bloat

Have you considered using a kong to feed them? I have a GR also and because he has a heart defect, I have to limit his activity. I have 2 kongs and I feel them with a combo of wetted kibble and canned food, so it's kind of a soft mush. I then freeze them and that way it takes him longer to finish one. Because I can't get enough of a meal into the kong, I supplement it with a small dish of kibble and yogurt.

My boy burps, and pretty loudly, after most meals. I considered it a good sign and that he enjoyed his meal

 A kong? That's interesting. I've heard of tennis ball, or bowls with something in the center but not kong.. I don't know if that would work for me, I'm giving them home cooked which needs to be heated up and is pretty wet, and kongs tend to trap some food so I'll need to wash it out thoroughly. I don't know if I would do a good job though. The best seems to be feeding them 3-4 meals a day (helps in weight loss too) but I work, so that's tough, even with the 1 hour before and after food separation is tough enough to keep when I don't want to be late for work. Has anyone had any luck with the tennis ball in the bowl? Or sitting there scooping a little at a time in their bowls (which will irritate the hell outta them, i know).

NOW i wish they could burp more.. but only the girl burps once after food, the boy, heads for the water bowl.  IS there anything I could add to their food to prevent the food from producing too much gas? I'm giving probiotics already.. wonder if prozyme works? (they are different, right?)

  If I remember correctly, you change the recipe often, correct? They may not be able to tolerate that much variety. You may want to try changing the recipe monthly, rather than weekly or every few days. Also, you could try taking a week to make the transition from one recipe to another. Do you know how much fiber is in the diet; too much fiber can cause gas. Are you cooking the food thoroughly enough; dogs can digest raw meat, but they need to have vegetables and carbs cooked until they're pretty mushy.

 Yup I steam or boil the vegetables and puree them. This week, I've mixed the meats together and portioned them, mostly being beef and some fish. Yesterday Alphie had a scare, she started pacing and crying after lunch, I took her in and pushed the acupuncture forward 2 days.. Her tummy was good actually just some gas. But it was suspected the pain came from the joints. She was much more sensitive yesterday to the needles but still did ok after that. And the vet did an x-ray for her chest... whole new problem; heart is slightly enlarged.

You know what...You are doing great, all the things you can to keep bloat away... ( although I found with Gibby, changing his food all the time wasn't working out, two vets kept telling me to find him ONLY ONE FOOD, their stomachs are not like ours.....they like to eat and they don't care if its the same food , and they finally convinced me to try just one food and he IS all the better for it, much less stress on his body )  I know about an excited dog..just try to calm them around meal times..both bofore and after as you are doing, use the probiotic, put a little human food on, and ENJOY THEM. Seriosly..... try not to worry too much. Just do what you can, what you know to do...and enjoy them. That alone will cause less stress to them AND to you!     So says Dyan the worrier! 

 I know right! I'm hyper-vigilant, paranoid and a worrier, especially with senior pups. I jump around like a monkey with them, and then subtley (at least to me it is) check on gums, touch for ticks, check their ears, feel their tummies, etc. sometimes I do wish they could talk to me if there's any pain and no be the great pretenders they are made to be. I try to keep them calm as much as possible, but the little boy loves to stand and hug me, roll over for belly rubs, wag his whole body not just his tail, i get so scared!

Oh nothing at all wrong with being careful with our dogs.. and yes, especially older ones,  Checking them when we are with them is the way to find problems sometimes,,think of all the poor dogs out there tied to a tree or living in the backyard in a dog house....they never have that care.   We just need to not worry too much so that we worry more than enjoy...I know I can sometimes do that.

I worried a lot about Bubblegum, my last Great Dane, she was my heart.  I worried about bloat and as she was getting older I was so happy that her legs were strong and she wasn't showing any signs of problems that way, and then she ended up with an awful illness that took her, MegaEsophagus/myasthenia gravis, not sure how much worse it could be loosing your dog to bloat.    That is why I am saying as far as bloat, do what you can to prevent it and try not to dwell on worrying about it.

 It can get too over.. I worry about bone stuff, bloat, arthritis, heart, it's never-ending! Especially because they don't walk, don't even 'admit' they are hurting often till it's too late, and because these are kids, being so innocent and helpless, it's so easy to get worried scared and paranoid.. Not to mention me, my mom still gets worried, scared and paranoid about us even now!

I'm wondering, 2 hours after their meal, I'll be home from work, would that be ok for a short walk (not stroll, i know them, they tug, so stroll doesn't happen, and if another dog is there, ashton becomes hyper) round the bend?

Lee debbie

Yesterday Alphie had a scare, she started pacing and crying after lunch, I took her in and pushed the acupuncture forward 2 days.. Her tummy was good actually just some gas

  Did the vet feel her abdomen? If her pancreas or stomach was hurting, that vet should be able to tell by carefully feeling her. Jessie is very stoic and will not whine when my vet feels her abdomen, but he can tell she's in pain because the muscles in that area are very tense. As I said before, making sure their diet doesn't have too much fiber ( peeling the potatoes may help), can help with the gas.

Lee debbie

But it was suspected the pain came from the joints

   Jessie has arthritis in both her knees. I found that raising her food dish helps because she doesn't have to bend her knees to eat. Do you give her a good quality joint supplement?