Walking, Eating And Bloat

[Guest Maddyr24]

Hello everyone,

 

Yesterday, my husband and I had a long discussion about bloat and the different interpretations with all the information out there.

 

So, I turn to you:

 

1) can you take your dog for a long walk right before he eats?

2) can you take your dog for a long walk right after he eats?

3) can you take your dog for strenuous exercise 2 hours after he eats?

4) does walking count as exercise?

 

Thanks!

Maddy

 

 

[Batmom]

A potty walk or a stroll, even if long, doesn't count as strenuous exercise. You can take your dog for a potty walk or gentle stroll before/after eating.

 

A power walk counts as strenuous exercise. You can take your dog for strenuous exercise 2 hours after eating.

 

My rule for feeding after exercise is to wait until the dog is recovered -- no longer panting, etc. Really strenuous exercise like a hard run, the 2-hour rule is a good one.

[Guest SoulsMom]

We don't walk, but sometimes Soul will run in his yard. To be safe, for two hours before or after eating he's not allowed run.

[GeorgeofNE]

I agree with Batmom, who has obviously done her homework.

 

Having said that, we lost a dog to bloat--a Labrador--and he did NOTHING before or after a meal, and he bloated anyway.

 

There seems to be plenty of disagreement as to what can and cannot lead to bloat, but I'm saying that a dog can bloat for absolutely NO reason at all. If you ever have reason to think your dog MAY have bloated, don't sit around wondering--get him to the vet.

 

Our dog was old, and the vet said he wouldn't survive the surgery, so he was euthanized. It was a sad end to a fabulous dog, but at least he only suffered for a little while thanks to my parents' quick action.

 

Rest in peace Josh.

 

 

[Guest Energy11]

WE don't allow them any strenuous exercise one to two hours before or after eating. Mine have turnout pens, so we usually do only our regular walk around the property (lots of land) in the mornings ... long after they've eaten. I have read, a leisurely leash walk if fine, before and after eating, but NO running or anything vigorous. Hope this helps!

[Guest kydie]

I walk before feeding, then there are many hours between our next walk and feeding in the evening, I agree with JumpingGeorge, I too lost a dog to bloat, and he had no exercise after eating, a newfie, large, deep cheasted dogs are always prone to bloat, I now use slow feed dishes, and a raised feeder, I know there is a debate on this, but anything I can do that might help I DO IT!

[Guest BlueCrab]

I have to agree with Susan (Jumping George)...if you EVER have any inkling that you might have a bloat, act IMMEDIATELY. Don't sit around pondering or looking it up on the internet. Get in the car and head for the nearest vet.

 

We lost my heart-boy Otto (GSD) to bloat. No strenuous activity after eating, but he would always go back to his crate to nap with his full tummy. I believe his circling, circling, making his bed is what did it. I heard him in there making his bed and then shortly thereafter he came staggering out to find me.

 

So it can be tipped off by the most minor episode. Strenuous exercise (e.g. running in the yard) can often be blamed as a factor, but it's hardly the only one. I've heard stories of police officers who let their dogs out to run in the yard after eating and come back to find they've passed. It's often believed to be an inherited trait - if a parent or littermate bloated, the chances are supposed to be higher. No idea if it's true but it might make some sense.

[ahicks51]

The only thorough study on the subject showed that restricting exercise before and after feeding was correlated with an INCREASED risk of bloat (relative risk = 1.62, or 62% greater chance of bloat) in large breed dogs; the risk was slightly decreased- by about 6%, or a relative risk of 0.94- in giant breed dogs.

 

Most likely that's an artifact of the dogs under study. If you're a breeder or whatever and you think your dog is prone to bloat, you're going to follow popular wisdom and not exercise your dog before or after feeding. But because of familial history or previous experience, the dog bloats anyway.

[LuvAPuppy]

There is no positive proof of what causes bloat as of yet. I'm a Dane person so it's common in our breed too. It is suspected that yes, strenuous exercise causing gulping of air can fill the gut with air, then the addition of food that "ferments" if you will in the digestion process can put the gut over the edge. A fast eater who gulps air could also have issues. Many, perhaps most, of the Dane people feel it's best to feed from a raised feeder - it can help prevent air gulping and it's a more natural position for a long legged dog rather than eating from the floor. Some people have different opinions of this and that's ok. Stress seems to also perhaps play a part. I've seen dogs bloat at conformation shows where there's very little strenuous exercise but sometimes depending on the temperament of the dog, a lot of stress. There's a good possibility but no proof that heredity plays a part. Bloat has sometimes been seen in offspring of a dog that has bloated. It might have something to do with a congenital malformation or something. As much studying has been done, not a lot is yet known.

 

Bloat is different from Bloat w/Torsion BTW. A dog can bloat but not torse. Torstion is flipping of the stomach cutting off the blood supply from one end of the dog to the other, resulting in death. Sometimes within about 20 minutes. Bloat can cause this as well if the stomach swells enough to cut off the blood.

 

I have Plenty of bloat information saved to the computer. Mostly links to Dane sites. I've posted them in the past but if anyone would like them reposted, let me know.

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

Mine will not eat right after he has been running outside. After he eats , he takes a Nap after all . No worrieas here.

[Guest Maddyr24]

Thanks, that is very helpful. We have never seen signs of bloat, but I'm a very protective mother and just want to make sure I do right by my baby.

 

We typically walk Sagan around 5.30pm or take him to the dog run (we live in NYC), stroll home and he eats around 7.30. I was only waiting about 30-45 mins after a run to feed him, but I think I'll wait longer - or take him to run for a bit and then walk him slowly for a while - and then feed him. We never do anything right after he eats - I give him some ice and he usually falls asleep.

 

Bloat is so scary and I'm sorry to hear that some of you have lost loved pups to it.

I hope we don't ever have to experience it!

 

[Burpdog]

Most likely that's an artifact of the dogs under study. If you're a breeder or whatever and you think your dog is prone to bloat, you're going to follow popular wisdom and not exercise your dog before or after feeding. But because of familial history or previous experience, the dog bloats anyway.

 

I believe this to be true in Danes, but not sure about greys (retired racers, not AKC) because the incidence is so low.

 

I believe stress plays the biggest role. Exercise, medical or emotional stress is all the same. When talking with a vet about my stress theory, he agreed telling me about a cocker that bloated while in for boarding. As many would say--cockers don't bloat. But he/she did.

 

Experience has provided me with the following:

 

no running (or stress--could be a trip to the vet) one hour before and two hours after

 

feed from a raised feeder

 

no soy based dog food or dog food with soy

 

For many years I had the only Dane that I knew of, that had torsion, lived and never had a repeat incident (I've heard of one other in the last few years). By the time she was on the table (after two other vets misdiagnosed her), her kidneys had quit and the vet gave me a 30% chance of her living. She made it and I made the changes noted above. At the time she bloated I fed a dog food with soy and bowls on the floor. She lived 4 years after the bloat incident.

 

The next Dane that bloated I euthanized She had Addison's and I had made the decision long before that if she ever did bloat, I would send her off. Her sire had bloated as well as relatives. As a side note I had waited 13 years to get another Dane and only had her 22 months--brought her home as a 4 month old pup

 

When Burp went into bloat, it was after a boarding of 5 or 6 days while I was on vacation, and he received half his heart medicine and was bitten by spiders. Fortunately he did not go into torsion. Tubed him twice and he was fine. I changed nothing (type of food, still the raised feeder) after that incident and he did not bloat again.

 

I think the no exercise (stress) one hour before and two hours after is so easy to follow, why not!

Edited May 8, 2009 by Burpdog

[RobinM]

We walk immediately after eating am and pm but it's more like a stroll.

 

if we run, it's at least 2 hours after they eat.

[MerlinsMum]

What Batmom said.

 

If the dogs are going to playgroup, I feed them two hours before they run, or one hour after they run. I was always told to wait 1 hour to feed them AFTER exercise, but 2 full hours BEFORE strenuous exercise starts... I guess I'll wait 2 hours either way from now on.

 

Susan Rest in peace, Josh.

[Trudy]

I used to walk my dogs for about 3-4 miles in an hour in the morning, come home, shower and then feed them.

Same with dinner - walk for an hour and come home and feed them about 10-15 mins later.

 

Now - Jet will sometimes go out and get crazy before or after a meal.