How can you prevent bloat in a great dane dog?

Answer 1

Don't let them exercise for a good hour after eating a full meal. Make certain they are on good quality diets, not grocery store dog foods.If they have a lot of flatulence, that means they are not digesting their food properly, so give them on of several brands of pills which improve digestion. Having a lot of gas can increase the chances of bloat by 60%. If their kibble is in small pieces, most of them are, add water to soften it and make it more digestible. Have their food bowl elevated so it does not have to bed down to eat. Depending on size, elevate the bowl 24 to 28 inches above the floor. Learn the symptoms of bloat. If they get it, they need to go into surgery within an hour from onset or it can be fatal. Bloat is also called "torsion".

An elevated food bowl was originally thought to be a good preventitive measure against bloat but research has progressed to show that an elevated food bowl can be more harmful to those dogs already at risk of contracting bloat. The link below expands on this point. Anti-gulp dog water bowls are a good idea, making your dog drink slower and therefore ingest less air. Slow feeder dog bowls too are useful in making it difficult for dogs to hoover up their food, encouraging them to chew before swallowing, both minimising the risk of bloat.