Thank you again for this informative video - your work means a lot! I wanted to share some good news. My 13.5 year old mini poodle mix had extensive blood work done (for a wellness check) - all values were normal! I would not have thought to do bloodwork and 6 monthly check ups if I didn't watch your videos. Your content from diet to exercise and everything in between have been very helpful! It's valuable to have a qualified, evidence-based professional on CZcams.
This is truly excellent news! 🙌 I'm so happy that you have those values both for the current knowledge, but also to compare future results to - watching for trends over time is also very valuable! Keep up the excellent work 💪
Thank you for the great video! Bloat is one of my greatest fears with our greyhound! When we first got him we thought we had to feed him in raised bowls because that’s what the adoption agency recommended. It was very frustrating to learn later it’s not recommended. Lots of out of date information just keeps getting circulated so thank you for creating such an informative video.
As someone who's had Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds and had that done prophylactically, I recommend it highly!! We never had one of our gastropexied dogs bloat. It's well worth the cost of the surgery and having it done during a spay is great.
Our large poodle mix just had his gaatropexy on Monday, and we're on the road to healing. Have had lots of questions from friends about why I got this procedure done, and your video has been super helpful to share! The issue with raised food bowels was new to me and I'd be curious to know more about why it's an issue... or where it is recommended for some dogs. ❤
Good call to have a prophylactic gastropexy for your dog, and thank you so much for sharing the video 😊 that means a lot! Online, nonexperts frequently recommend raising dog bowls and they claim it's a 'good thing' to do, unfortunately that's incorrect but it's a myth that persists. Now, there are some cases where it's medically necessary (most commonly for patients with neck pain or arthritis) to raise the bowls off the floor for the dog and in those situations your veterinarian may recommend it. Thank you for the question!
From the 2000 study: Animals: 1,637 dogs > or = 6 months old of the following breeds: Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner. The study was done on large and giant breed dogs. Results and clinical relevance: of the 1,637 dogs, a cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% (98 dogs out of 1637). Again, the study was conducted only on large breed and giant breed dogs. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were: 1) increasing age, 2) having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV, 3) having a faster speed of eating, 4) having a raised feeding bowl. Of the total of 98 dogs that got GDV - approximately 20% of large breed and 52% giant breed cases of GDV were attributed to having a raised feed bowl. They don’t specify how many dogs, but focusing on percentages = 20 large breed and 52 giant breed dogs ate from raised feeding bowls. There were no control groups. The study was not done directly but communicated via email or phone in 1-year intervals. They also don’t specify how many dropped out of the study and none of the dogs were examined in person or autopsies done. So…not the most thorough or scientifically sound study. A lot like the DCM hysteria that was fueled by the FDA based on a half-baked study they backtracked on a couple of years later. Bloat is very dangerous and many dogs have suffered and died from it, but more rigorous studies have to be done before making sweeping claims to the public. If I had a large or giant breed dog, of course I would do everything in my power to prevent this. But it’s important to note that many orthopedic vets encourage the use of raised food bowls, as osteoarthritis is rampant in dogs…so people should weigh the pros and cons and not completely rule out using them-but in all things, being vigilant and monitoring them as they eat - and ensure they’re not gulping their food because they’re over-hungry or overexcited, and consider the other factors. Here’s a link to the study: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11128539/
Yes, I am aware, which is why I've noted where there are times it's medically indicated and that then a veterinarian may recommend raised bowls. But, as a general recommendation, it's not necessary, and is linked with increasing the risk of GDV. So, with the information we currently have, unless your dog has a medical issue requiring them to use raised bowls... Don't.
Nice to see the clarification on raised bowls. When my geriatric GSD was having trouble getting food out of her floor level bowl, she was unsteady on her legs and had trouble moving around the bowl, we switched to an elevated bowl and this helped her a lot. She was fed twice a day for her whole life and never was one to bolt down her food, so overall the elevated bowls were a low risk option that helped her. She lived to be 14 years and 3 months old so I think we did a few things right.
You forgot to mention how vets can avoid GDV like when the dog is sedated you rotate the dog legs under and not over. If it does happen to the dog that is sedated and intubated what to do next. I wish your videos touched more on procedures for veterinarians to follow. So those who need a refresher or just now learning it could help them in the field.
Hi there! My videos aren't for veterinarians (or any vet med staff) at all, they are meant entirely for lay people. As a result, I do my best to share the info that every one who lives with cats and dogs should know! Thank you for your comment.
I'm not exactly sure what you are asking... Raising food bowls is contra-indicated (unless your dog has a neck issue/arthritis/something that supersedes this general information and changes the risk calculations for your individual dog...) because it increases the risks of causing bloat...
My 6 year old golden had bloat about 9 months ago. His only symptom was drooling and he isn't a drooler. After observing him for several hours, our vet thought he just might have an upset stomache. They said we could either take him home or we could do a xray. Thank goodness we did the xray because they discovered his stomache was bloated and recommended immediate surgery. We got so lucky as we discovered all of this before his stomache twisted. He had gastropexy and is doing well. We have a slow feed bowl, slow feed water bowl and we were told no excercise or playing for an hour after eating.
Hi, my dog was just diagnosed with gvd and I asked what the pros and cons would be and they said if I didn’t get the emergency surgery that he would die so I didn’t. They twisted his stomach. They called me after the surgery was done that he was doing good during recovery that he was just aspirating from the house and that it could be common, but it could be also serious, the next day that he had died, I cannot wrap my head around that when he was perfectly fine
Thank you for this video! For dogs who have acid reflux after a gastropexy, is it generally a temporary symptom or are those dogs more prone to it for the rest of their lives?
We did have one Dane that suffered from acid reflux after a gastropexy. She was plagued by this the rest of her life, but it was intermittent (so not all the time). We gave her Omeprezole (don't remember the dosage, your vet would advice you there) and if she did have an episode, our vet had us mix water with baking soda (think it was baking soda--I always get baking soda and baking powder mixed up, so ask your vet before trying this!!!) and give her several syringes of that. That worked like a charm and within a few minutes she was much better.
Working in Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound rescue and having many Danes and Wolfhounds of our own, I'm way more familiar with bloat and GDV than I want to be!! We did preventative gastropexies on all our personal dogs (but couldn't really afford to do that with the rescues). I absolutely love Danes and Wolfhounds, but bloat and GDV (and osteosarcoma) are just horrible things from which they can suffer.
I was shocked that the number of Great Danes was so high... I should cover osteosarcoma at some point in the future - I absolutely hate diagnosing patients with it. Such a devastating issue.
I didn’t hear you mention any link between exercise, food, and GDV, regarding timing. I’ve always waited at least an hour after my dog eats for any real exercise, to help prevent it. Is this still accurate information or no? Thanks!
Ah… I actually just saw your comment further down in the thread. This does make me feel better, but at the same time makes me more worried that there’s nothing I can do to prevent GDV. (Other than what you’ve recommended here.)
I have often heard that a dog that is very active right after eating is more likely to have bloat/GDV. I didn't hear it mentioned in your video, so was just wondering is there any evidence behind it? I really appreciate you making this video, as it answers one of my topic suggestions. Another question I have related to this video is, I know the gastropexy is commonly done when I dog goes in to get spayed, but is there a certain age that you should wait to get the gastropexy? Low-cost clinics recommend spay/neuters as young as 8 weeks, and our regular vet recommends 6 months. At those ages, the dogs still have a lot of growing to do.
There's nothing demonstrating exercise increases risks of bloat/GDV, it's a myth! Thanks for your patience; it took me quite a while to get around to this one! I wish I had the ability to do two videos/week so I could start making progress on my list of future videos
@@VetMedCorner With all the youtubers I follow, I wouldn't be able to keep up with more than one new video a week. I know creating these videos take a lot of work.
Thank you again for this informative video - your work means a lot! I wanted to share some good news. My 13.5 year old mini poodle mix had extensive blood work done (for a wellness check) - all values were normal! I would not have thought to do bloodwork and 6 monthly check ups if I didn't watch your videos. Your content from diet to exercise and everything in between have been very helpful! It's valuable to have a qualified, evidence-based professional on CZcams.
This is truly excellent news! 🙌
I'm so happy that you have those values both for the current knowledge, but also to compare future results to - watching for trends over time is also very valuable!
Keep up the excellent work 💪
Thank you for the great video! Bloat is one of my greatest fears with our greyhound! When we first got him we thought we had to feed him in raised bowls because that’s what the adoption agency recommended. It was very frustrating to learn later it’s not recommended. Lots of out of date information just keeps getting circulated so thank you for creating such an informative video.
It's a very common myth, so I'm glad you found this video!
Thank you so very much for leaving this lovely comment 💜
Thank you for this message. My Bernese Mountain Dog is 13 months old and we're going to have a prophylactic gastropexy when we do her spay in May.
I'm so glad you are - that's very smart of you!!! ☺️
As someone who's had Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds and had that done prophylactically, I recommend it highly!! We never had one of our gastropexied dogs bloat. It's well worth the cost of the surgery and having it done during a spay is great.
Thank you so much for this informative video. I met someone who lost 3 dogs to bloat. It’s really horrible.
3 dogs 😢 that's heartbreaking. Oof 💔
Our large poodle mix just had his gaatropexy on Monday, and we're on the road to healing. Have had lots of questions from friends about why I got this procedure done, and your video has been super helpful to share! The issue with raised food bowels was new to me and I'd be curious to know more about why it's an issue... or where it is recommended for some dogs. ❤
Good call to have a prophylactic gastropexy for your dog, and thank you so much for sharing the video 😊 that means a lot!
Online, nonexperts frequently recommend raising dog bowls and they claim it's a 'good thing' to do, unfortunately that's incorrect but it's a myth that persists.
Now, there are some cases where it's medically necessary (most commonly for patients with neck pain or arthritis) to raise the bowls off the floor for the dog and in those situations your veterinarian may recommend it.
Thank you for the question!
Thank you Dr. Em, I appreciate the info!
I appreciate you taking the time to be a part of VMC ☺️
From the 2000 study:
Animals: 1,637 dogs > or = 6 months old of the following breeds: Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner.
The study was done on large and giant breed dogs.
Results and clinical relevance:
of the 1,637 dogs, a cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% (98 dogs out of 1637). Again, the study was conducted only on large breed and giant breed dogs.
Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were:
1) increasing age,
2) having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV,
3) having a faster speed of eating,
4) having a raised feeding bowl.
Of the total of 98 dogs that got GDV - approximately 20% of large breed and 52% giant breed cases of GDV were attributed to having a raised feed bowl.
They don’t specify how many dogs, but focusing on percentages = 20 large breed and 52 giant breed dogs ate from raised feeding bowls.
There were no control groups. The study was not done directly but communicated via email or phone in 1-year intervals. They also don’t specify how many dropped out of the study and none of the dogs were examined in person or autopsies done.
So…not the most thorough or scientifically sound study.
A lot like the DCM hysteria that was fueled by the FDA based on a half-baked study they backtracked on a couple of years later.
Bloat is very dangerous and many dogs have suffered and died from it, but more rigorous studies have to be done before making sweeping claims to the public.
If I had a large or giant breed dog, of course I would do everything in my power to prevent this. But it’s important to note that many orthopedic vets encourage the use of raised food bowls, as osteoarthritis is rampant in dogs…so people should weigh the pros and cons and not completely rule out using them-but in all things, being vigilant and monitoring them as they eat - and ensure they’re not gulping their food because they’re over-hungry or overexcited, and consider the other factors.
Here’s a link to the study:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11128539/
Yes, I am aware, which is why I've noted where there are times it's medically indicated and that then a veterinarian may recommend raised bowls.
But, as a general recommendation, it's not necessary, and is linked with increasing the risk of GDV. So, with the information we currently have, unless your dog has a medical issue requiring them to use raised bowls... Don't.
Nice to see the clarification on raised bowls. When my geriatric GSD was having trouble getting food out of her floor level bowl, she was unsteady on her legs and had trouble moving around the bowl, we switched to an elevated bowl and this helped her a lot. She was fed twice a day for her whole life and never was one to bolt down her food, so overall the elevated bowls were a low risk option that helped her. She lived to be 14 years and 3 months old so I think we did a few things right.
Excellence as usual....
☺️🥰🥹
Thank you
You forgot to mention how vets can avoid GDV like when the dog is sedated you rotate the dog legs under and not over. If it does happen to the dog that is sedated and intubated what to do next.
I wish your videos touched more on procedures for veterinarians to follow. So those who need a refresher or just now learning it could help them in the field.
Hi there!
My videos aren't for veterinarians (or any vet med staff) at all, they are meant entirely for lay people. As a result, I do my best to share the info that every one who lives with cats and dogs should know!
Thank you for your comment.
Can you say more about why an elevated food bowl should not be used?
I'm not exactly sure what you are asking... Raising food bowls is contra-indicated (unless your dog has a neck issue/arthritis/something that supersedes this general information and changes the risk calculations for your individual dog...) because it increases the risks of causing bloat...
My 6 year old golden had bloat about 9 months ago. His only symptom was drooling and he isn't a drooler. After observing him for several hours, our vet thought he just might have an upset stomache. They said we could either take him home or we could do a xray. Thank goodness we did the xray because they discovered his stomache was bloated and recommended immediate surgery. We got so lucky as we discovered all of this before his stomache twisted. He had gastropexy and is doing well. We have a slow feed bowl, slow feed water bowl and we were told no excercise or playing for an hour after eating.
I'm so glad that the imaging was done and that your dog's recovery went well!
What an informative video. Thank you for sharing!
I'm so glad you liked it! 😊
Hi, my dog was just diagnosed with gvd and I asked what the pros and cons would be and they said if I didn’t get the emergency surgery that he would die so I didn’t. They twisted his stomach. They called me after the surgery was done that he was doing good during recovery that he was just aspirating from the house and that it could be common, but it could be also serious, the next day that he had died, I cannot wrap my head around that when he was perfectly fine
I'm so very sorry for your loss, a GDV is such a serious issue. I hope that the video helped answer some of your questions.
Thank you for this video! For dogs who have acid reflux after a gastropexy, is it generally a temporary symptom or are those dogs more prone to it for the rest of their lives?
Excellent question!
It's most often transient during healing from the surgery, but (rarely) it's possible that lifelong management is needed.
We did have one Dane that suffered from acid reflux after a gastropexy. She was plagued by this the rest of her life, but it was intermittent (so not all the time). We gave her Omeprezole (don't remember the dosage, your vet would advice you there) and if she did have an episode, our vet had us mix water with baking soda (think it was baking soda--I always get baking soda and baking powder mixed up, so ask your vet before trying this!!!) and give her several syringes of that. That worked like a charm and within a few minutes she was much better.
Working in Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound rescue and having many Danes and Wolfhounds of our own, I'm way more familiar with bloat and GDV than I want to be!! We did preventative gastropexies on all our personal dogs (but couldn't really afford to do that with the rescues). I absolutely love Danes and Wolfhounds, but bloat and GDV (and osteosarcoma) are just horrible things from which they can suffer.
I was shocked that the number of Great Danes was so high...
I should cover osteosarcoma at some point in the future - I absolutely hate diagnosing patients with it. Such a devastating issue.
@@VetMedCornerI'm hearing some scuttlebutt about possibly a vaccination for osteosarcoma? I don't know anything about that, but I've heard some stuff.
I didn’t hear you mention any link between exercise, food, and GDV, regarding timing. I’ve always waited at least an hour after my dog eats for any real exercise, to help prevent it. Is this still accurate information or no?
Thanks!
Ah… I actually just saw your comment further down in the thread. This does make me feel better, but at the same time makes me more worried that there’s nothing I can do to prevent GDV. (Other than what you’ve recommended here.)
I have often heard that a dog that is very active right after eating is more likely to have bloat/GDV. I didn't hear it mentioned in your video, so was just wondering is there any evidence behind it? I really appreciate you making this video, as it answers one of my topic suggestions. Another question I have related to this video is, I know the gastropexy is commonly done when I dog goes in to get spayed, but is there a certain age that you should wait to get the gastropexy? Low-cost clinics recommend spay/neuters as young as 8 weeks, and our regular vet recommends 6 months. At those ages, the dogs still have a lot of growing to do.
There's nothing demonstrating exercise increases risks of bloat/GDV, it's a myth!
Thanks for your patience; it took me quite a while to get around to this one! I wish I had the ability to do two videos/week so I could start making progress on my list of future videos
@@VetMedCorner With all the youtubers I follow, I wouldn't be able to keep up with more than one new video a week. I know creating these videos take a lot of work.