Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 494

How many of you have had this happen to your hound? And what did you do about it? Do you feel that soaking a dogs food in water before you feed it,can cause a dog to bloat.I know a man that soaks his hounds food in warm water in the winter.I seen a 4 month old pup swell up like a balloon.He said that the pup had bloat and would be ok after a while.But the poor guy was in terrible pain and i thought he would surely die.Lets here some opinions on this matter.

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Registered: Jun 2006
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 93

a puppy of course , they eat and eat and eat some more , for most part soaking food isnt bad . i used to do it in winter time back home also. warm water over food , and each one got a cap full of apple cider vinegar with it and sometimes i would throw in some table scraps or go to meat store and they would give me all the fat i could carry and i would toss a couple chunks in the food also. i have not seen to many puppies that didnt get bloated after eating each meal , until they figure out they dont have to act like vultures when they eat... jst my opinion.. happy hunting

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 2708

"Bloat" in dogs usually refers to gastic torsion, a VERY serious condition. On a deep chested animal, like a dog, a full stomach can swing inside the chest cavity kinda like a hamock. If the dog is vigorous in it's excersise, the stomach can swing and actually flip over on itself. This leaves a "kink" in the stomach that cuts the blood supply to the surrounding tissue and can cause tissue death (much like a kink in a garden hose can cut off the water supply). The dog is surely to die unless immediate medical help is found. This is why vets suggest a rest period of at least 3 hours after feeding.

I've always been in the habit of feeding bird dogs at night, so if I hunt them their meal will be well digested. My hounds get fed twice a day....half portion in the morning, and the rest when I get home in the evening. If I'm hunting that night, I skip their evening meal and feed them when I get back from hunting. It's a little extra work but well worth it I feel. Bloat is a very serious condition that can kill a dog in under several hours. I dont think you can be too careful.

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Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 494

Thanks for the reply.
Kenny

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