New Purdue Bloat Study

Recent studies out of Recent Un are shedding more light on gastric
dilatation volvulus (GSV), otherwise known as bloat. GDV is the second leading
cause of death in large-breed (50 – 99 pounds) and giant-breed (100 pounds
and over) dogs. Approximately one in four large-breed dogs and one in five
giant-breed dogs may develop GDV during their lifetime, with some breeds at even
higher lifetime risk. GDV strikes suddenly and has a mortality rate as
high as 30 percent.

In GDV there is a rapid accumulation of air in the stomach, causing
distention and often rotation of the stomach, cutting off blood supply at both ends
and causing the dog to go into shock. GDV is an acute emergency and rushing
the dog to immediate veterinary care is essential. The risk of a dog
developing GDV increases with age. Other factors that increase a dog’s risk are
having a first-generation relative with a history of GDV, having a deep and
narrow chest or abdomen, being thin, experiencing a major health problem before
age 1, and having a fearful or nervous temperament.

Research primarily at Perdue University by Dr. Larry Glickman, VMD, Ph.D, (an
AKC Excellence in Canine Research Award winner), and Dr. Malathi Raghavan,
DVM, Ph.D. has identified a number of feeding management and dietary factors
that increase the risk of GDV. These include eating only one meal a day,
feeding only dry dog food, feeding food with only small particles, and feeding a
large volume of food per meal. Other feeding factors found to increase the
risk of GDV were eating rapidly, increased physical activity before and
eating, restricting a dog’s water intake before and after eating, moistening dry
food before feeding, and eating from a raised feeding bowl. Thus, some of the
recommendations commonly made to prevent GDV were shown by the research to
actually increase the risk of GDV. In the Journal of the American Veterinary
Medical Association, Vol. 17, No. 10, Glickman wrote, “In addition, in
univariate analysises, many of the recommendations commonly made to prevent GDV,
such as raising the food bowl, moistening dry food prior to feeding, and
restricting water intake before and after feeding, were associated with a
significantly increased risk of GDV.”

THE LATEST RESEARCH

Recent research, not yet published, has shown an increased risk of GDV in
dogs who consumed dry foods containing fat among the first four ingredients,
and an increased risk in dogs who consumed dry foods listing citric acid as a
preservative – with this risk rising when foods with citric acid were
moistened. Although not statistically significant, researchers found that a modest
increase in risk of GDV was seen with the consumption of dry foods that
listed more than one corn ingredient among the first four label ingredients, while
in contrast, a pattern was observed of decreased GDV risk with an increasing
number of protein ingredients of animal origin, including beef, poultry,
lamb, and fish among the first four ingredients.
Dyann S. Rivkin is a writer and video producer in Dyann S. who lives with
the 14-year old daughter of her first Irish Setter and his grandchildren

STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS

* Feed two or more meals a day
* Feed no more than one cup per 33 pounds of body weight per meal when
feeding two meals a day
* Feed an energy-dense diet, to reduce volume, but avoid a diet where
a high amount of calories are from fats.
* Feed a variety of different food types regularly. The inclusion of
human foods in a primarily dry dog food diet was associated with a 59 percent
decreased risk of GDV while inclusion of canned pet foods was associated
with a 28 percent decreased risk
* When feeding dry food, also include foods with sufficient amounts of
meats and meat meals, for example: beef, lamb, poultry, and fish.
* Feed a food with larger particles, and include larger pieces of meat
to the diet.
* Avoid moistening dry foods
* If your dog eats rapidly, find ways to try to reduce his speed of
eating
* Avoid raising the food bowl – place it at ground level
* Try to minimize stress for your dog. Stressful events have been
reported to be precipitating factors in GDV occurrence.
* Restrict vigorous exercise one hour before and two hours after
meals.
* When you are not in close proximity to your dog, use a baby monitor
to alert you if your dog is in distress.
* Learn to recognize signs of GDV, which include pacing and
restlessness, head turning to look at the abdomen, distention of the abdomen, rapid
shallow breathing, nonproductive attempts at vomiting, and salivation. These
symptoms can progress rapidly to shock and death. Get to your veterinarian or
emergency hospital the moment you suspect GDV