Advice/tips on dog bloat, please

[redhen]

Well..just got back from the emergency vet.......I noticed my Great Dane~Ares~, gagging...and acting like he had to throw-up. He was pacing and licking the floor...<<(that was weird...

..)...i didnt notice his tummy being really distended or anything..so..i wasnt sure if it was bloat or not...but when i pressed on his tummy he started to gag again...i knew it was not good...so, i told everyone we had to leave right now(because bloat can kill a dog VERY fast)...we got there and they did x-rays... they said he was FULL of gas(which he was expelling all during the drive there!...

..)..and he had a rapid heartbeat..then she said we were very lucky..it seems we just caught it before it turned bad for him...she said to keep a real close eye on him...and he should stay..but she knew i didnt have a million dollars to keep him there overnight..she also said she just read a survey that said that over 50% of Great Danes are prone to bloat!...

..thats a high percentage!...i had my male Saint Bernards stomach "tacked" to help prevent this...i guess i will be getting Ares' tacked also...
So, my question is..does anyone have any tips/advice to help prevent bloat?...i asked the vet about "Gas X"...she said she had heard about some people using it sometimes...but she couldnt say for sure if it would REALLY help or not....but that it probably wouldnt hurt any...so on the way home i got him some in cherry flavor..LOL..

......thanks for any advice!, Wendy

 

[justusnak]

I have no experience with bloat in dogs....mine are pretty good at expelling gas.

I hope your big guy feels better soon.

 

[mamaKate]

I've had several Danes over the years and they never had bloat. I let the first few eat kibble free choice all day and even when I feed raw food, I try to break it up in a couple of small meals. My current Dane/Australian Shepherd gets indigestion if she gets cold. Danes are great furry funny people, but this is my last one. They're just so fragile.

 

[redhen]

hi..thanks for the replies...and mammakate..they DO seem kinda fragile for being SO big!...

..

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Hi Wendy, Im so very sorry to hear this, but at least you caught it before the stomach torsioned.

I have some bloat tips for you.

1. Break up meals into two or three
2. Raise food/water dishes up, I'd say at least 12 inches for a dane
3. If he eats quickly, put *large* smooth river rocks in his dish over the food so he has to slow down
4. soaking kibble in water helps too, prevents all the stomach fluids from being absorbed too quickly by the kibble

I hope these help.

 

[BeardedChick]

I'm glad your guy is better. Our vet had us use Gas X after the Ridgeback bloated (after breaking into the feed room & helping herself).

She also had just a gassy tummy, but she was bloated up like a hot air balloon. Then at the vets, after all the x-rays and stuff, she barfed and there went the hot air.

We have always fed her small meals and added water to the bowl because she is such a fast eater.

ps. I lost a Dane years and years ago to bloat. Love them, love them but no more for me.

 

[BFeathered]

Sorry to hear of the emergency, but glad he's doing okay! When I worked at the vet's, we had at least 3 Danes a year come in with bloat- they're very prone to it. Jamie's tips are what we always recommended (supervise meals closely if you put rocks in the bowl) and we nearly always tacked the tummy to help prevent future incidents (if we got the dog in time to save it). You might also want to keep him quiet for at least 1/2 hour after he eats and let the stomach do its job without getting bounced around too much.
Good luck! I love danes, but I've already got 1 dane's worth in 2 dogs- eeek!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I am glad you acted so fast - bloat in large dogs can cause major internal injuries, as you referenced you probably knew that. Big dogs like that are so awesome and it is heartbreaking to see one in distress. I am glad you acted quickly and it came out well. Well it came out...

 

[redhen]

Thank you..Thank you.. Thank you!..for the help!...i will try all the tips you guys have given me... i do wet their food down and feed them twice a day...(i think i will try feeding 3x a day from now on).....the river rocks sound great!..how large should they be?...

i know i am going to get him tacked after the holidays...i hope he will be okay till then?...He is such a sweet big dork!...ALL he wants in life is to be RIGHT beside us.. even if he can see us in another room..he will whine till he can be right with us...at the vets tonight...they brought him out back to the exam rooms....all i hear..is *BANG!..THUMP!..WACK!*..sounds(his tail is a deadly weapon!)

.......then i hear.."ARES SIT!"...."GOOOOD BOY ARES!"...."NOOOO! ARES"...'SIT!"...(then i heard giggling!).LOL...

......they told me afterward that he was one of the sweetest dogs they had met....he kept trying to be affectionate to them while they were trying to get the x-ray..he wouldnt sit still....then when they brought me to him..he body slams me..(but he dosnet jump up on people...just pushes into them when he's happy...)..i love the big lug!..

..i hope we can survive this bloat stuff...

..

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I am glad you acted so fast - bloat in large dogs can cause major internal injuries, as you referenced you probably knew that. Big dogs like that are so awesome and it is heartbreaking to see one in distress. I am glad you acted quickly and it came out well. Well it came out...

Thanks Debi..i appreciate the kind words...honestly!..thanks again..