# Exercising and Bloat?



## k9capture_16 (Aug 23, 2010)

Okay I am not sure where to put this but please move it to the appropriate section.

Anyway, I was told if you have a bloat prone breed (which I do) that you should wait 3 hours after a meal before walking or running. Is this true? I mean I ask because I always like to take him for a long walk in evening and I dont want to wait the 3 hours unless you should. I heard this from the breeder I got my other dog from.

Whats ur take on this?


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## deb9017 (Aug 31, 2010)

I also have a very bloat prone breed, and I have read a lot of conflicting opinions about how long before and after they eat you should limit exercise, but the general concensus seems to be that there should be some restriction before and after. I try to shoot for 1/2 hour before and as long as possible after. I am terrified of him bloating!


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## k9capture_16 (Aug 23, 2010)

I dont think my breed bloats as badly as Danes. I saw the show "Breed all about it" last night and it was saying the number one cause of death in Great Danes is bloat. So I figure an hour after he eats should be okay? He will only be walking, not running.


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## deb9017 (Aug 31, 2010)

Yeah I would think so. Danes are right up there at the top of the list for dogs that bloat. I did not know much about it when he was neutered, so I did not have a gastropexy done. Now I am trying to decide whether to have him put under again to do it or not. It is nerve wracking!!


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

I heard 1 hour or so.
Labs are also prone to bloat. They need to be calm before feeding and after. So totally 2 1/2 to 3 hours is about right when you include feeding as well. 

I am very strict on this rule at my house.


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## k9capture_16 (Aug 23, 2010)

I didnt even know they could do that. My vet never mentioned it to me when I had mine neutered. My other dog when I had him at the vet for his check up the vet suggested I have him neutered and while he was under to correct his hernia. I mentioned if there was something that could be done to prevent him from bloating and she said there was but she wont perform that surgery. So I told her I would put him under to have his hernia repaired if it didnt itself but I wanted to include in the surgical paper that he was NOT to be neutered. Then she told me she would perform the surgery to suture the stomach to something? If I neutered him. I switched vets that day. Hernia did correct itself.

So now I know for next time.


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## deb9017 (Aug 31, 2010)

Yeah, the surgery basically consists of them suturing the stomach the the abdominal wall. They can still bloat, but it keeps them from torsioning as quickly (which is where the stomach flips over), and buys you a little extra time to get to the vet.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Here are most of the posts I have made about bloat (GVD):



> Bloat (more appropriately GVD= gastric volvulous and dilation) is a random occurrence and truly cannot be "prevented" by anything other than surgery
> 
> Raw foods don't prevent bloat at all, but it may decrease the chances of GVD from happening. I think this may be true because kibble expands in the stomach which causes more gas to be produced which can trigger torsion of the stomach.
> 
> ...





> It doesn't matter whether you feed raw or kibble how many times you feed daily to "prevent" bloat. When reality is bloat (GVD= gastric volvulous and dilation) is far from preventable. There is no known cause of bloat other than breed or morphological predispositions. You could practice all the tricks in the book to prevent bloat, but still end up with a bloated dog. The only way to truly prevent bloat is to get a gastropexy (tacking of the stomach surgery= 99% effective) done. I know this because all of the foster homes in our rescue are well educated on these "tricks" and we still end up with sick and dead dogs. I went to a seminar on bloat at Alameda East (ER vets on Animal Planet) and the case studies that they have are just mind boggling. Even dogs that have nothing to eat can bloat. All scenarios are applicable, so there really is no prevention of bloat. This is why I will *always* have a gastropexy done on any Dane I own.
> 
> Its just something that happens in large/giant breed dogs.





> Torsion always happens first in GVD (gastric volvulous and dilation...aka "bloat" in the general term), then bloating. When the stomach torsions (flips over on it self) blood flow and escape routes for gas are cut off. Depending on the severity of the twist of the stomach cases can vary. From extreme cases where the stomach has turned greater than 90 degrees, major blood flow restrictions, tisse damage and necrosis, the dog needs er surgery asap or death comes quickly and painfully if the stomach were to rupture. Minor cases include those where the stomach twists less than 90 degrees which still restricts bloodflow but not nearly as bad. Sometimes these mild cases resolve on their own but most of the time they still need surgery and the likelihood of them getting GVD again is much higher.
> 
> The gastropexy surgery prevents the torsion or twisting from happening which is the deadly part of GVD. Just plain old bloating is a normal thing and is pretty much harmless. There really is no way of preventing bloating from happening even in a dog that has a pexyied stomach. But at least you'd have the peace of mind knowing that your dog would never torsion. Hope this helps to clarify things!





> 1 in 4 Danes on average will bloat at least once in their lifetime. That is a bit high risk for me!
> 
> So if anyone is ever interested in getting a Dane, seriously consider getting this surgery done.
> 
> ...





> The fact that your Dane bloated so long after all of the typical culprits (eating, drinking and exercising) further promotes the idea that bloat is totally random. I have known Danes to bloat without anything in their stomach. I personally believe that stress is the biggest factor in contributing to dogs bloating.
> 
> And you're right bloat is genetic, but not through specific genes or lines but conformation and body shape/structure. ALL Danes are at risk, but more generally large or giant breed dogs that have very deep chests are at the most risk. There is a predisposition associated with these shapes of dogs.
> 
> I will do a gastropexy on every Dane I ever own. They are known to fail, but that failure rate is FAR lower than the chances of a Dane bloating without the surgery.





> I went to a seminar a few years back about GVD or "bloat" and it was very eye opening.
> 
> They based their research off of 10 years of case histories from around the country, as to not have a bias in their results...or at least stay as far away to one as possible.
> 
> ...





> The procedure is just as safe as any other surgery, that is its it no more "risky" than other surgeries.
> 
> Just make sure that you take the precautionary steps before surgery, like comprehensive bloodwork to make sure your dog's organs are functioning correctly to handle the anethesia. Make sure that your dog is physically fit and all around healthy. Overweight and unhealthy animals have more troubles with anethesia. But from the sounds of it your dog is a champ and shouldn't have a problem
> 
> ...


http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dog-health-issues-question/1825-canine-bloat.html

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/4112-bloat-question.html

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dry-canned-dog-food/3882-important-feed-2x-per-day.html

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dog-food-ingredients/2293-bloat-feeding-twice-day.html

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/4723-im-going-try-pmr.html


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## k9capture_16 (Aug 23, 2010)

Thanks, I do know if I ever get a Dane I will have that procedure done.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

k9capture_16 said:


> I dont think my breed bloats as badly as Danes. I saw the show "Breed all about it" last night and it was saying the number one cause of death in Great Danes is bloat. So I figure an hour after he eats should be okay? He will only be walking, not running.


You can take your dog for a walk right after a meal. A gentle, relaxed walk can help aid digestion. It's the strenuous activity you want to stay away from.


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