Bloat Claims Another Sweet dog

As many of you already know I posted a web site to warn about the dangers of Bloat. If you haven't checked out the site please do at:
http://home.flash.net/~jdebess/index.htm

About once a month I receive an email from someone through this site. Unfortunately most are from people who have lost their pet and find my site while researching the condition. A few are from survivors like my old Jake.

I received this email this morning:
"Thank you for your web site. I just lost my dog this evening with the same problem. The vet tried unsuccessfully to try and get the gas out with the tube but she didn’t make it. She actually died in the car on the way to the vet. We only had 15-20 minutes with her. This is such a loss to our family as she was only 8 years old. She was a rottweiler, approx. 120 lbs. Things were such a blur at the vet, I really didn’t understand what had happened or what caused it. I felt like we let her down in some way, but the vet told us it wasn’t anything that we did. In our case our dog didn’t even eat anything first. She was fine and then started foaming at the mouth and then her stomach started to get bloated. We rushed her right then, but we didn’t get her there in time.
Thanks for the website and thanks for letting me tell my story.
In loving memory of Storm.
Storm’s Mom"

Lets all say a little prayer for Storm and his mom.

 

I am glad that some ppl are finding comfort and solace in your site, and knowing they are not alone.

It is so sad when we lose a loved one early in life.

 

poor storm,

honeybear

 

Dukesdad Your website is not only very informative but so very touching.
Before I was through to the end I was crying. Jake was a lucky dog to have such a wonderful loving caring human.

 

Your website really made an impact on how serious this can really be. A lot of people, me included, know the risk is there but don't think of it as being as serious as diseases and other things that can kill our dogs.

I'm dog sitting for my neighbor right now and I just went over to feed them and one dog gobbled down her food in seconds flat. (She's a Lab) Now I feel I need to go check on her a lot until my neighbor returns.

 

Dukesdad- Oh my. That was so lovely. Could you clone yourself? I wish all men had the ability to show their love and compassion openly. What a wonderful tribute to someone you loved and a caring way to help others avoid this. Thank you again for sharing.

 

Sarge'smom,
Thanks for your kind words but I have to admit that Dukesmom claims I show more affection to the dogs than I do to her.
I told her that if she would jump in my lap and lick my face she would get more kisses also get more affection, and you know what? She did. LOL

 

:lol: Hey, Dukesmom is no dummy! Good for her! And you too it would seem!

 

What a wonderful website. I loved the painting. It was so wonderful that you got a new pup I always say when God shuts a door, He opens a window.

 

I have been there to and I feel for you and your loss. I hope you don't mind if I take this time to tell others what we have done should this ever happen to us again. If you go to the site below you well find info about how to put a kit together for this problem.
We also are firm believers in feeding our guys with there bowls up not on the floor.
You can buy a plastic bucket with lid at most DIY'S. Place the bowl on the lid and trace it to cut out the area to fit bowl in it. Place a large rock or bad of stones in the bucket,place the lid on and bowl in lid.
We don't feed our guys right away after playing or walking. After they eat it is quite time for and hour. If your guy eats to fast split the meal into two parts waiting a half hour between each feeding. There is no guarantee this well solve the problem but it has been found to cut down on the chances of bloat for large chest dogs.
Again I am sorry for your lose.

http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/BloatFirstAid.htm

 

I have heard some people say that the raised bowls put dogs MORE at a risk for bloat, because it is not the natural way dogs are designed to eat. Wolves are pretty big and they eat with their food on the ground.

But I have not researched this issue personally nor have I ever had a dog bloat, so I can't comment on which is better. I just thought I would throw that out there.


Jamiya

 

I went to your site and I could see the love in his eyes. I am glad you posted this as I know what it is to go threw this. In a way your guy has gone on to teach us all. Thank You

2pyrs

 

Jamiya
have heard some people say that the raised bowls put dogs MORE at a risk for bloat,

Most fascinating, I called three vets and got three different answers. One say's that there is know proof that either way of feeding well or well not cause bloat.
One says there was a study but it was not documented correctly showing that it was bad to feed raised bowl. Now the other vet said it is better to feed with a raised bowl, he feels that the dog well inhale less air when eating then bent over there food and for some dogs less strain on there necks and back. I then called and old friend that has more time in breeding and show then all of us here.
Me - is it bad to feed a dog with a raised bowl and well it cause bloat ?
Fran -This has been an on going investigation for some years now and a few of the vet collages have come to the conclusion that it may have more to do with food and other variables such as breed over all health ,age.
Me - I just talked to three vets and each gave me a different answer, so what do I do,who do I believe ?
Fran - Let me ask you this, Did dogs always eat from a bowl ? just what posture do you think they took when eating ?
Me - I believe they laid down or stood over there pry when eating.
Fran - ok then I don't see what the problem is here.The chance of one of your dogs getting bloat is so slim that I would just go on with life.
Me -so I should really look at this with the same view as heart worm ?
Fran - Ok Dan now you are going into a different area and that field could be a topic for a TV show for a week. You know how I feel about all those poisons they feed our guys.
Me -so ?
Fran - Just throw the bowl down and let the poor animal eat in peace. I have had more dogs then your years of age and never had one have bloat. Don't get me wrong it does happen but the chances of it are very slim. I would be more worried about all the dogs and cats out there that are not up to date on there shots or meds what ever way you chose to take. You know the first dog I had my dad got for me and it lived for 18 years it was part of this and part of that and it never had a shot in it's whole life. On the farm it had ticks,fleas, snake bites. My dad would reach in the cabinet in the barn and pull out some oils or balm and rub it on the dog and a few days later fleas gone,itch gone, tick pulled and gone. So I just don't see the big deal with all this stuff people have to get there shorts in such a uproar.
Thank You Fran - bye

So I well feed Riley up because it is easier for him to eat with that long collie beak of his. Kira floor because she lays down to eat bad hips, sassy well she would eat any where any time any way. Arthur I well put his on the floor and see how he does.

2pyrs

 

Thanks for the info, 2pyrs! It sounds like another one of those "damned if you do and damned if you don't" issues. :|

I toss my dogs' food on the ground. Nala lies down and gnaws on it. Bonnie stands with her head down, food hanging out of her mouth, crunching away. Sometimes she pins it with a foot and tears at it, if it is something bigger like a whole fish.

Neither dog is a large, deep-chested dog and they can't gulp their food, so it is not a worry of mine. I'm so glad there is one scary thing out of my control that I don't have to stress about!


Jamiya

 

its good awareness for the symptoms since it is most often fatal. So we know if they start showing the symptons listed not to wait and get them to the vet asap.

I have also heard good and bad about raised dishes.

honeybear

 

Ok I have 6 large breed dogs and the breeder that I just got my Cane Corso from told me that they always wet their dogs food. No matter how old they are they wet it. They told me they do this because food swells in a dogs stomach and the dogs really don't know how much they have eaten or how full they are until the food has swelled so they wet the food so the swelling takes place before they feed the dogs. They give supplements for their teeth.(bones, pig ears ect.). Anyway they have 11 dogs and have never had a problem with bloat so they say it is because they wet their food. I don't really know if there is any truth to this but it seemed to make sense. I have sense starting wetting my dogs food and they are actually eating less. I am currently feeding canidae so I know there is very little fillings in that food so there isn't much swelling. But a food that has alot of fillers would swell alot which would cause the dog to have more food than needed.

 

cschimizzi That does make sense! Btw Welcome to the board!
Do you have pictures of your furbabies? We love pictures!

 

Sure I have pics. All of them are on Dogster. Here is the link to One of them and you can see the rest under the family. http://www.dogster.com/?38923

 

All of your furbabies are gorgeous but Donata is my absolute favorite! What a doll!

 

I just had to say that truly is a beautiful web page Dukesdad.