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Bloat is potentially
Bloat in dogs, aka gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a problem many dogs may face, most especially any of the deeper chested breeds. Keep in mind that this is a potentially life threatening condition and should be taken very, very seriously. |
| How does it happen? One typical scenario includes a large, deep-chested breed of dog (such as an Akita, Great Dane, German Shepherd, St. Bernard, Irish Wolfhound, Irish Setter, Sighthounds, Doberman Pinschers, Weimaraners, Bloodhounds), which is usually fed once a day, and has the habit of "inhaling" it's food, gulping air, or drinking large amounts of water right after eating. Now add any kind of physical exercise after a full meal like this, and you have the perfect recipe for gastric torsion. What can alleviate this problem? It is not necessarily a dietary problem. Feeding management, however, may help cut back on many bloat related problems and, believe me, prevention is much better than treatment. | |
Some suggestions include feeding the dogs individually in a quiet place, avoiding exercise immediately before and after feeding for an hour or more, and minimizing dietary changes.
These ideas may help quiet dogs who gulp their food or feel it necessary to guard their food while eating and as a result "inhale" the food (and air) much faster than they would have in a "safe" environment.
In the most recent studies it was shown that dogs 7 years of age or older were more than twice as likely to develop GDV as the 2-4 year old dogs in the study.
It is a very good idea to feed two or three smaller meals daily and discourage rapid eating from your dog. Don't allow exercise for at least two hours after a meal.
Clearly, prevention of bloat is highly preferable to having to follow through with any kind of treatment after it occurs.
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