Dogs and preventing bloat...

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Thanks Jamie

All of my dogs eat like the ladies they are and speedily gulping down their food doesn't occur(or hasn't yet). I will speak to my vet about tacking, what is the treatment for just bloat as opposed to gastric torsion? Does is still remain a medical emergency?

As far as I know, and of course I am not an expert in this area -- I think the only prevention to bloat is what you are already doing. I would tack the stomach if I had a lot of concerns regarding my dogs. I believe it is really worth it. I may have my GSD tacked when he goes in for nutering later this year. Bloat w/Torsion is not only very dangerous and painful to the dog but VERY expensive compared to a bloat case caught before torsion occurs.

 

[abluechipstock]

i lost my shepherd to bloat, i got home from work in the morning, fed her and then went to bed, when i got up at 5 she was dead, of coarse my dad was mowing my lawn earlier and thought to himself, that dog isn't acting right but neglected to tell me, i wish i would have known so at least she didn't suffer, i think a lot of it is hereditary also, her grandmother torsioned, sad, but if i got another dog with a deep chest i would do the stomach tacking, but that's because i actually had a dog torsion if you've never had one you wouldn't be so paranoid like me

ps dachshunds aren't known for torsion

 

[redhen]

I had my males stomach tacked.. so hopefully it will help prevent his stomach from twisting if he gets bloat.

So far i've had no problems with my 2 saints and bloat.. *knock on wood*
I feed twice a day..and i pre-soak their kibble in water, so it swells in the bowl, not in their belly.
I also put their bowls on the floor... not raised. I had also heard that raising their feed dishes is now considered risky. Actually a breeder sent me a link(long ago), from Cornell University.. about it.

I'd personally look into getting her stomach tacked...cause i know a family that lost 2 saints to bloat.

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
I know someone recently whos 5 month old english mastiff bloated, they caught it in time and he'll make a full recovery. BUT it made me hyper aware of the risk, I guess subconsciously I felt I didn't have much to worry about at such a young age. This incident just reminded me with the giant breeds bloat can strike at any time, youth isn't any protection.

One way or the other Addy won't be getting spayed until somewhere after 22months..as no giant breeds should. Do I wait to tack at that point, or do it earlier and run the risk of putting her under twice...

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I know someone recently whos 5 month old english mastiff bloated, they caught it in time and he'll make a full recovery. BUT it made me hyper aware of the risk, I guess subconsciously I felt I didn't have much to worry about at such a young age. This incident just reminded me with the giant breeds bloat can strike at any time, youth isn't any protection.

One way or the other Addy won't be getting spayed until somewhere after 22months..as no giant breeds should. Do I wait to tack at that point, or do it earlier and run the risk of putting her under twice...

I got Duke fixed and tacked at the same time(6 months old)..as the vet said its more risky to put the big guys under.


BUT.. if i knew what i know today..i would have waited to get him fixed. (noone told me at the time though! Not even the vet)
Because he grew sooo funny lookin. His back is kinda humped... his legs are super tall... and he is already having arthritis and some pain at only 3 1/2 yrs old.

Poor dog is just a mess.
And i was also told to feed him large breed puppy food..which i did...Now i hear that Saints or mastiffs should NOT have large breed puppy food... cause they are giant breeds, not large breeds,... and it can make them grow funny??
*sigh* I dont know...

I guess, if i was you.. i'd wait to get her fixed, and just watch her like a hawk.. eat slow and NO running/playing a while before meals...
Its a risk though..

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
I know someone recently whos 5 month old english mastiff bloated, they caught it in time and he'll make a full recovery. BUT it made me hyper aware of the risk, I guess subconsciously I felt I didn't have much to worry about at such a young age. This incident just reminded me with the giant breeds bloat can strike at any time, youth isn't any protection.

One way or the other Addy won't be getting spayed until somewhere after 22months..as no giant breeds should. Do I wait to tack at that point, or do it earlier and run the risk of putting her under twice...

I got Duke fixed and tacked at the same time(6 months old)..as the vet said its more risky to put the big guys under.


BUT.. if i knew what i know today..i would have waited to get him fixed. (noone told me at the time though! Not even the vet)
Because he grew sooo funny lookin. His back is kinda humped... his legs are super tall... and he is already having arthritis and some pain at only 3 1/2 yrs old.

Poor dog is just a mess.
And i was also told to feed him large breed puppy food..which i did...Now i hear that Saints or mastiffs should NOT have large breed puppy food... cause they are giant breeds, not large breeds,... and it can make them grow funny??
*sigh* I dont know...

I guess, if i was you.. i'd wait to get her fixed, and just watch her like a hawk.. eat slow and NO running/playing a while before meals...
Its a risk though..

Alot of vets seem to neglect or just don't know the fact giant breeds shouldn't be spayed young, or like your poor guy they grow funny and have more hip dysplasia problems and arthritic problems. My friend has a saint..Tank, Tankis 7months old and they are getting him neutered this week. I told her she should wait, referred her to studies, but she is determined he is getting done now, her vet says the giant breeds will have constant hernias if they are neutered after 6 months. I guess her opinion is that " vets know all".

Sad.

 

[erthymom2]

I have a 5 yr old Saint who was a food gobbler before we raised his dish and put a large stone in it so he has to nose around for his kibble. the stone stops him from wolfing down his food and getting all gassy and belchy. he had his tummy stapled when he was fixed also at 7months - no complications. I've had to add a large stone also in my doxie's dish because she too is a wolfer of food. don't worry - niether dog can eat the stones, they are way bigger then thay can eat.

 

[lemurchaser]

There is almost no reason to not gastropexy a large breed dog during a spay. You already have the abdomen open, might as well tack the stomach down. Waiting until 2 years old is a long time. Your breeder should be able to tell much sooner if she is show quality or not. I would get her spayed around 1 year old.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Early spaying is detrimental to a dogs skeletal and endocrine system. A Toy breed is ok to spay/neuter around a year old, however any dog larger than that should be allowed to mature more than a year before spay or neuter.

 

[lemurchaser]

Quote:
Early spaying is detrimental to a dogs skeletal and endocrine system. A Toy breed is ok to spay/neuter around a year old, however any dog larger than that should be allowed to mature more than a year before spay or neuter.

There is actually no evidence that I know of to support this. There is definitely evidence to support delaying spaying of giant breed dogs, but studies have shown that they really just need to get past puberty. So whether it is one year or two doesn't seem to matter. Spaying prior to the first heat has been shown to greatly reduce the incidence of mammary tumors and that benefit decreases with each cycle. So right around a year gives them as much benefit with the least risk.