Thought this may be of some interest to members.

http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=195&sid=1

Study Dispels Nutritional Myth of Canine Bloat

Researchers find that vegetarian ingredients do not increase the risk of gastric dilation-volvulus

Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV), often referred to as bloat, is a serious danger affecting large breed and giant breed dogs. Now, a study published in the January/February 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (JAAHA) shows that the feeding of vegetable-based ingredients in these dogs does not increase their risk of developing GDV.

“For years, it has been proposed that cereal-based and soy protein-based dry foods may contribute to the development of acute GDV in large breed dogs,” says Rhea Morgan, DVM, DACVIM, DACVO, JAAHA editor. “Until now, there simply has been a lack of studies to test this conclusion.”

The JAAHA prospective study article tested the hypothesis that the risk of GDV increases with an increasing number of soy and cereal ingredients and a decreasing number of animal-protein ingredients among the first four ingredients in dry dog food. Using food label information, the authors conducted a nested case-control study with 85 GDV cases and 194 controls consuming a single brand and variety of dry food. Neither an increasing number of animal-protein ingredients nor an increasing number of soy and cereal ingredients among the first four ingredients significantly influenced GDV risk.

An additional finding of the study was the discovery that dry foods that list fats or oils among the predominant ingredients can trigger a higher incidence of GDV in high-risk dogs. Foods containing an oil or fat ingredient, such as sunflower oil or animal fat, among the first four ingredients were associated with a 2.4-fold increased risk of GDV.

“It is not clear whether a diet low in oil or fat content is protective because a previous study did not show an increase in GDV risk with increasing proportion of calories from fat in the food,” says Malathi Raghavan, DVM, PhD, principal author of the study. “While label ingredients are listed in decreasing order by weight, the actual weight of listed ingredients cannot be compared across different dry foods by studying food label information alone. So whether increasing amounts of dietary fats increase the risk of GDV perhaps by weighing down the stomach and stretching its supportive ligaments is not yet known.”

Joining Raghavan to author the study were Nita W. Glickman, MPH, PhD, and Lawrence T. Glickman, VMD, DrPH, from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. The following 11 breeds, which are thought to be at elevated risk of GDV, participated in the study: Akita, bloodhound, collie, Great Dane, Irish setter, Irish wolfhound, Newfoundland, rottweiler, Saint Bernard, standard poodle and Weimaraner. The study was funded in part by grants from the Morris Animal Foundation, the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, and by the 11 national breed clubs that participated in the study. The study article is available online at http://www.jaaha.org.

Do you know of someone that is looking into this being stress related?

Sorry no I don't, but the breeder of my Dane pup believes that is the only cause of it. She has only ever lost one in 30 years of breeding/owning and it was when we had a bad thunderstorm and she kennelled the dog outside for safety reasons (won't go into it) and found it dead in the morning.

I have seen studies on everything else but stress.

Hmm, hadn't heard stress mentioned as a cause, but it sounds very plausible to me. I lost a GSD about 6 mos. ago to bloat. None of what are thought to be the usual contributors were a factor. He was about 8 yrs., healthy, had been on raw food for 5 yrs. and had a bad hip that bothered him so his activity was limited. About a week before he died, he had 4-5 pretty good nosebleeds, had been to the vet for a check, x-rays, etc. and no cause had been found yet. He was due to go back to the vet's the morning I found him. Vet believed he probably had some nasal tumor or cancer but said the bloat was totally unrelated to any of that. So, stress, yeah, I could see it.

They always seem to be looking everywhere else but there. I know people that think it is caused by stress, but have never seen a study. Could be my terrible research skills. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

They always seem to be looking everywhere else but there. I know people that think it is caused by stress, but have never seen a study. Could be my terrible research skills. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Purdue engaged in a study like this. Evidently (and this is not source-quoting, I'm afraid) there's indication that such stressors as adding a hostile second or third dog to the home, of whelping, and of heavily-scheduled show circuits, etc., might indeed be a major bloat trigger, "especially in breeds prone to bloat."

That sounds like it could be circuitous: What if the breeds prone to bloat are prone because they are particularly reactive to stress, rather than because they are deep-chested?

Then saying that high-stress circumstances can cause bloat in them could then just be saying that "Stress can trigger bloat in breeds which are especially reactive to stress."

I'm hearing about this study second- or third-hand (obviously), but when I find the real thing I'll post a link.

I am very curious to see if it has to do with repression. I am curious about some of the dogs that I know that died of bloat. They did bitework at a high level, both in confidence, and competence. Meaning they never appeared to notice stressors that other dogs did, and that they were quite good at other aspects of the work.

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The time of bloat onset was between 6 p.m. and midnight in 51 (59.3%) of the 86 cases in which it
was reported. This is consistent with veterinarians_ clinical impressions that bloat often occurs
at night. We attempted to identify factors during the 8 hours before bloat onset which might have
precipitated the episode. The most notable association was with stressful events. However, in most
cases the owner did not recall a stressful event, and those events that were described are hard to
interpret. Also, in this type of study there is always a concern that the owner's recall of a
factor like stress for a dog may be influenced by dealing with the disease and its
aftermath.

Found this at web page

But it wasn't a study just on stress as a factor, it took into account all factors - feeding, exercise etc

Sorry forgot to say, this is the 'Purdue Study' that Connie mentioned <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />