BLOAT / GASTRIC TORSION

[Chewy]

Just wanted to add with our dog.
He died at my sisters while were on holiday to Disney the morning we were coming back.
The week before the only symptoms we had was litrally two "coughs" then nothing over the weekend, he was fine. I still cant help thinking "what if?" when we were watching for anything.
The following thurs my sister reported Hagrid not lying down for long, panting (which was hard to judge since it was hot weather and he was a hot panty dog anyway) and pacing. Which again hard for her to judge since Hagrid has always been a busy dog, checking where the kids were etc but still "Hagrid" although starting the cough again. She had called the vet who had asked some questions inc gums which Hagrids are black anyway. He went off his food the day before however this was put down to him not being at home and maybe pining?
The vet didnt seem too concerned and an appointment made for 10am the next morning. My sister says there was nothing that made her think he was going to keel over. Just that "he wasnt right".
The next morning he was found dead on the kitchen floor.
Obviously we were in bits when we found out and the vet only made a guess that that was what had happened when we picked him up, but having read the symptoms both my sister and myself are convinced and still caught up in the "what if?".
I will have no hesitation ever in the future should any deep chested dog in my family develops a "cough" to get them straight down the vet.
The vet we spoke to reg the earlier cough he had before we left that he had simply "rallied" before the thurs night.

[kizkiznobite]

to the knowledgable and/or the experienced it easy to spot as mudgie did - to others it  B.... - what was he fed and was it on raised feeders?

[Sweetypye]

FWIW I had two dogs with GDV and neither had ANY of the typical symptoms quoted; even the vet did not think they had it.  It was because I knew my dogs so well that I knew something was very seriously wrong.

so do not think that ALL dogs will show ANY or ALL of the symptoms listed..........

[Chewy]

He had  a beef intolerence so was fed on a chicken and vegatable diet. Wagg? It was always pre-soaked.
We had tried Bakers/peg chum and a few others but most resulted in him being sick, going straight through the other end and some even when he wasnt loose with them came out barely digested. We did do a very slow cross over to another feed since gsd's seem to have gippy tummys as a rule.
Wagg was the only feed he was happy on AND didnt effect his skin and coat like some of the others had (ped chucm I am convinced gave some awful skin and coat problems). And yeah he ate off a high step since he would "gag/choke" on his food off the floor.
I do seriously contemplate what feed to give our puppy but wonder whether it was just Hagrid with the feed directly effecting him so much? And even then I wonder about quality of feed thats out there?

Thanks for the reasurrence guys-at the end of the day we didnt even know about gdv never mind the severity of his condition.

Have a cuppa and a chocolate Hobnob!

[Val]

Just reading this would make me run a mile  There are a lot of posts about food good starting place is 'Bev on a rant'
Val



Wagg Complete Original Beef & Veg Dog Food contains Wheat, Meat Meal, Wheatfeed, Maize, Oils & Fats, Linseed, Beet Pulp, Peas, Lucerne,Vitamins and Minerals. Added Citrus, Yeast and Yucca. With Antioxidant: EC additive

[Chigang]

OH bloat is one of the most worring things we have to with , with the bloodhounds, they are so prone to it, in the last 10 years we have lost 4 dog hounds to it and had lots more go thorugh it but come out the other side, sad thing is when they had once they are prone to get it again.

It came on so fast from the first clue that they had it they were dead with in 2 hours. Bloodhounds are really bad for it and it is a very horrible to watch, they are normally past help by time we get them to the vet who is only 20 mins away by car.

We have tried lots of things over the last 17 years that we have had them, with raised food bowls and so on.

After all these years we now have a strict feeding plan we stick to.

They are fed at 7am and watched for the next hour, then taken for excersize after 2 hours, then fed at 4pm smae happens again and fed again at 9pm then bed.

They are fed from flat bowls, we saw aincrease in bloat when fed from raised bowls.

Most important thing is NO excersise in the 2 hours after food.

[kerrie and stan]

Most important thing is NO excersise in the 2 hours after food.

can that cause bloat even in a dog that hasnt had it befor or is it just for dogs who have had it?

[GSPmad]

all dogs - meant to be 1hr before and 2 hrs after food technically.

raised feeding bowls meant to increase risk but i use them anyway as have dogs with knackered legs.

and greater risk in skinny anxious stressed dogs.

and am sure kibble swelling in stomach can't be good. 

[Val]

Any deep chested dog can be prone to bloat,
Would be interesting to know what the bloodhounds are feed on and why they are fed before bed thats a no no
Val

Most important thing is NO excersise in the 2 hours after food.

can that cause bloat even in a dog that hasnt had it befor or is it just for dogs who have had it?

[kerrie and stan]

why is feeding before bed a no no?

[Val]

Because it just lays there just like if you ate a meal and went to bed, also if you look at all those feeding times the gut has no time to empty fully it's always working, thats not how a dogs stomach was made to work
Val

why is feeding before bed a no no?

[kerrie and stan]

ah yes i remember you saying this before