I don't have a GSD but have a very bloat prone breed (danes). This is an article I have saved as a favourite: http://www.gsdcqld.org.au/GSDV.GSD.htm

Not feeding dry is not one of the recommendations that you usually see as a bloat preventative. I had not heard about air swallowing either - do you have a link about that as it sounds interesting?

Most dane people don't exercise an hour either side of feeding. I am cautious about too much activity on hot days and anything which causes sudden changes of temperature e.g. giving ice cubes.

There are so many theories about what causes bloat - and they're often contradictory.

I had a preventative pexy performed when my boy was desexed. I know he can still bloat and torsion with it and his spleen could also go.

After his surgery I fed at least 6 small meals a day for the first 4-6 weeks. I soaked his kibble in water before feeding, made a cooked mix of rice, chicken mince and pumpkin, made porridge with rice milk and mixed with kibble.

[D & D]

Thank-you for the replies.

There was no real reason for the bloat, dog was quite, ate slowly nothing that would suggest bloat. Yes the vet has removed spleen & tacked the stomach in the hope that it will all help.

I have been told to feed 4-5 small meals with no dry, so at this stage she will only eat fresh meat I have given BBQ chicken, My Dog but no good. I'm hoping this will change as she is very thin now from her stay in hospital.

I'm in a similar place to you. My boy bloated and torsioned a week and a half ago. He had a bone obstruction that needed to be cut out of his stomach. He's on 6 small meals a day ATM. They've got to be bland mushy food to give his stomach time to heal.

He's lost 8kgs, so I really want to shovel food into him But I know I can't.

Have you tried the a/d prescription diet tins? They're fairly high in calories and my boy loves them. I've also cooked up chicken mince and veggies and hit it with a stick mixer.

If she's a fan of a particular dry food, you could soak it until it turns to mush??

Good luck.

[Dagmar]

Thank-you for the replies.

There was no real reason for the bloat, dog was quite, ate slowly nothing that would suggest bloat. Yes the vet has removed spleen & tacked the stomach in the hope that it will all help.

I have been told to feed 4-5 small meals with no dry, so at this stage she will only eat fresh meat I have given BBQ chicken, My Dog but no good. I'm hoping this will change as she is very thin now from her stay in hospital.

Poor girl! But be positive, she will come around eventually. Sometimes it is hard to make out the cause for bloat. Have you tried boiled chicken instead of BBQ chicken? Boiled chicken mince mixed with white rice would also be an idea. Is she eating at all? You might need to hand feed her for a while, she is probably very weak. Warm it up a bit (not hot of course), it smells better and she might then start eating.

There are also some Australian Bush Flower Essences which would be beneficial for her.

Dagmar

[Dagmar]

I do not have a GSD with bloat, but I will tell you anyway what I would do, if he was my dog ;-)

I would definitely not feed dry food any more. No exercise after eating. If your dog is afraid of thunderstorms and licks his lips continually, he will probably swallow a lot of air, so keeping him calm will help.

I don't have a GSD but have a very bloat prone breed (danes). This is an article I have saved as a favourite: http://www.gsdcqld.org.au/GSDV.GSD.htm

Not feeding dry is not one of the recommendations that you usually see as a bloat preventative. I had not heard about air swallowing either - do you have a link about that as it sounds interesting?

Most dane people don't exercise an hour either side of feeding. I am cautious about too much activity on hot days and anything which causes sudden changes of temperature e.g. giving ice cubes.

There are so many theories about what causes bloat - and they're often contradictory.

I had a preventative pexy performed when my boy was desexed. I know he can still bloat and torsion with it and his spleen could also go.

After his surgery I fed at least 6 small meals a day for the first 4-6 weeks. I soaked his kibble in water before feeding, made a cooked mix of rice, chicken mince and pumpkin, made porridge with rice milk and mixed with kibble.

I agree, it is sometimes nearly impossible to find the reason for bloat which makes prevention so hard.

Sorry, I do not have links, I was talking from experience.

In my understanding what can happen with dry food is the following: The dog eats a large bowl of dry food which makes the dog thirsty. Then the dog drinks a lot of water and the dry food expands rapidly in his stomach. This can cause the stomach to start twisting (as a dog's stomach is not attached to the abdominal wall like ours are), of course it is more dangerous, if the dog exercises after such a meal. Just place some dry food in a bowl and pour water over it and watch... Scary stuff.

I experienced a case of 'swallowing air' caused bloat while volunteering in the Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre. It was just after a thunderstorm as this poor boxer girl was brought in. According to the owner she was very nervous and just sitting next to her, but licking her lips all the time (due to her fear of thunderstorms) and swallowing air. No food, no jumping, just air swallowing. Probably a rare case, but it was nearly deadly for her. That was the reason I mentioned it.

I am having deep chested dogs myself (boxers) and you know that danes are at risk as well (beautiful dog in your profile picture!), so I believe knowing as much as possible about this dangerous condition is so important.

Dagmar

[OSoSwift]

I was told not to feed dry food unless soaked and also do not feed any for 6 weeks after surgery. Mine got boiled chicken and rice starting with a tablespoon full and working up from there.

[Dagmar]

I was told not to feed dry food unless soaked and also do not feed any for 6 weeks after surgery. Mine got boiled chicken and rice starting with a tablespoon full and working up from there.

Soaking the dry food before feeding reduces the risk a lot. Boiled chicken and rice is a very bland diet and does not irritate the digestive system, so I personally would also go with that. Kibbles can contain things you would not want to feed at this time.

[Dogsfevr]

dogs will bloat whether feed dry or not.

Many also believe over soaking biscuits increases the rate it ferments which isn't good for the gut

I have breeds predisposed to bloat i feed on raised stands & always will,they eat calmer & more comfy

I feed dry never soaked plus raw etc etc.

Never had an issue .

If you believe every study done you would never own a large breed due to the varying stories some i think are scare mongering & create danger to owners who become very confused

Common sense works the best

[Bullbreedlover]

There are many reasons that a dog will bloat.

We have had two Bulldogs with this condition. One survived, one didnt.

I also know of Bullmastiffs that have bloated.

As an owner of these breeds I am very vigilant as to my feeding of the dogs and their exercise routines.

It has also been suggested that dogs who dont readily burp can be predisposed. As they are not releasing the gases in their body.

Gulping I think is a huge factor as well as rapidly eating meals.

Part of my dogs meals is dry kibble but I always soak the kibble. I dont fully soak it but just enough so that they are not producing extra saliva while eating. They are not allowed alot to drink for some time after their meal. They are allowed to toilet before or after but no strenuous exercise.

An extract from a Bulldog website

Bloat is a very serious health risk for many dogs, yet many dog owners know very little about it. It is the second leading killer of dogs, after cancer. It is frequently reported that deep-chested dogs are particularly at risk. Please consult with your veterinarian for medical information. The technical name for bloat is "Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus" ("GDV"). Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air (although food and fluid can also be present). It usually happens when there's an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach ("gastric dilatation"). Stress can be a contributing factor also.

Bloat can occur with or without "volvulus" (twisting). As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to 360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus (food tube) and at the duodenum (the upper intestine). The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water in the stomach. The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs. The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.

The exact cause for bloating isn't really known but the most accepted theory is that the dog has eaten an exceptionally large meal, drank lots of water and then proceeded to exercise strenuously within the next two to three hours.

It is believed that by exercising immediately after eating causes the stomach to expand with gas, fluid or expanding food causes extreme distention. If this occurs and is caught by a veterinarian in time, a large tube can be feed down the dog's esophagus and on into the stomach. The audible hiss of escaping gas can be not only heard but also smelled.

If the distention isn't caused by gas but by liquid and/or food, the same tube will be used to "pump" the stomach and carry the excess away while providing immediate relief to the dog. The owners will usually be told to leave the animal for observation to make sure the distention doesn't reoccur. There are times when the tube will not pass and another aspect of bloat occurs.

When this happens, it is usually because the excess of food and liquid in the stomach combined with an animal who runs, jumps or exercises in some other manner causes the stomach itself to become flipped or twisted in a condition known medically as "gastric torsion." When true gastric torsion cases occur, is mere minutes count toward the survival of the dog.

During gastric torsion, the stomach does a complete rotation or "flips" which then causes a constriction of the blood supply at each of the ends. Stomach tissue like any other tissue will become necrotic and die without the necessary blood supply.

The most noticeable symptoms are the grossly distended abdomen; extreme restlessness often with pacing, excessive salivation and drooling, attempts to vomit without results, whining and cries of pain. Unfortunately owners often don't recognize the problem until it is too late. For the dog to be saved, the owner must notice the symptoms of gastric torsion or bloat early in the onset to have any chance of saving their pet. If the condition is not caught early enough, the dog will usually goes into shock, become comatose and then die.

If you have been able to get the dog to the veterinarian early enough, and relief isn't seen by passing the naso-gastric tube, surgery becomes the only option.

Again, this is a condition where minutes make the difference between life and what is an agonizing death. It must be remembered that even with surgery, the chances of survival are not that great.

During years of research, Very few ( 2%) survive the surgery and return home. The condition of dogs who did live were noticed immediately and recognized as gastric torsion because owners had had dogs die of the condition at some other time.

Without surgery, the mortality rate is 100% and the once the problem is diagnosed, the dog needs to go immediately into surgery or be put down to avoid needless suffering.

If surgery is the course of action decided on, the dog will be placed under a general anesthesia. The veterinarian will shave and prep the abdominal area from sternum to groin and make a large incision down the midline of the dog.

He will then proceed to pull the intestines and stomach out and lay it on the surgery table.

These organs and tissues will need to be kept wet so a technician will usually be standing by with large syringes filled with some type of sterile water that may even be mixed with antibiotics.

Once the abdomen is opened up and the necessary area is exposed, the doctor will then untwist the stomach. Once this is done, he will begin checking the stomach and intestine for necrotic areas. If any are found, he will usually recommend the dog be put down. If no dead tissue is found though, he will suture or "tack" the stomach to the abdominal wall with the material of his choice.

This tacking is done in the hopes of preventing the dog's stomach from once again twisting. Once the stomach is tacked, the doctor will replace the intestines and proceed in closing the abdomen. From this point, it will be a matter of wait and see as to whether the dog survives.

If he or she does, instruction will be given as to the special dietary and feeding needs of the dog. Usually, the doctor will recommend several small meals as opposed to one large meal during the day. He or she will also suggest placing the food at an elevated level, moistening any dry food so the dog will feel full quicker and limiting the availability of water after eating.

For those dogs lucky enough to survive their ordeal, they will normally go on to live long, healthy lives giving years of companionship to their owners as long as proper obedience is given to the doctor's orders. .

[Danois]

Showdog - funnily enough they now say feeding raised increases risk of bloat. I feed raised - not for reasons around bloat but because its damn uncomfortable for a dog the height of a dane to eat from floor level.

Linda Arndt, the Great Dane Lady, dismisses the link between soaking dry food and bloat - commenting you're more likely to lose nutrients from the food in doing so. This is a good read: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/bloat_and_torsion_is_nutrition_a_factor.htm

IMO making the food soft encourages the dog to eat more quickly as it does not have to stop and chew. If you have a dog that is a bolter when it comes to eating then look at the brake-fast type bowls or feed the meal in a treat ball or a muffin tin.

[Crisovar]

There are many theories on Bloat, I have seen bloat in dogs fed dry, raw, home cooked, and in dogs that have not recently eaten. Dogs fed raised dogs fed off the ground.

One of my own bloated after gulping air, and had not been fed for 8 hours prior. I have also seen a bitch bloat after whelping and her stomach contained no food just gas and a little water.

Dogs have bloated in their kennels despite being locked up after feeding and not having been exercised prior.

I do not allow exercise 2 hours before feeding and generally not at all after the evening meal. I do not feed any dog that is over excited, gulping etc.

It is something I am always aware of.

[Danois]

That's it isn't it Crisovar - no definitive reason for bloat.

My view is that if a dog is going to bloat then it is going to bloat regardless of what measures you have (or have not) put into place.

[sas]

Thank-you for the replies.

There was no real reason for the bloat, dog was quite, ate slowly nothing that would suggest bloat. Yes the vet has removed spleen & tacked the stomach in the hope that it will all help.

I have been told to feed 4-5 small meals with no dry, so at this stage she will only eat fresh meat I have given BBQ chicken, My Dog but no good. I'm hoping this will change as she is very thin now from her stay in hospital.

Careful, that's not a balanced diet. You can feed BARF with correct ratios if you're not meant to be feeding dry.