Advice/tips on dog bloat, please

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

River rocks should be very large, you might want to get a large bowl for him if you try it. Kinda a pain in the butt, however they work well.

 

[cyrixlord]

Ive actually seen special bowls that have a hump in the middle.

I also recommend keeping them calm 30 mins after eating. an excited dog can twist his stomach very quickly

 

[redhen]

Quote:
and he is a very excitable type dog....very anxious!(he was a rescue dog)...very stressed if he cant be with us,,etc...so..that explains alot..thanks!..Wendy

 

[redhen]

Quote:
how big jamie?..and do they have to be "smooth" rocks?...i have alot of medium sized rocks in my yard...but they arent smooth river rocks...will any rock work?...thanks, Wendy...*i luv my jamie dog trainer!*..how ya doing jamie?!!

 

[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...

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

Is he ok now??? I worry about big dogs.... They are the sweetest and the most in danger because of bloat and hip issues. Every time I hear if this I get scared for the owner!!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Boxers are prone to bloat also and I read a lot about it because we have a boxer. The main thing to do is to not feed them all at one sitting. Feed them 3 to even four meals a day so they don't gobble every morsel down at one time. This is the main thing that causes bloat in dogs. Good luck

I sure hope he's ok.

 

[redhen]

he's resting now....not acting restless....i did give him the Gas X...(2 tabs)..so, i hope it works...

...thanks.

 

[Cara]

I lost my Bloodhound last year to bloat/gastric torsion. We rushed her to the vet when we noticed how distended she was. Her gut had not twisted at that point, but for some reason the vet saw fit to send her home. To this day I feel guilty for not insisting on the surgery, and feel like I let her down. I stayed up as late as I could with her but fell asleep. The first time I got up to check on her she was sleeping, but when I got up the second time she had passed.

It really is a heartwrenching way to lose a dog (not that there's an easy way), thank God yours was saved. We had our new Bloodhound's stomach tacked when she was spayed, and follow the same guidelines we did with our old dog (and all of our other dogs). Nobody gets fed within an hour of exercise, or more than two cups of dry food at a time. We soak their dry food with a little hot water, and only feed high quality food that does not swell. It is important to limit water intake after exercise too. Our old dog would drink and drink, and she escaped the yard that afternoon in the middle of summer. After I put her back in the yard she must have drunk a lot, and she had eaten a lot of grass. It's inconvenient not to leave a big bowl of water out with large dogs, but it can make a huge difference. It is also important not to feed them when they are over-excited, e.g as soon as you get home, or if there is something along the fence-line to chase.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
thanks!....i am going to change his feedings to 3 x's a day now...i hope it will help..

....because yeah,...he eats SO fast...he's always done eating before either of my other dogs....then he tries to steal their food!..

..

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Hi!...the water thing scares me because...he drinks like crazy!..i mean he will sit and finish off a whole bowl sometimes...its hard tthough, because i have 3 big dogs....and i always try to be VERY careful they always have water....ahhh!

* i also wanted to add: i'm SO sorry that you lost your dog to this!...hugs!!!