Question? - Page 1

With this most recent experince with bloat, I was wondering if anyone knows what the percentage of how many males bloat to how many females that bloat? It seems, that, I am always hearing about the males that bloat, but I havn't heard anything about females bloating.

Another question about bloat. I was told deep chested dogs. Do you think that the length of the dog has something to do with bloat? Does size have something to do with bloat? Too big? More room for the stomach to turn?

Dawn

Dawn, I believe the answer to all of your questions would be yes.

Working at a Vets office we did stomach tacks on Labs, GSD and Great Danes(2 times on the same female) because of bloat. never kept track of male to female But I will now.

One theory is systemic yeast infection from some dogs being sensitive to eating grains and starches. If that theory is correct, those dogs who have bloated should have had some of the other symptoms of systemic yeast ie. ear infections, rashes, itchy skin etc.

Michele

In my travels of educating myself.Someone mentioned that there was going to be a DNA tagging and the cause is pure genetic in their research.I totally disagreed.Robin if you keep track.Good! But as well do research in the enviroment that the dogs live in.Michele, Just as humans dogs/horses ect run a parallel.Stress causes an imbalance of the immune system.It chains down into the cause and re-action within the body.The superficial elements of yeast/itching etc  is a description of the underlying what is going on internally.Often times just treated..Feed/Food is directly related to the breakdown as well.Vets are overwhelmed just as doctors are with the population.Not much time for study.

My first GSD female, "Serena" died last May at age 8 from Bloat.  She had the emergency surgery to reattach her stomach, but went into cardiac arrest during the recovery.  Still chokes me up to this day.  I have 2 new babies of GSD love, and only hope I can learn the warning signs so the end result won't be the same again.  It's tragic and I don't want to go through that again.

I have had GSD's all my life and luckilly have never had a dog bloat. I do feed raw meat  and bones every other day.

I have had GSD's for 16 years, worked, titled, bred and lived with them - very active dogs - and never had one bloat incident.  (knocking on wood) - I do feed good-quality kibble and always have, never raw.

molly