[cally01]

We have never had a Newfoundland dog that bloated and they are a common breed prone to bloat. Cassie (our oldest Newf) had many cases of bloat in her lines. Her brother bloated/torsioned twice first time they stapled one side of the belly then he flipped the other way. Who knows what caused his bloating episodes perhaps the poor quality kibble fed, stress etc. Cassie has never bloated or even had gas and she is going on 12 years. Plus, the male that bloated twice sired a few litters before his incidents and none of the pups ever bloated.

For my Rottweiler Athena she started bloating when we bought a new house. The stress of moving, having to live with other dogs...the food I was feeding was Innova Chicken and Turkey I found out that Turkey can cause gas. I think for Athena I had her on Yucca root for too long and it caused stomach problems for her which the first cause of stress and eating kibble made her bloat. I switched to a raw food diet steer clear of cruciferous vegetables as I have found these veggies will cause her to bloat even on a raw diet. She is very sensitive and cannot get rid of gas as a normal dog would.

Genetics have a lot to do with it as the dogs body is built in a way that the stomach is more inclined to flip. But, food, environment, stress are major factors as well. I think sometimes breeders are looking for that perfect look and chest depth etc and this poor conformation which is sought after in the show ring is not healthy for the dog in general...thats just my opinion :)

We had a Stnd Poodle that used to bloat only during very stressful times. My Sister has taken emergency first aid for dogs and was with the Royal life saving committee for many years so she is great to have around in times of emergencies :)

I keep nux vomica a homeopathic remedy for gas on hand at all times. This way when I see Athena showing signs of bloating I give her 5 pellets. This helps her immensely and stops the bloating from going any further. I was getting really worried that she may torsion, but, with precautions and having this homeopathic treatment on hand I feel I much better and safer.


I would never give my dogs any of those gas remedies from the pharmacy as they can cause more problems in the long run.