Bloat triggers

[aljeana]

i am not quite sure how to explain my problem so here goes

Jodie my 4 year old cocker has a medical condition inflamed Bowel Disorder this is a side effect condition from a throat defect that was operated on to correct her swallowing action when she was 12 weeks on as good as the success of the surgery it has left her with problems with taking in excessive air, she has kibble food small meals 4 times a day & as was decided by her specialist a Duck or Fish based food is best as Jodie would be more tolerant to those.

Now my issue is as was expected I have to switch her food after a while as she builds up an intolerance which we know as we find she starts to hold on to wind in her tummy "bloat" but we normally wind her & she is fine she has daily Zantac syrup.

We have been going along fine now with the old flare up but this week we had a serious hard bloat that needed vet treatment poor Jodie was screaming in pain & her tummy & chest area was solid with gas what I am trying to identify is what has triggered this serious bloat as she had done nothing different feed or activities the only thing that she has been doing all the week is going & humping my other cockers she seems obsessed with doing it this causes her to bloat really bad it tends to happen after she has been fed.

Jodie is spayed but I am wondering if it is hormonal this is the only thing that seems consistent in her having very bad attacks of bloat has any one got any ideas could it be hormonal 

[elaine.e]

Poor Jodie. What a difficult condition for you to have to manage too.

I've never had bitches, so I don't know if there is anything left after spaying that causes hormone production. But I know that humping has many causes, including simple playfulness and excitement, anxiety about what other dogs may be doing and stress. Some would also say dominance, but I'm not so sure about that.

If the humping is after she's been fed, is that a time when she likes to play or is especially active? My two often have a funny 5 minutes after eating and it often ends with William (who is castrated) humping Louis (who is entire) . It usually happens if Louis has been running about the house and getting silly and barking. I think William finds that a bit worrying and the humping is his way of trying to calm Louis down. That's not as daft as it sounds, because dogs getting anxious that a situation is getting out of hand will try various behaviours to calm things down.

I'm just wondering if that's why Jodie is humping? If so, or even if all you can identify is that it happens after she's been fed, could you give her a quiet half hour or so separated from the other dogs after she's had a meal? It might help simply to curb the gas build up just because she's quiet, or it might help as it will stop the humping.

[Deb H]

So sorry you are having these problems, I can't offer any advise about the humping but have you tried a Bailey box to feed her in? It might stop the air intake and then maybe the humping.

[jasper_boy]

Poor Jodie. My oldie cocker, Piper, also has IBD and has bloating which is her main symptom. Her first episode was following a severe ear infection which resulted in her being put under for it to be swabbed, and within a few hours her abdomen was bloating and she resembled a bowling ball. She spent a few days in the emergency vets, where they couldn't confirm what was wrong. A referral to a specialist confirmed severe IBD in the stomach and moderate in the small intestine. There is no pattern to Piper's bloating, but she can bring on an episode if she barks for a longish period (she might do this if I go out for a bit) or is she is stressed or unwell (she has another auto immune condition and they make each other worse). Piper is unable to eat anything other than cooked white rice and white fish, if I try anything else at all or if she steals a mouthful of one of the other dogs food she will be bloated within an hour. So now she has the fish and rice, 4 small meals a day. If she does bloat, then she is only allowed 1 tablespoon of food 6 times a day for 3-5 days and then slowly increase it.

Piper is spayed and her specialist has never suggested that it could be hormonal. I think with the IBD being so difficult to control, that anything small could potentially lead to a flare up? Piper was put on steroids to manage her immune mediated poly arthritis which should in turn help the IBD but instead her body reacted badly against it, the IBD got worse and she went into heart failure. She is now on a tiny dose which she is just about coping with.

[aljeana]

Thank you Deb & Jasper-boy

Jodie was fed in a Bailey Chair until she had the throat correction operation where she then progressed to a raised stand for her water & food bowl.

Jodie was put on Duck based dried food by the specialist team & on the whole goes along quite well but stress, barking excessive panting, heat will increase bloat but normally we can wind & stretch her & she can release it.

This severe bloat does seem to come along with the issue of humping the younger dog in particular but also being very bossy with her as tho Jodie is trying to install her authority over Jaz, but this is so strange as they have been the best of mates Jaz is 14months old & spayed Jodie is nearly 5yrs.

I think I will separate after feeding give Jodie quite time for her meal to go down

[MUDDYBOOTS]

Hi,can't help with the IBD but Cloe often humps Benson after they have been fed  .