[sondraham]

I have been so scared to feed dog food again. First of all my dog was eating the fish TOTW brand when he had bloat two months ago, and I am sure the food was a big factor considering the kibble was still in his stomach undigested. In the mean time I have been feeding him the honest kitchen with cooked meat, I decided to buy another bag of TOTW since it is hard to find a food that works for my GSD, well he is having diarrhea from it, and I now no that I will never buy TOTW again, I think they have changed there formula. What was your dog eating when he had bloat?

 

[DJEtzel]

I don't think that the kibble brand has anything to do with it, but I don't have a lot of knowledge in this area.

It's all about how fast they eat it and the fact that they don't chew it from what I've read. Which is obviously what happened here. Get him a slow eater bowl, or hand feed him and you shouldn't have these problems.

My dog's been eating TOTW for a long time and hasn't had an issue, but he eats slow.

 

[fkeeley]

My dog bloated on Purina One lamb and rice (all his life pretty much) but I truly think it wasn't the food that did him in. He had been having issues and was on strong antibiotics, which killed the good bacteria in his stomach. He was over 13yrs old and too old for surgery so, like you, I was terrified to feed him anything. My vet had told me that no one knows why they bloat and it could potentially happen any time to any food that they eat. I did make sure to, on a going forward basis, make sure he was eating something without citric acid, soy and too much fiber (just in case it was the food). He was also on metacoprimide which supose to help digest the food in the large instestine before it got to the small intestine (I think I have the order right LOL). Anyway, there is a tread on bloat and how to try to prevent it and I would suggest that you read a few of the posts. Did your dog have surgery?

 

[Montana Scout]

just out of curiosity, i use TOTW canned food and he devours it in like 5 minutes, but give him eagle pack (mainly for the probiotics) but he doesn't seem to eat it alot (i think he's saving up for the soft food LOL) how does he like the kibble?

 

[lrodptl]

I have been so scared to feed dog food again. First of all my dog was eating the fish TOTW brand when he had bloat two months ago, and I am sure the food was a big factor considering the kibble was still in his stomach undigested. In the mean time I have been feeding him the honest kitchen with cooked meat, I decided to buy another bag of TOTW since it is hard to find a food that works for my GSD, well he is having diarrhea from it, and I now no that I will never buy TOTW again, I think they have changed there formula. What was your dog eating when he had bloat?

Sorry about the bloat,my older GSD just died from bloat but it was on the back of having his spleen removed. He was also eating TOTW but I don't make any connection. There are precautions to take with feeding,exercise etc but I doubt you could have avoided bloat by feeding another kibble. As for the dia,most people simply don't give the dog enough time to adjust-maybe a month. Both my GSDs rotated through TOTW?Orijen/EVO... and when I first went grainless they struggled for about a month and that was 5 months ago and everything resolved.

 

[fkeeley]

Actually canned food, I've heard, are the safest to give, but not very good on their teeth (and expensive). Just make sure your dog eat slowly, no gulps of water afterwards, no exercise 1 hr before and 2 hrs after eating, no citric acid, soy, etc (which I believe TOTW doesn't have it). Not to scare you but there is a likelihood that your dog might bloat again (greater chance). Mine never did and lived to be 14.5yrs. Just pay attention to the signs and make sure you have that emergency number ready on redial just in case.

 

[Montana Scout]

your telling me.. i spend over 50 bucks on 14 cans... but i just give him 1/2 can mixed w/ 1/2 cup kibble for lunch so it last a lot longer... i think its 2.80ish per can... but i don't mind spoiling my boy as long as its good for him

 

[lrodptl]

Actually canned food, I've heard, are the safest to give, but not very good on their teeth (and expensive). Just make sure your dog eat slowly, no gulps of water afterwards, no exercise 1 hr before and 2 hrs after eating, no citric acid, soy, etc (which I believe TOTW doesn't have it). Not to scare you but there is a likelihood that your dog might bloat again (greater chance). Mine never did and lived to be 14.5yrs. Just pay attention to the signs and make sure you have that emergency number ready on redial just in case.

Isn't stomach stapling performed after torsion surgery?

 

[Montana Scout]

Isn't stomach stapling performed after torsion surgery?

thats what i was just going to say... and from what i read its very UNLIKELY to happen again

 

[GSDAlphaMom]

I lost Garth to bloat last summer. He had a front leg amputated and I believe his 'hopping' around after eating may have been a factor (just my own thoughts). I now make sure my dogs have been settled for 30 minutes before eating and I do not let them out to run around until an hour after eating.

 

[DJEtzel]

Isn't stomach stapling performed after torsion surgery?

It can be, but isn't always.

If not, the chance of it happening again goes up.

 

[LaRen616]

Causes of Bloat
Bloat in Dogs

Stress

Dog shows, mating, whelping, boarding, change in routine, new dog in household, etc.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Although purely anecdotal, we've heard of too many cases where a dog bloated after another dog (particularly a 3rd dog) was brought into the household; perhaps due to stress regarding pack order.
[/FONT]

Activities that result in gulping air

Eating habits, especially...

Elevated food bowls

Rapid eating

Eating dry foods that contain citric acid as a preservative (the risk is even worse if the owner moistens the food)

Eating dry foods that contain fat among the first four ingredients

Insufficient pancreatic enzymes, such as Trypsin (a pancreatic enzyme present in meat)
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Dogs with untreated Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) and/or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) generally produce more gas and thus are at greater risk
New[/FONT]

Dilution of gastric juices necessary for complete digestion by drinking too much water before or after eating

Eating gas-producing foods (especially soybean products, brewer's yeast, and alfalfa)

Drinking too much water too quickly (can cause gulping of air)

Exercise before and especially after eating

Heredity

Especially having a first-degree relative who has bloated

Dogs who have untreated Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) are considered more prone to bloat New
Gas is associated with incomplete digestion

Build & Physical Characteristics

Having a deep and narrow chest compared to other dogs of the same breed

Older dogs

Big dogs

Males

Being underweight

Disposition

Fearful or anxious temperament

Prone to stress

History of aggression toward other dogs or people

 

[LaRen616]

Bloat in Dogs

Prevention

Avoid highly stressful situations. If you can't avoid them, try to minimize the stress as much as possible. Be extra watchful.
Can be brought on by visits to the vet, dog shows, mating, whelping, boarding, new dog in household, change in routine, etc. Revised

Do not use an elevated food bowl

Do not exercise for at least an hour (longer if possible) before and especially after eating
Particularly avoid vigorous exercise and don't permit your dog to roll over, which could cause the stomach to twist

Do not permit rapid eating

Feed 2 or 3 meals daily, instead of just one

Do not give water one hour before or after a meal
It dilutes the gastric juices necessary for proper digestion, which leads to gas production.

Always keep a product with simethicone (e.g., Mylanta Gas (not regular Mylanta), Phazyme, Gas-X, etc.) on hand to treat gas symptoms.
Some recommend giving your dog simethicone immediately if your dog burps more than once or shows other signs of gas.
Some report relief of gas symptoms with 1/2 tsp of nutmeg or the homeopathic remedy Nux moschata 30

Allow access to fresh water at all times, except before and after meals

Make meals a peaceful, stress-free time

When switching dog food, do so gradually (allow several weeks)

Do not feed dry food exclusively

Feed a high-protein (>30%) diet, particularly of raw meat

If feeding dry food, avoid foods that contain fat as one of the first four ingredients

If feeding dry foods, avoid foods that contain citric acid
If you must use a dry food containing citric acid, do not pre-moisten the food

If feeding dry food, select one that includes rendered meat meal with bone product among the first four ingredients

Reduce carbohydrates as much as possible (e.g., typical in many commercial dog biscuits)

Feed a high-quality diet
Whole, unprocessed foods are especially beneficial

Feed adequate amount of fiber (for commercial dog food, at least 3.00% crude fiber)

Add an enzyme product to food (e.g., Prozyme)

Include herbs specially mixed for pets that reduce gas (e.g., N.R. Special Blend)

Avoid brewer's yeast, alfalfa, and soybean products

Promote an acidic environment in the intestine
Some recommend 1-2 Tbs of Aloe Vera Gel or 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar given right after each meal

Promote "friendly" bacteria in the intestine, e.g. from supplemental acidophilus
Avoids fermentation of carbohydrates, which can cause gas quickly. This is especially a concern when antibiotics are given since they tend to reduce levels of "friendly" bacteria.

Don't permit excessive, rapid drinking
Especially a consideration on hot days

 

[ken k]

running around before eating, fast eater, drinking a lot of water after eating, = good conditions for bloat, my 3 eat TOTW and have been for years, but my standing rule is no running or playing an hour before and 2 hours after eating, and their water is limited before and after eating for a few hours

 

[sable123]

Abady & Bil Jac

An expert in the field told me that Abady & Bil Jac were least likely to be associated with bloat.

neither are kibbles

 

[Stosh]

I too am scared to death of bloat- so thanks to reading this forum I'm adamant about resting before and after meals and limiting water while eating. Other than that it seems to be a crap shoot as to whether it'll happen or not

 

[LisaT]

Bloat is complicated and individual. What is a trigger for one dog, may not be a trigger for another. And while something may trigger the episode, that may not be the cause. So it's not a matter of just the speed at which they eat and the amount of air gulped.

Stomach tacking can help, but is no guarantee to eliminate repeated torsion, and certainly it does nothing to prevent repeated bloat.

Everyone should read the bloat sticky in the Health forum.

 

[vat]

Bloat scares the crap out of me. Max does eat pretty fast but he does not burp allot so I feel like he is not gulping allot of air.

I have also hear raw is better because it digests faster? Would this be true?

 

[ShenzisMom]

From what I have read it is true that raw digests faster than kibble-this is why is it strongly recommended not to feed kibble and raw in the same feeding. Feeding kibble in the morning and raw in the evening, or vice versa is fine. I would not feed at the same time-leads to stomache upset. You can tell a dog is uncomfortable after eating because they tend to chew on themselves.

 

[Stosh]

That's what I've heard too, that if you feed raw and dry it's best to separate the meals. Nature's Variety makes a dry and a frozen raw diet and that's what they reccomend