Doggie Digestive Problems

Although many pets do well on one feeding daily, the dog is a species at risk for torsion, an often fatal, always dangerous digestive problem that occurs principally in deep-chested animals. The abdomen fills with gas – a situation known as bloat – and if not detected and dealt with directly, the stomach will actually twine.

Bloating at an early stage can be addressed through draining the stomach. Sometimes, an incision on the side of the dog’s stomach must be made. For a worse condition of torsion, an operation on the dog may be necessary.

The Morris Animal Foundation, which has done extensive research into torsion, advises owners of at-risk breeds to feed two or more small meals as a day, rather than one huge meal, as one way to downplay the possibility of the dog’s falling victim to this dreaded ailment. Another thing that can help is to engage the dog in exercise before and after eating meals. Our own dogs typically are fed in their crates and forced to have quiet time before and after their twice-a-day feedings.

Dog Health Tip

I had an experience about my dog’s feeding. Since I wasn’t able to observe him all the time, I didn’t know that he was eating an enormous amount of dog foods and biscuits. The veterinarian who was consulted advised giving him peroxide to include vomiting and get his stomach emptied out directly, before he had a chance to bloat. I followed what the vet advised. But something went wrong. My dog instead digested all the stuff he ate. It was like the peroxide was his favorite drink and he didn’t care if he’d drown in it or not! Lucky for my dog, who is also prone to have torsion (but is not a Basset Hound), he was able to endure the peroxide and had survived from the probable risk.

Although kibble can be fed either dry or wet, most dog owners opt to wet their dog’s food with warm water and let it soak for at least twenty minutes before feeding. Through doing this, the squiffed kibble will puff out outside his tummy instead otherwise. We have adult dogs in our house that are allowed to eat their meals of up to two-and-a-half cup of kibble, twice daily. The amount of food your dog needs will depend on his size and activity level. Puppies require more food than most adults because of the extra demands of growth and high activity level.

Just as in housetraining, a regular feeding schedule is important to a dog and should be adhered to as closely as possible. Pursuing other dog owner’s technique when feeding their dog is alright but sometimes it also depends on your agenda and lifestyle. Dogs are adaptable and you can make changes in their routine; just try to keep them to a minimum and once you get a new one established, stay with it as closely as you can.