How To Prevent Bloat In Overly Anxious Dogs

Losing my Great Dane/black lab mix recently to bloat was devastating for me. Unfortunately, with her being a mixed breed, I didn't realize that she might be at risk for bloat, nor recognize the early warning signs. I have done some research since and have some suggestions for preventing bloat, especially in fearful dogs.

With this affliction, prevention is the best hope. Once your dog has developed bloat, it could possibly be too late to save your dog's life. I'll explain a little about the condition of bloat to explain what goes on in the dog's stomach, but I would mostly like to emphasize the importance of the precautions you can take to prevent bloat, especially if you own an overly anxious dog.

Bloat occurs when the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach malfunctions and there is an obstruction of the outflow through the pylorus. The pylorus is a small opening at the base of the stomach, allowing partially digested food to flow out to the duodenum. When this gets plugged up for whatever reason, the food can't exit. With the malfunction of the sphincter closing off the other end, the stomach fills up with air.

The stomach may then torque or twist up to 360 degrees and the dog cannot throw up or otherwise relieve the extreme discomfort. The only chance of straightening out the stomach is be way of aggressive surgery that may or may not work. Prevention is the best cure.

Something I didn't know is that highly stressed dogs are more prone to experiencing bloat than happy easy-going dogs. Zoey had obviously been badly abused as a young dog and pretty much lived at a high level of fear and anxiety, seemingly waiting for something terrible to happen.

That, coupled with the fact that she was 9 or 10 years old and had the deep chest of a Great Dane, made her highly susceptible to bloat. Although any dog could potentially fall victim to bloat, it is mainly manifested in deep-chested dogs who may be underweight, senior, and easily stressed.

Taking these 14 steps seriously can lessen your dog's likelihood of developing bloat, especially for overly fearful dogs:

1. Restrict water intake for an hour before or after a meal, but at all other times have fresh water available.

2. Restrict how much water your dog drinks on hot days. Some dogs will drink too much on their own. Only let them have a small amount every few minutes until they cool down.

3. Feed small portions of food two or three times a day.

4. Control rapid eating by putting a medium to large sized brick in the food bowl making your dog eat around it, but be sure its too large for your dog to eat.

5. Add raw meat to your dry dog food if at all possible.

6. When feeding dry food, look for a kibble that does not include fat as one of its first four ingredients and does not contain citric acid. If citric acid is unavoidable, feed the kibble dry with no water added.

7. Also if you feed dry food, look for one having as one of its first four ingredients rendered meat meal with bone product.

8. Buy the best quality food you can find.

9. Don't raise the food bowl. This is one I would have never thought of, but it could be that this causes more air intake in dogs that are possible candidates for bloat.

10. Buy food and treats that do not contain brewer's yeast, alfalfa, or soybean products.

11. Encourage healthy bacteria in your dog's intestinal tract by supplementing with probiotics such as acidophilus.

12. Some people also believe it helps to give a bloat-susceptible dog 1Tbs of apple cider vinegar after each meal to aid in digestion.

13. Avoid subjecting your fearful or anxious dog to highly stressful situations if at all possible. If this can't be avoided due to needing to make a trip to the vet,etc, try to keep it as calm and stress-free as possible. One method of calming your overly anxious dog is to try using the Original Anxiety Wrap or Thundershirt during events you know may raise the anxiety level in your dog.

14. Have a product with simethicone in it on hand to give to your dog at the first sign of gas such as belching repeatedly. These products would be Phazyme, Gas-X or Mylanta Gas (must be for gas, not regular Mylanta).

These are the 14 things to consider if you have a dog with a deep chest, such as a German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Irish and Gordon Setters, Weimaraner, Rottweiler and even the Basset Hound.

I don't want to put fear in the heart of dog owners, but rather heighten their sense of awareness. Although these deep-chested breeds are at greater risk than other dogs, any fearful or anxious individuals within these breeds are even at a greater risk still for developing bloat. If it is at all possible, all of these preventive measures should be taken to protect your dog. For any dog, it is always best to provide a peaceful, calm home and routine whenever possible to guarantee a well-balanced, healthy and happy existence.

Remember, we are the stewards of these amazing pets who love us unconditionally. Preventing bloat in fearful and anxious dogs is far better than trying to attempt a cure when it is possibly too late.


------

Karleen Lindsey has spent many years working with dogs. In her work as a foster care giver for rescue dogs and in her grooming career, she has encountered many behavior problems. She works extensively to help each dog overcome these obstacles of fear and anti-social behavior, with patience being the main key to success.To find out how you can help your anxious dog, visit her anxiety wraps for dogs site.