I did a quick search and I couldn't find where this had been referenced before.

http://www.goldenrescuestlouis.org/Bloat.asp

I thought it was an interested article.

I was amazed at the bloat rate for Great Danes, 42 percent....

And here is another interesting link to an internet myth or email that I guess is passed around quite a bit.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/july/internet_myths#.TwOtLtSGoTZ

 Quote: Betty Waldron

... I was amazed at the bloat rate for Great Danes, 42 percent....

Not only is bloat the number one killer of Great Danes -- Great Danes are the number one at-risk breed. Scary, isn't it. I just learned how high the Great Dane was last year. It's a huge topic on all GD boards, needless to say.

 Quote: Betty Waldron

And here is another interesting link to an internet myth or email that I guess is passed around quite a bit.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/july/internet_myths#.TwOtLtSGoTZ

It IS passed around a lot! I'll bet I've received that story "forwarded" three times at least.

We need a Myth-Buster for dogs.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Betty Waldron

... I was amazed at the bloat rate for Great Danes, 42 percent....

Not only is bloat the number one killer of Great Danes -- Great Danes are the number one at-risk breed. Scary, isn't it. I just learned how high the Great Dane was last year. It's a huge topic on all GD boards, needless to say.

I bet. I knew GD's were at risk and I knew they had a shorter life span that a lot of breeds but had no idea on the bloat.

Bloat scares me. It happens so much at night and I'm an hour from my vet.

There are steps to take to help prevent bloat, I'm sure you all know. Some are more heresay, or opinion, but some are based on facts too.

Obviously the big number one is the Gastropexy. It's not fool proof, but increases your odds by alot.

Feeding smaller amounts more freqently, and rest before and after feeding for 30 minutes. These help, but are based more on opinion, and they make sense to me.

Not teaching your dane how to roll over is one I've heard before, not sure what I think of that one.

I think one of the smarter things to do is knowing the warning signs, early detection, and having a plan in place.

 Quote: Ben McDonald

I think one of the smarter things to do is knowing the warning signs, early detection, and having a plan in place.

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

Yes, GDs have the highest propensity for bloat then any other breed. Although,I would guess that the Irish wolfhound is pretty high on the bloat list, as well, since their body is very similar. I have known several GDs, thru the years, that went that way.

Since GSDs are close to GDs in bloat risk, I take serious that threat with my dogs. I wait AT LEAST 2 hours after heavy exercise before feeding or an hour after light exercise. I also moniter water intake before & after exercise & eating. (My dogs are raw fed & therefore get a great deal of hydration from their food, so limiting, at those times, is not an issue. (Other times of the day they have free access to fresh water) Might be more of an issue with a kibble fed dog) Also they get their heavier meal(of 2, 3 for pups) at the end of the day & there is NO exercise after that. It is quiet time in my home after dinner. Time to relax, sleep & digest. I keep a close eye on my dogs at night.

Not sure that I would subject my dogs to anesthesia & surgery in anticipation of bloat. As they also can present serious risks. But I certainly would do it, in the event that a bloat surgery was to take place to increase the odds in the dogs favor that torsion would not be an issue should there be another bloat. But NOT all bloat episodes include torsion.

Very often bloat risks run higher in certain lines. But there are no guarantees that it will not happen in any dog predisposed to that health risk.

I didn't have the chance to read the lincs that Betty posted earlier.

Very strange, as all 3 of the vets thay I have used, with my GSDs, have told me that heavy exercise too close to feeding can be bloat promoting, along with larger water consumption just before or after meals.

Interesting that there seems to be many 'schools of thought' on what does & does not contribute to episodes of bloat.

I know, it was a surprise. Turned out that the most common (the average) bloat event happens 7 hours after eating, in the wee hours, when the owner is asleep!

And this was a pretty big sampling, too.

I still follow the old exercise guidelines, though. As good as Glickman's study is .... and as many of his findings are corroborated in other studies* .... it's not hard to heed that old exercise warning.

JMO!