[Neko]

I have been beating myself up for a few days now. I have been living in a constant fear of bloat. My pup is hyper, he wants to play before and after meals, it's that high drive in him. After the meals I try to let him be in his pan, but he jumps and screams from being cooped up all day. If I crate him, he has awful anxiety and that can cause bloat too...

Anyways about an hour after dinner we went to the back yard and I let Zeus chaise the hose. What I did wrong here is I let him go strait at the water and let me gargle the water, bite at it etc... What I DID not know is that he was swallowing allot of it and also air....

After playing for a few minutes I noticed that Z looked like he swallowed a basketball. My heart stopped, I was in full panic. I ran inside, called my husband. Zeus was sad we stopped playing, wobbled funny, but acted normal.

I looked up emergency number while my husband made Zeus lay-down and petted his back and chest firmly. Zeus let out a couple of VERY big burps! and took off to find his toys. His ribs deflated and we were ok... I did not call the clinic, but watched him all night.

Anyways, lesson learned, now when he plays with the hose i will aim it far, but never in his mouth again ever!

I am in such fear of bloat that i am in fear to play with my puppy and panic when he jumps even slightly after or before a meal... and he is a total frog.

I will do pexy, but was told that's not 100%. I can't believe that as over protective as I have been, that this happened at 6 month. I hope it was nothing, but I feel like the worst parent ever.

Thanks for listening!

 

[mego]

I don't think you should worry so much about bloat, it's good to be cautious, but dont' panic if he jumps slightly before or after a meal! If gsds were so susceptible to bloat that one jump up and down could cause them to bloat and die (i'm not saying this never happens, but I dont think it's common), I don't think they'd survive as a breed. As long as it's not hardcore exercise and his meals are pretty small I would just relax a bit. It's definitely good to keep a very very watchful eye, but don't work yourself up into paranoia

Glad he's okay, that would have scared me too!

 

[Diesel and Lace]

Glad he's ok. I also fear and worry about bloat, so I changed my routine, when I come home from work I feed Diesel right then, like put my purse down and take him his bowl. By the time I am done changing clothes, bathroom, putting away what ever from the day etc enough time has passed it is not a concern. I usually get his bowl ready when I leave in the morning so I dont even have to put my purse down its just grab it, make him sit / wait and he eats.

Now I have other animals to take care of too so my get home from work routine is a little extended but all the better

Could you do something like that where you dont have to worry so much? If you feed raw have it in the fridge ready to go as soon as you walk in? What about splitting his night time / before playtime meal into two separate meals? Like half a portion before play, the other half before bedtime (but enough time to potty after)

Nice to know I am not the only worry wart on the block

 

[Neko]

I don't think you should worry so much about bloat, it's good to be cautious, but dont' panic if he jumps slightly before or after a meal! If gsds were so susceptible to bloat that one jump up and down could cause them to bloat and die (i'm not saying this never happens, but I dont think it's common), I don't think they'd survive as a breed. As long as it's not hardcore exercise and his meals are pretty small I would just relax a bit. It's definitely good to keep a very very watchful eye, but don't work yourself up into paranoia

Glad he's okay, that would have scared me too!

Thank you! =) trying

 

[Neko]

Nice to know I am not the only worry wart on the block

We feed Zeus 3 times a day, so the meals are small. I am thinking that instead of feeding him right after work, when he is so crazy and excited. I want to feed him right before bed time. This way we can go to the park, have him come home, relax after he is all tired, than eat, than he can roll his ball around and it's night night time. Not sure, but maybe that's a better idea.

I am a helicopter mom. Zeus rolled on the beach and got a scratch under his eye, I cried! he was fine...

 

[JakodaCD OA]

Keep Gas X on hand,,if he blows up like that again, pop him a couple Gas x..

 

[arycrest]

I agree about always having Gas-X on hand "just in case"!!!

IMHO you should be educated (know the symptoms), know your dog and his behavior patterns, and keep vigilant but not to the point of getting paranoid when it comes to bloat (or any of the life/death illnesses).

 

[Neko]

Gas-X is on hand from now on even if i question anything i can give it to him. I think my husband did the right thing by rubbing his back, that made him burp, the air was not deep enough yet.

I learned my lesson too, we will still play with the sprinklers/hose, but i will make him chaise it and spray him in the butt instead! =)

sigh, these fur babies!...

 

[Momto2GSDs]

Here are some Homeopathic's to keep on hand to "buy you some time" and are safe to use.
"In the emergency cases of Gastric Torsion or "Bloat", Nux moschata 30c can be used every 15 minutes along with BHI Stomach."
Purchased from Natural Rearing: [email protected] or 541-899-2080

"In cases of a an upset stomach, usually due from eating of the wrong foods Nux vomica 30x or BHI Stomach are good remedies. If there is great pain in the abdomen and especially if the dog is twisting in discomfort while crying out in pain Colocynthis 30c or BHI Intestine will bring relief.
In cases of acute gastritis where there is great rumbling in the gut and the above mentioned remedies have not brought relief, I use Magnesia phosphorica 30x and Natrum muriaticum 30x every hour until the symptoms are relieved." All "Quotes" from Marina Zacharias, Homeotoxicologist
Hope this can help someone!

 

[GSDAlphaMom]

I make sure my dogs have been in a resting state a good 30-45 minutes prior to eating and then I do not let them outside or get rowdy in the house for at least a full hour after eating. I've been through bloat and hope I never experience it again. Know your dog and be aware if he/she is not acting normal. Bloat isn't always the classic sign of a distended stomach. Mine was uncomfortable, up, down, sit, could not find a comfortable positon and he dug at the ground (something horses do in pain). I had another that whined and wanted outside and started 'mowing the lawn'. I've never seen anything like it, the amount of grass she ate, then vomited 2 volleyball size balls of grass. In both cases I suspected bloat and head to the ER vet. Take all the precautions you can and know your dog.

 

[Gwenhwyfair]

This is what I do.

I feed my dogs 2X a day. Lighter meal in the AM and little more in the PM.

The routine is after PM feeding they settle in with nylabones for 1/2 to 1 hour. Then after that they get last call potty break and then to bed.

Establish a night time wind-down routine now and as he matures he'll settle into it.

We feed Zeus 3 times a day, so the meals are small. I am thinking that instead of feeding him right after work, when he is so crazy and excited. I want to feed him right before bed time. This way we can go to the park, have him come home, relax after he is all tired, than eat, than he can roll his ball around and it's night night time. Not sure, but maybe that's a better idea.

I am a helicopter mom. Zeus rolled on the beach and got a scratch under his eye, I cried! he was fine...

 

[Neko]

This is what I do.

I feed my dogs 2X a day. Lighter meal in the AM and little more in the PM.

The routine is after PM feeding they settle in with nylabones for 1/2 to 1 hour. Then after that they get last call potty break and then to bed.

Establish a night time wind-down routine now and as he matures he'll settle into it.

This sounds great, I just have to push back to feeding him later in the evening =)

 

[kr16]

My pup bloated real bad a few years ago. GasX made him do a hall of fame burp and the stomach went right down.

Do puppies get torsion?

 

[Neko]

My pup bloated real bad a few years ago. GasX made him do a hall of fame burp and the stomach went right down.

Do puppies get torsion?

I was wondering the same if they can get torsion, but at 6 month I am sure they can since it's medium to large dogs. We got lucky and will be more careful from now on.

 

[kr16]

I was wondering the same if they can get torsion, but at 6 month I am sure they can since it's medium to large dogs. We got lucky and will be more careful from now on.

GasX at all times sits on my kitchen counter. I get the strips that dissolve right on the tongue.

 

[arycrest]

...
Do puppies get torsion?

Here's an article that you might find interesting: Bloat In Puppies

 

[Neko]

GasX at all times sits on my kitchen counter. I get the strips that dissolve right on the tongue.

I will pick them up and they are his and no one dare touch them! I guess if they are that safe than anytime I am in question i will use them

 

[Neko]

"Dr. Glickman’s study showed that limiting water and exercise before and after meals, commonly recommended in the past, in fact did not reduce the incidence of bloat."

Interesting, i think from now on Zeus will be eating his dinner with buster cube. It's hard to feed with puzzle toys especially if you add prozyne and other liquids and powders, i guess i can give him that mixture with a spoon of wet food right after the meal or right before.

 

[LisaT]

Drinking a lot of water and then doing a quick recall was the trigger for my dog's bloat.

 

[Neko]

Drinking a lot of water and then doing a quick recall was the trigger for my dog's bloat.

wow =/