New Study on Causes of Bloat (and they're not what you might think)

[LauraKY]

http://mysticalpoodles.com/poodle-breeders-recommend/article11.html

"Bloat (Gastric Dilation - Torsion Complex)

The term “Bloat” refers to any of three conditions:
Acute gastric dilation
Torsion
Volvus
Bloat, also known as the overfeeding or overeating syndrome, involves a swelling up of the stomach from gas, fluid or both (acute gastric dilation). Once distended, the stomach may twist abruptly on the long axis. If it does twist, but the twist is 180 degree or less, it is called a torsion. A twist greater than 180 degrees is called a volvulus.

Signs and Symptoms of Non-Torsion Bloat - Acute Gastric Dilation

The signs are excessive salivation and drooling, extreme restlessness, attempts to vomit or pass stool and evidence of abdominal pain - the dog whines and groans when you push on the stomach wall. The abdomen will be distended.

If your dog can belch or vomit, quite likely the condition is not caused by a twist. You must take the dog to a veterinarian where a long rubber or plastic stomach tube will be passed into the stomach. If there is a rush of air from the tube, the swelling in the abdomen will subside and there is almost immediate relief.

Signs and Symptoms of Torsion or Volvulus - A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION

The initial signs are those of acute gastric dilation, except the distress is more marked. The dog breathes rapidly, has cold and pale mouth membranes and may even collapse. The shock-like signs are caused by strangulation of the blood supply to the stomach and the spleen.

In torsion or volvulus, a tube cannot be passed into the stomach. The only treatment is IMMEDIATE surgery and you must rush the dog to closest veterinary surgeon.

Preventing Bloat - The Purdue University Study

Many measures have been recommended and tried, but-until recently there has been
little scientific evidence that any worked. Now, thanks to the Purdue University Bloat Study, that picture is starting to change.

Supported by grants from the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation and 11 parent breed clubs, including the Poodle Club of America, this five-year prospective study is the first of its kind. And it is yielding information on what breeders and owners should and shouldn’t do to reduce Standard Poodles risk of bloat.

The Purdue researchers, led by veterinarian and epidemiologist Dr. Lawrence T. Glickman, have thus far issued two reports of their findings, both published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). The more recent of the two, which appeared in the November 15, 2000, issue of JAVMA, contains findings that should cause Standard Poodle breeders and owners to step back and re-think bloat prevention information.

One of the more important findings was that there are significant differences between the “large breeds” studied (Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Irish Setter, Rottweiler, Standard Poodle and Weimaraner) and the “giant breeds” studied (Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland and Saint Bernard).

The results reported here apply to the “large breeds” only, e.g. our Standard Poodles.

Old Thoughts: What We Used to Think About Bloat

Over the years, breeders, owners and veterinarians have developed a body of lore about what causes bloat and how it can be prevented. Here are some of those things which we now know are NOT correct, i.e. bloat is caused by -

Too much exercise on a full stomach.
Overloading the stomach.
Swallowing air when eating.
We USED to think that bloat could be prevented or reduced by -

Wetting dry kibble so that it won’t swell in the stomach.
Raising the food dish above floor level.
Weight, breed size, the ratio of the depth of the thorax to its width and stress were not significantly associated with the risk of bloat in large breed dogs. In addition, several measures that have long been recommended to reduce the risk of bloat were found to have no effect.

Factors That Make NO Difference

These measures, long been thought to reduce the risk of bloat, were found to have no effect:

Restricting exercise before or after eating
Restricting water intake before and/or after meals
Feeding two or more meals per day
Moistening dry kibble before feeding
Factors That DO Make A Difference

These four (4) factors ARE associated with an increased risk of bloat in large breed dogs:

Raising the food dish more than doubled the risk for bloat.
Speed of eating: Dogs rated by their owners as very fast eaters had a 38% increased risk of bloat.
Age: The study found that risk increased by 20% with each year of age. Owners should be more alert to early signs of bloat as their dogs grow older.
Family History: Having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or offspring) that had bloated increased a dog’s risk by 63%.
Conclusions

The Purdue research team concluded these are the things you can do to prevent bloat:

The strongest recommendation to prevent GVD (bloat) should be to not breed a dog that has a first degree relative that has had bloat. This places a special responsibility on an owner to inform the breeder should their dog bloat.
Do not raise the feeding dish.
SLOW the dog’s speed of eating.
A future report from the research team will provide data on dietary factors and how they may or may not be associated with bloat risk."

[LaurieB]

Thank you for that! I’m glad to have the new information. :yes:

[LauraKY]

I’ve changed my feeding practices, just based on the study. Lab no longer gets his food soaked.

[alto]

[QUOTE=LaurieB;7263969]
Thank you for that! I’m glad to have the new information. :yes:[/QUOTE]

Not exactly new - check the dates on the reference materials, a lot has changed since 2000 & 2004

You can just start with a google scholar research on Malathi Raghavan
eg, this is what comes up when you search JAAHA

[Simkie]

Wow, really interesting. Thanks for posting!

[SquishTheBunny]

Our last 5 or 6 bloats that we have had to treat surgically were all fed raw, so Im pretty sure the “kibble” theory is out the door. I think regardless of type of food, the ones who are going to bloat will. I think its a functional issue unrelated to food type, similar to when dogs get torsed testicles.

[LauraKY]

Sorry, I didn’t catch the date.

I should know better.

[lovey1121]

Thanks for posting this, Laura

[Mara]

Thank you. Tomorrow Simon, my “if I don’t eat it all in 15 seconds or less it’s going to get up and leave” ACD cross, gets a new bowl to slow him down.

[Mao]

Fwiw, I’ve spoken with a Scottish Deerhound breeder with 40 years experience who believes bloat is also related to temperament - specifically to shy and/or insecure temperament.

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=Mao;7265066]
Fwiw, I’ve spoken with a Scottish Deerhound breeder with 40 years experience who believes bloat is also related to temperament - specifically to shy and/or insecure temperament.[/QUOTE]

That’s interesting. I just glanced at another study that said that owners with dogs who didn’t suffer from bloat (breeds that are most susceptible) self reported that the dogs were “happy” dogs.

[wendy]

The Purdue study on bloat is a) not new, and b) so flawed in design that you really shouldn’t pay any attention to its so-called “results”. The design of the study is observational, and it is incapable of supporting any conclusions about causation.
All they did was observe dogs, and that would have been fine, but then they went on to draw unsupported conclusions.
For example, the so-called conclusion that a raised feeder causes bloat? not supported by their evidence. Their data could just as easily support the conclusion that people who suspect their dog might be at risk of bloat are more likely to feed off a raised feeder.
Essentially, I would suggest dismissing any of the conclusions from that study.
the only solid studies on bloat I’ve seen, one found a link between conformation of the chest in irish setters and an increased risk of bloat in that breed; and the other found that feeding chunks of meat instead of dry kibble, or in addition to dry kibble, was protective against bloat.
Most great dane, akita, and german shepherd people believe stress is the trigger.

here’s someone else’s criticism of the study (although I would ignore her bizarre rantings about systemic yeast): http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/on_my_soap_box_purdue_bloat_study.htm

[spotteddrafter]

I lost my heart dog to bloat, just over 4 years ago now. She was prone to bolting her food, along with drinking excessive amounts of water. I already fed her from both a slow feeder bowl and then changed her water bowl to one that restricted the amount she could have at one time. It still didn’t work. My vet was surprised to find she’d died of bloat on the necropsy, in her words “your girl didn’t have the typical large chest/barrel that I’ve seen in others.” My vet confided in me later that it was the loss of my dog that convinced her to take her Great Dane cross (who didn’t have the large chest of a Dane) under anesthesia and suture her stomach to her diaphragm in several places. Just for reference, the best guess we ever had on the breed of my girl was blue-tick coonhound crossed with either a beagle or small foxhound.

[grayarabpony]

[QUOTE=wendy;7265200]
The Purdue study on bloat is a) not new, and b) so flawed in design that you really shouldn’t pay any attention to its so-called “results”. The design of the study is observational, and it is incapable of supporting any conclusions about causation.
All they did was observe dogs, and that would have been fine, but then they went on to draw unsupported conclusions.
For example, the so-called conclusion that a raised feeder causes bloat? not supported by their evidence. Their data could just as easily support the conclusion that people who suspect their dog might be at risk of bloat are more likely to feed off a raised feeder.
Essentially, I would suggest dismissing any of the conclusions from that study.
the only solid studies on bloat I’ve seen, one found a link between conformation of the chest in irish setters and an increased risk of bloat in that breed; and the other found that feeding chunks of meat instead of dry kibble, or in addition to dry kibble, was protective against bloat.
Most great dane, akita, and german shepherd people believe stress is the trigger.

here’s someone else’s criticism of the study (although I would ignore her bizarre rantings about systemic yeast): http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/on_my_soap_box_purdue_bloat_study.htm[/QUOTE]

Wendy, all the study did was show CORRELATION. That’s what observational studies are SUPPOSED to do.

And yes we all know that you have touted advice not supported by this study.

[Horsegal984]

When designing a research study you have two options. 1) Observe and note trends, or 2) create a group in which you cause the desired condition and then monitor against a control.

Seeing as how we don’t know what causes a GDV to begin with the best we can do is an observational study.

[Aggie4Bar]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;7265159]
That’s interesting. I just glanced at another study that said that owners with dogs who didn’t suffer from bloat (breeds that are most susceptible) self reported that the dogs were “happy” dogs.[/QUOTE]

That begs a chicken and egg type question. Are “happy” dogs happy because they feel well on a daily basis? And could the shy and/or insecure dogs possibly be exhibiting such personality traits because they don’t feel well?

My late GSD that had so many food allergies was a completely different dog after we went raw with his diet. He was never very people-oriented, preferring quiet attention but overall being very introverted. After the diet change when he was 7 years old, he gained weight, gained energy, his coat became full, the hotspots vanished… and he was “happy”. He was more playful, engaging, and puppy-like in his final 5 years than his first 7. So it makes me wonder… maybe the level of owner-perceived happiness or unhappiness is related to the general wellness of the dog.

[wendy]

Wendy, all the study did was show CORRELATION. That’s what observational studies are SUPPOSED to do.

yes, exactly- but people are interpreting the results to mean CAUSATION. The study did not show that raised feeders CAUSE bloat. It didn’t show ANYTHING about causation. Mostly all it found was that owners of dogs more likely to bloat tend to feed out of raised feeders. That’s it. Nothing new there, and nothing useful for the dog owning public to take away. Possibly detrimental to the dog owning public who may toss out their raised feeders.

[Ghazzu]

And the Purdue study didn’t say that raised feeders caused bloat. They merely recorded that there was a correlation between raised feeders and an increased incidence.

[grayarabpony]

[QUOTE=wendy;7266617]
yes, exactly- but people are interpreting the results to mean CAUSATION. The study did not show that raised feeders CAUSE bloat. It didn’t show ANYTHING about causation. Mostly all it found was that owners of dogs more likely to bloat tend to feed out of raised feeders. That’s it. Nothing new there, and nothing useful for the dog owning public to take away. Possibly detrimental to the dog owning public who may toss out their raised feeders.[/QUOTE]

Well if there is no correlation between raised bowls and less chance of bloat, why use them? Why not just put the dish on the floor?

You can’t say the study wasn’t useful. Correlation is useful even if it isn’t a study with a control group.

The part about bloat very possibly having a genetic component could be extremely useful.