Although it is not necessarily thought of as a geriatric disease, recent studies do suggest that risk of bloat increases as the dog ages.

In the most recent studies it was shown that dogs 7 years of age or older were more than twice as likely to develop bloat as the 2-4 year old dogs in the study.

It is also thought that some certain bloodlines within particular breeds may be more succeptible to bloat than others.

What can alleviate this problem?

GDV is not necessarily a dietary problem. Feeding management, however, may help cut back on many bloat related problems.

Believe me, prevention is much better than treatment - anytime!

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.