Bloat is very rare in Aussies but it does occasionally happen.
It must be noted, however, that any dog can bloat, even Dachshunds and Chihuahuas. The condition has been reported to most commonly occur two to three hours after eating a large meal, although bloat and GDV can occur at any time.
It occurs primarily in large, deep-chested breeds. Bloat occurs without warning and is very difficult to treat. It does not seem to affect one sex more than the other, but is more likely to occur as a dog ages. Bloat commonly occurs in dogs between the ages of 7 and 12 years.
Any dog can have bloat, but it's much more common in deep-chested, large breeds, like Akitas, Boxers, Basset Hounds, and German Shepherds. Some are at a higher risk than others, including Great Danes, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters, Weimaraners, and St. Bernards.
An x-ray can indicate if a dog has simple bloat, where the stomach appears very distended and round and is usually full of food or gas. X-rays also show if bloat has progressed to GDV and the stomach appears very distended and has what looks like a bubble on top of the already swollen stomach.
The classic sign of bloat is unproductive retching (it looks like your dog has to throw up but nothing comes out). The abdomen appears to be swollen and firm to the touch. Breathing may also appear to be labored and they may have a hard time getting up or even collapse.
Pet parents may be able to decrease the risk of bloat in dogs by following these easy tips: Feed your dog small meals 3 to 4 times a day. Buy “portion pacers” or special bowls that make dogs work harder for their food, which slows them down. Serve a combination of wet and dry food.
If you notice that your dog is not acting normal, has a bloated belly, tries to vomit, circles like he cannot get comfortable, and has trouble breathing, you need to get your dog to a veterinary emergency hospital right away. This may be a life-threatening illness called bloat.
Kibble is the most commonly fed type of diet, and unfortunately for our dogs, once it enters the dog's stomach, it starts absorbing stomach acid and begins to swell.
Drinking too much water and having it cause bloat (“water bloat”) is very unlikely. Water passes out of the stomach very quickly.
If a dog is prone to taking a big long drink after a dry meal, a belly full of water on top of a belly full of dry food may increase the risk of bloat.
The treatment for bloat is a stomach pump to relieve the gas and if the stomach is twisted, surgery to untwist the stomach. In some cases of bloat the pancreas and spleen are also affected and additional surgical intervention is required.
Your vet will first release the build-up of gas and air inside the stomach to stop the tissue in the stomach from dying and take pressure off surrounding organs. This can be done using a tube and stomach pump, but surgery is sometimes needed. It's possible to untwist the gut at this point as well, but not always.
They advise that you should wait at least two hours after your dog has eaten a meal before walking them. That's because walking your dog straight after a meal can cause your dog to bloat, or even lead to gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV).
When feeding kibble you should soak the kibble in water until it expands – this will decrease the risk of bloat and also add moisture to the diet.
Overfeeding is a serious issue as well. Free-feeding can cause a dog to bloat due to the amount of food sitting in their stomach. It is agreed that smaller portions broken up multiple times a day is better for a dog's digestion overall than one large meal once or twice a day.
Hot food, cold food, big kibble, little kibble, too much food, too much exercise, too many carbohydrates, and stress have all been touted as causes of bloat, but remain unsubstantiated. Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that breed is a risk factor for developing bloat.
If treated early, about 90 to 95% of the dogs having surgery to treat bloat will survive. If a portion of the stomach is found to be dead at the time of surgery, the survival rate decreases to 50%. Patients that have bloated are predisposed to abnormal heartbeats that if left untreated uncommonly may result in death.
The answer is simply, No. There are many ways to create the best diet for your dog. In general, it is better not to give your dog any variety, which could cause havoc with its digestion, and not leave food down (so throw away any uneaten food after 15-20 minutes).
"Overall, about 5.7 percent of dogs will develop bloat," Romine says. "But that goes up to 20 percent for dogs weighing 100 pounds or more. Great Danes have the highest risk of all—42 percent of them develop bloat if they don't have a preventative gastropexy."
Gastric dilatation-volvulus or bloat occurs when air is trapped in the stomach and food ferments. Your dog's stomach is also distended. Burping can help alleviate bloat, but if the condition is severe enough, it can cause death.
Dogs fed once a day are less likely to be diagnosed with age-related conditions than dogs fed more often, according to an analysis of surveys completed by 24,000 owners of pet dogs.