How can I protect my dog from bloat?

Question

I have a large breed (27 inches/ 110lbs) dog with a deep chest. As I am sure people know this increases his risk for bloat. I currently require him to stay lying down while eating, feed 3 smaller meals a day and don't exercise him after eating. Is there anything else I should be doing to avoid bloat?

I tell him to lie down because it decreases dominance issues related to food and requires him to listen to me to eat. He gladly lays down to eat and I could leave him but dinner times are shared times.

I was of the impression that lying down worked as well as elevated bowls. Is it more effective to have him standing?

Good idea about the water though.

Answer 1

I keep Gas-X in the house all the time. I have mastiffs, who can sometimes really gulp down the water, especially in the heat. I taught my dogs to eat slower by putting tennis balls into food bowls. They have to eat around the balls, and it takes them longer. And no, they have never eaten the tennis balls. I saw my neighbors dog, a large mixed breed, half Great Dane get bloat, or whatever the correct term is, and they got her to the vet, ended up doing surgery, and eventually she was ok. But it can kill dogs very quickly. So I also, never, ever leave food bowls out for them if I am not home. The Gas-X is what the vet said to give right away if yoususpect they are in distress. Mastiffs grunt, snort, burp, and do other unpleasant things all the time, so you need to know the habits of your dog.One of my dogs eatslying down, always has. It seems to be her style. Good Luck. I think prevention is the best answer.

Answer 2

Deep-chested dogs are more prone to bloat and/or GDV (gastric dilitation volvulus). Dogs like shepherds, great danes, greyhounds, even dachshunds (surprisingly enough) are at risk. As far as actual statistics like percentages, I really don't know, all though the many, many surgeries I have assisted in for GDV have all been male dogs (maybe just coincidence). Bloat is simply air in the stomach. It can be dangerous if it turns into GDV, which is when the stomach actually flips around on itself, pinching off the intestines. Blood supply is compromised, the heart is affected, they begin to have trouble breathing. At that point, the only remedy is surgery - immediately. It is 100% fatal if not taken to surgery. There are no really good ways to prevent bloat, although it seems that keeping your dog quiet before and after mealtimes has been beneficial. Some people claim that elevating the food dish so that a large/tall dog can reach it better helps. A lot of vets these days are doing gastropexies when they anesthetize a dog for routine surgeries like spays/neuters, or even whey they do a different kind of surgery like a gastrotomy or enterotomy. A gastropexy tacks the stomach to the body wall and prevents the stomach from being able to twist. The dog could still bloat, but it shouldn't become a GDV if the pexy was done correctly. Don't know if you didn't know this stuff, or you were just trying to quiz people, but I hope this is the info you were looking for.

Answer 3

elevated bowls do not work in fact regardless of what people believe the elevated bowls increase the risk of bloat.
http://www.leonbergerhealth.com/Bloat-GDV.htm
here is a website that really explains alot of things. raising the food dish is a no no. dont let the dog gulp water after eating also and this will help prevent.

another article with some good info

http://www.k9snaturally.com/bloat.htm

i own a st. bernard so these r websites i used that helped me.

Answer 4

Do NOT used elevated bowls. It was believed they'd help prevent bloat, but now it has been found that it actually increases the chances of it.

Feed your dog a few meals daily instead of one. Avoid heavy activity for at least half hour before and after eating.

Answer 5

I would do raised diners instead of making him lay down. Same idea as the laying down thing, just a little more natural and you do not have to stay there! Plus a dog can bloat by drinking water too so raised bowls are great. You also do not want to exercise him for about 30 minutes before meals either. The multiple smaller meals are great. You are doing most of what you can. If your dog is gulping food, I saw somewhere a bowl that has 3 raised nubs in it to get in the way and cause them to slow down and not swallow as much food.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Answer 6

Dogs actually digest food better while standing up. I would recommend an elevated bowl.
Soy has been linked to bloat, so I would avoid soy in your dog's food and treats.
If your dog is a female and she has not yet been spayed; there is an elective surgery you can have performed during her spaying that staples the stomach in place. I don't know a lot of details because i read about it so long ago. Ask your vet.
The water tip is accurate. Don't let it gulp water, either. I tell my dogs, "take a breath" as a command and they stop drinking for a second.

Answer 7

Never feed a large thirsty dog if your worried about bloat. Just water the dog before feeding, than wait a while before feeding. If your really worried, soak the kibble and don't feed dry. Bloat is more prone to happen in warmer weather, on dogs that have not had water.

Answer 8

Avoid highly stressful situations. If you can't avoid them, try to minimize the stress as much as possible. Be extra watchful.
Can be brought on by dog shows, mating, whelping, boarding, new dog in household, change in routine, etc.
Do not use an elevated food bowl
Do not exercise for several hours (e.g., 2 or 3) before and especially after eating
Particularly don't permit your dog to roll over, which could cause the stomach to twist
Do not permit rapid eating
Feed 2 or 3 meals daily, instead of just one
Do not give water one hour before or after a meal
It dilutes the gastric juices necessary for proper digestion, which leads to gas production.
Always keep a product with simethicone (e.g., Mylanta Gas (not regular Mylanta), Phazyme, Gas-X, etc.) on hand to treat gas symptoms.
Some recommend giving your dog simethicone immediately if your dog burps more than once or shows other signs of gas. New
Some report relief of gas symptoms with 1/2 tsp of nutmeg or the homeopathic remedy Nux moschata 30
Allow access to fresh water at all times, except before and after meals
Make meals a peaceful, stress-free time
When switching dog food, do so gradually (allow several weeks)
Do not feed dry food exclusively
Feed a high-protein (>30%) diet, particularly of raw meat
If feeding dry food, avoid foods that contain fat as one of the first four ingredients New
If feeding dry foods, avoid foods that contain citric acid New
If you must use a dry food containing citric acid, do not pre-moisten the food
If feeding dry food, select one that includes rendered meat meal with bone product among the first four ingredients New
Reduce carbohydrates as much as possible (e.g., typical in many commercial dog biscuits)
Feed a high-quality diet
Whole, unprocessed foods are especially beneficial
Feed adequate amount of fiber (for commercial dog food, at least 3.00% crude fiber)
Add an enzyme product to food (e.g., Prozyme)
Include herbs specially mixed for pets that reduce gas (e.g., N.R. Special Blend)
Avoid brewer's yeast, alfalfa, and soybean products
Promote an acidic environment in the intestine
Some recommend 1-2 Tbs of Aloe Vera Gel or 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar given right after each meal
Promote "friendly" bacteria in the intestine, e.g. from yogurt or supplemental acidophilus
Avoids fermentation of carbohydrates, which can cause gas quickly. This is especially a concern when antibiotics are given since they tend to reduce levels of "friendly" bacteria.

Answer 9

it sounds like you're doing a good job already by feeding him small meals throughout the day, so that he's not gobbling down one big meal at once. i have never heard of people keeping their dogs lying down while eating, so i dont know how much that helps.

another thing i would suggest is to make sure that your trash is out of your dog's reach at all times. sometimes my dog would get into the trash, and once he was caught he would try to gobble the trash down - you know, like 'oops! they see me...but if there's no trash here, maybe they'll think i didn't get into it'.

Answer 10

Yes you might try getting a tall stand for his food bowls. Keeping him lying down is not the answer