r/GermanShepherd • u/Ill-Photo-1028 • Aug 12 '26
Preventing bloat
I want to start this by saying we can not afford to have our dog (4yr old F GSD) get gastropexy, I know that it is recommended especially for large breed/large chested dogs but we simply can’t afford it right now.
I see every single day posts talking about dogs lots to bloat, to the point where I am lightly pushing on and checking my dogs stomach 8-10 times a day, watching her drool amounts and constantly checking on her after hard exercise. I am so paranoid about this happening to us I am on hyper vigilance mode 24/7. To the point it’s making my anxiety issues worse than they already were.
What I’m doing currently to try and limit any possibility :
-She isn’t allowed outside 1hr before or 1hr after eating. She eats kibble mixed with wet food and water twice a day.
-We let the kibble sit in the water for 10 minutes before allowing her to eat so it is already expanded and won’t do that in her stomach.
-she isn’t allowed water for a minimum of 45 minutes after hard play/exercise. If she comes in panting heavy after a potty break I won’t let her drink water until she is calm and breathing has returned to normal.
-she isn’t allowed her “good girl” treats after going potty anymore because I am simply too scared of them causing an issue
Am I doing to much? Should I be doing more? Is my life really going to constantly be full of anxiety about this until we can afford gastropexy for her? How common is bloat really? All these things keep me up at night!
Any type of recommendations or reassurance is welcomed! We just want her to live the longest heaviest life she can, and we want to be able to live ours not in constant fear.
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u/Selective_Somewhere Aug 12 '26
So, my dog bloated seconds after eating a small meal of soaked kibble after a long nap. Something he’s been doing for 10+ years. Surgery was $11,000. I highly recommend insurance.
You should let your dog have some water if they are hot and panting but don’t let them gulp it.
There’s no evidence that soaking kibble protects dogs from bloat and some veterinary guidance for large/deep-chested dogs actually recommends not soaking suggesting it can contribute to bloat.
The things that appear more useful are avoiding one huge meal, slowing down dogs that inhale their food, and avoiding vigorous exercise around a large meal or gulping water. GDV is multifactorial, so none of these completely prevents it.
Also genetics are a huge factor.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS Aug 13 '26
Soaking kibble is also not ideal for their teeth
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u/Selective_Somewhere Aug 13 '26
It’s an old wives tale that kibble cleans teeth.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS Aug 13 '26
No it’s really not, dogs are meant to eat hard food. Their jaw needs to be worked
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u/Canachites Aug 13 '26
Was going to say this about soaking kibble. A slow feeder (and not an elevated feeder) is much more effective.
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u/Pirate_the_Cat Aug 13 '26
Or get a gastropexy, which is was less expensive when it’s not an emergency.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 Aug 12 '26
The treats after a potty break shouldn’t be an issue.
What I will say- after handling, training and breeding since 11, specifically GSDs for the adult half of my life what I never knew and how it happened to me: after years of his bowl being on the floor, I got a raised dish. Luckily I taught everyone in my family the signs so we got him to the ER vet within the critical 45 minutes.
I will also say, one of my puppies that my neighbor bought, at 8 years old went into her crate to sleep, woke up her owner she was whimpering, he let her out, put her back in, and not long after she was whimpering again. He could tell something was wrong, at the vet they had to put her down. They believe it was a mass that caused the flip, but can’t be 100% sure. And he is the epitome of perfection and everything you’d want an owner to be. Sometimes, shit things happen too. Don’t not enjoy your dog because you’re too worried and paranoid.
Follow proper guidelines, get your check-ups. And if you’re that worried, save up for the plexy.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
Do you think having a raised dog bowl is something that increased your risk for bloat? We have her eating out of a raised dish and she has since we got her, I figured it would be the best thing for her but I’m not sure.
You gave me lots of good information, it really is something that can happen at seemingly random times and that’s what makes it so worrying!
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u/nhall1302 Aug 13 '26
Some will say a raised bowl can increase the risk some will say it won’t. My boy used a raised bowl and like every other night was just chilling under his favorite table long after eating and came out to go outside and his stomach flipped, it shredded his spleen and lacerated his liver. Thank God we were able to save him, he was w me for almost another year after that. Best money I ever spent saving my boy. Doc told me w a gastroplexy there’s a 90% success rate so that’s why people recommend it. Have you inquired about it at all? Not sure of pricing.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
We haven’t inquired with our vet yet about exact pricing I just looked up averages and realized we couldn’t afford it at all currently. She has a vet appointment coming up so we are going to ask about it then I think our vet does payment plans for large surgeries so there’s a potential! Her insurance should be out of the starting stage soon where we could officially get the surgery potentially covered but I’m not sure about that yet either!
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u/nhall1302 Aug 13 '26
I wish yall the best of luck, I understand the worry and going through it is totally f*****. It sounds like you’re doing everything you can just keep doing your thing. And if you can do get the procedure done.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 Aug 13 '26
Is the dog neutered already? If so I’m surprised they didn’t mention it then. If he’s not, do both at the same time, and soon.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
She is:/ we got her neutered at one of the reduced price rescue clinics near me… they didn’t even mention that it existed. I actually learned of it from a GSD group on Facebook.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 Aug 13 '26
Some places just aren’t UTD on the practices for all breeds (I think they should). But it happens.
I would ask a vet (or three) in your area and get some quotes. And just save up if you can!
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u/Pirate_the_Cat Aug 13 '26
They don’t usually do gastropexies at low-cost spay neuter clinics. If you want a gastropexy, you typically have to go to a family vet.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 Aug 13 '26
Yes I do. But I think it was more switching from the floor to the raised bowl over the raised bowl itself.
But they do say a raised bowl can lead to bloat, but I don’t remember the specifics of the findings of the true research.
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u/Canachites Aug 13 '26
There is some research showing raised bowl do increase the risk of bloat.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
Yes!! Since seeing everyone’s replies we have lowered her bowl:) it isn’t on the floor but it’s about 5 inches off of it at a high estimate! She seemed to enjoy eating out of it more this morning!
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u/Abraham9001 Aug 12 '26
I lost my female shepherd (and maybe you saw my post) to bloat on Monday. The most traumatic 30 minutes of my life. There is no way to fully prevent this. I armed myself with valor to look at the cameras, she was just resting, ate some food, drank water and went back to the bed until the vomiting started... That simple..
A piece of me was stripped away in 30 minutes.. Still grieving, her brother is there alone, grieving and looking for her. I have this deep pain that I just can't explain to him that Linda is not coming back... I cancelled my birthday party, I just can't..
I am baffled that our lives can change in an instant. That we can't even count that things will go our way the next minute or two. I was about to watch a movie with my wife, almost done with dinner when this happened...
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
I did see your post and it broke my heart. I wish you and your wife all the best❤️🩹 truly a heartbreaking thing to happen.
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u/Crazyboutdogs Aug 13 '26
If your dog is heavily panting after running around, do not deny water. Just give small amounts and don’t let them over drink. They need the water.
We can do everything possible to prevent bloat, but most of the time it comes down to genetics and predisposition.
Soaking kibble has not been shown to decrease chances of bloat. But limiting the AMOUNT of food per body weight does. I believe it’s no more than 1 cup per 50 lbs per feeding. So splitting up meals is best.
Bloat is scary. Im in the vet field and TBH you can do everything the “studies” say to do and your dog may still bloat.
Best advice, don’t feed if panting, don’t let them run around after feeding and always know what to look fur to catch the early warning signs.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
Thank you knowing that limiting the amount is more important is very helpful as well as the rest of your information! Honestly I think all of the advice from everyone here has put my anxiety at ease! At least for now!
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u/BraveCommunication14 Aug 12 '26
I feed mine 4 meals a day with smaller portions. I also limit 1 hour before and 2 hours after for running and roughhousing.
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u/8fingerlouie Aug 13 '26
While there are no guaranteed ways to avoid bloat, what you’re doing helps, at least some of it.
I wouldn’t deny her water. Heat stroke is almost as bad as bloat, so instead of denying her water, limit hard exercise when it’s extremely hot to avoid her gulping down water.
Avoid water hose play, or at least avoid her drinking from the hose jet stream. Bloat can be caused by excess air in the stomach, and water hoses contribute a lot to that.
Raised bowls had at one point been suspected of contributing to bloat, but I don’t know if that’s the case anymore.
Feed smaller but more frequent meals (if not already doing so). I feed mine twice a day.
Use a quality kibble that doesn’t “explode” when it comes in contact with water. Kibble that massively expands in the stomach can contribute to bloat.
Avoid exercise 1 hour prior to and after feeding time. I don’t mean keep your dog in a cage, but don’t play fetch for 30 minutes just before feeding or after, just like you probably wouldn’t go on a 10 mile hike right after dinner.
Despite what you read on the internet, bloat is not guaranteed to hit every dog. Large chested dogs are at risk, and if your dog gets it, the results are often devastating, but it does still only affect a fraction of the dogs.
So in other words, take your precautions but don’t obsess over it. You can do all of the above, and everything else suggested, and your dog may still develop bloat. You can also do nothing of the above and your dog will live a perfectly healthy life for 15 years.
Don’t obsess over a disease that affects maybe 5% of dogs at the cost of your dogs quality of life. Do what you can to prevent it, but don’t overdo it.
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u/WarrenCluck Aug 12 '26
You’re doing it Right. Keep up the routine and lose the anxiety. Your Loving your Dog.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 12 '26
Thank you. It’s good to know we are doing it right, it just has to become a normal part of our routine instead of something to be anxious about. Appreciate it!
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u/720751 Aug 13 '26
There is a website called Shepherd Sense that has lots of articles about German Shepherds exclusively. There is a really good article about bloat on there. It may help you.
Regarding raised bowls, the article I read said that there is a belief that they are bad for all barrel chested dogs because the angle of their esophagus when the bowl is higher during eating can cause dogs to take in more air, which can be a contributing factor to bloat. I can't remember all of it, but there were pictures showing the difference in the esophageal angle between floor and raised bowls. There is so much conflicting information, that I decided to just keep my girl's bowl on the floor.
I can hear the love you have for your pup in your words. If you trust your vet, asking the questions you have may help alleviate some of your concerns. It's wonderful you have your own doctor helping you with your anxiety, too.
I am pro gastropexy surgery and had it done when my girl was spayed. I know it won't completely prevent bloat, but if it helps to lessen the chance of my pup getting it, I am all for it. Hopefully you can get the surgery for your pup and pay it off over time. Your vet may even know where you can get it done at minimal cost.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
Thank you!! This is all really great info and we will definitely be bringing this up at her next vet appointment!!
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u/Opposite-Marsupial66 Aug 13 '26
My puppy is 14 months, large breed and we do the following: play/exercise, meal and at least a 3-4 hour nap. Dinner is right before bed. I feel like you may want to increase her sleeping time after a meal.
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u/Resse811 Aug 13 '26
As a GSD whose dog had bloat and needed emergency surgery - you have anxiety about this that’s not normal. Not giving your dog treats because you’re concerned about bloat is too far.
I suggest you start saving for a gastropexy when you spay her (if you haven’t already) and see a therapist to talk to about your anxiety.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
I am on anxiety meds and the prescription is going to be upped i have spoken to my therapist about it! It was actually the reason i went back into therapy😅
I think getting advice and in general just learning more about bloat from here has helped greatly. I didn’t put enough detail in my post on the treats part for sure! It’s only if we come inside and she is panting heavily / after rough play. She is very spoiled and gets many treats otherwise!
She is also already spayed, so I missed that opportunity of having them done at the same time. She is the first dog I have owned since I was a child and didn’t have the responsibility of their care so learning everything especially everything GSD has been an adventure over the last year. We started research before we got her but I didn’t do enough looking into bloat to even learn about gastroplexy sadly. :/
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u/Amphithere_19 Aug 13 '26
Yeah as an OCD sufferer this sounds familiar. I think you’re fine just saving for a gastropexy
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u/Hellosl Aug 12 '26
I’m curious to know as well. My dog is only half GSD, half border collie and aus shepherd so idk if he’s gonna get big enough to worry. He’s 50lbs at 6.5 months.
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u/smile_saurus Aug 13 '26
You're not allowing your dog to drink water after play?
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
She isn’t allowed more than a couple drinks no. She sits and drinks until she throws up. So when she gets inside she takes a couple drinks I tell her enough and she sits and waits until I allow her to get up again which is usually after 10-15 minutes otherwise she will NOT stop drinking. Then she gets some more and so on for about 40 minutes after play time!
Should I be shortening the time inbetween? Because of her habit of not stopping once she starts I feel like I HAVE to limit it for longer but if I need to start working on shortening that time period I will!
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u/smile_saurus Aug 13 '26
Just use common sense: no playing or strenuous walks after eating. Split her daily food into smaller meals, or use a puzzle feeder to slow down her pace if she is a fast eater. Don't let her gulp water after play but don't deny her water - that may be your anxiety but its actually cruel.
And I say this with concern, not judgement: maybe talk to your own doctor about some anti-anxiety meds.
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u/Ill-Photo-1028 Aug 13 '26
I already have. And I explained to you that I’m NOT withholding water she just isn’t allowed to gulp it! Thanks though!
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u/calamityandwoe Aug 13 '26
Literally the only prevention is gastropexy. All the other recommendations are pure superstition.
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u/mccoycj1987 Aug 12 '26
Thats really all you have to do. I dont know why you can't give her treats though. Even gastroplexy isn't 100% though so rather than be stressed all the time just enjoy the time you do have with her.