[vb3]

Layla scared us a few months back with what we thought was bloat. She woke me up in the middle of the night because she was walking around licking the baseboards and eating all kinds of rubbish (cat hair, dust, etc.) without stopping for a breath. I took her outside and she did the same thing with leaves and grass. We took her to an emergency vet who took x-rays and determined she wasn't blocked up but she did have lots of kibble in her belly. After sedation she wasn't behaving strangely anymore and we decided to risk it by letting her sleep it off overnight. The following morning she was fine, pooped as usual, and didn't seem any worse for wear.

These events have repeated themselves a few times now, minus the emergency vet visit. When she drinks water she dunks her whole head in the dish and I think she might just be sucking air down too often when she eats/drinks. Whenever she starts the licking business we give her some Gas-X or Mylanta and put her in her crate or hold her on our laps, patting her tummy. Sometimes she burps, other times she just settles down, but it never seems to be anything more serious than a little gas buildup that takes care of itself.

Our concern is that as she gets older (she's 2 now) it will become more of a problem. She is very broad-chested and may have had puppies (I have no idea if that matters or not), so we are concerned that bloat might be in her future. Anybody else have a basset experience like ours? Any suggestions? I've switched from 2 meals a day to 3 and I try to limit the basset 500 from starting right after a meal.

Thanks!

 

[Mikey T]

I try to limit the basset 500 from starting right after a meal.

Has been statisitical shown not to be significant in decreasing bloat risk, smaller size meal not the number decreases risk along with slowing down the speed at which the eat. It is fairly routine now in high risk dogs to tack the stomac surgically to prevent it from twisting. This is often done when the dog is undergoing another procedure like spay/nuetering.

 

[Kirska]

Has been statisitical shown not to be significant in decreasing bloat risk, smaller size meal not the number decreases risk along with slowing down the speed at which the eat. It is fairly routine now in high risk dogs to tack the stomac surgically to prevent it from twisting. This is often done when the dog is undergoing another procedure like spay/nuetering.

I have been told that you should not let a dog exercise 30 mins to an hour before or after a meal. It is a different disease that can be caused in addition to bloat, though for the life of me I can't remember what it is.

Either way I know I feel awful if I exercise right after eating so it can't hurt to use the same caution for them

 

[Mikey T]

GDV=Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus=Bloat

The problem is so much the myth of waiting cause a problem but you can do harm especial for a performance dog in waiting to feed for some time after exercise. It has been show there is a window for increased glycogen-replacement rate which is critical to performance that end 30-60 minutes past exercise waiting to feed after exercise does more harm than good. Also if the wait is used as an an excuse to avoid exercise all together it is not a good thing.

Either way I know I feel awful if I exercise right after eating so it can't hurt to use the same caution for them

Equating a human experience to dogs is usually not justified. And the fact that what you eat etc plays an important roll also keeping in mind that the upright stance of the human body created more gravitational pull by the stomach on other organs and is a factor in why runner experience more GI and exercises related pain then those engaged in other sports. There is not a simple rule that works all the time

Is it better to eat before or after exercise?

To eat or not to eat... this simple question has a simple yet complex answer. Both strategies (eating before and eating after exercise) are good for performance, fitness, and health. However, how to eat for exercise is dependent on several factors, specifically, how long you exercise, your type of exercise, your exercise experience, and health factors that may play a role in how you process food. Nutrition plays a key role in building fitness, that's for sure