Bloat...
So, from what I have read about the American Akita, they are in the top 10 of breeds who can suffer from Bloat.
Naturally, I'm a little freaked over that statistic. So, from what I can gather, in order to lessen the chances of this happening I should:
1. Feed a grain free diet.
2. Smaller meals 2 to 3 times per day.
3. Keep food/water seperate...meaning when she's eating take the water away.
4. Reduce activity level after meals.
Is there anything else someone might reccommend to reduce this risk?? Suggested supplements?
I'm still out on the food choice. I'm leaning towards Solid Gold Wolf King Adult and mixing with a high-end canned food for variety. I don't know what the kennel has been feeding her...I'm going to guess not a high end food.
Naturally, I'm a little freaked over that statistic. So, from what I can gather, in order to lessen the chances of this happening I should:
1. Feed a grain free diet.
2. Smaller meals 2 to 3 times per day.
3. Keep food/water seperate...meaning when she's eating take the water away.
4. Reduce activity level after meals.
Is there anything else someone might reccommend to reduce this risk?? Suggested supplements?
I'm still out on the food choice. I'm leaning towards Solid Gold Wolf King Adult and mixing with a high-end canned food for variety. I don't know what the kennel has been feeding her...I'm going to guess not a high end food.
Comments
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/update2.htm
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm
(Brandon gets props for these)
I'm surprised they didn't have greyhound on the list, bloat seems to be the biggest concern with greyhound owners.
I had a Komondor die in the middle of the night with zero warning from bloat.
Eight hours after being fed.
No strenuous excersise.
None of the warning signs of an attack.
Just woke up and found her dead. A healthy and beautiful four year old girl.
None of the suggested preventative really work all that well. I do know that kibble dogs do bloat with more occurence than raw fed dogs. Taking the stomach is pretty good, but it is invasive and the staples can come loose.
Elevated feed bowls are not the way to go. It is unnatural for a dog to eat standing up like a horse or giraffe.
One thing is you need to keep a large syringe with no plunger on you at all times. If you can catch an attack you can plunge that into the dogs stomach to release the air. That will buy you the time to get the dog to the vet.
With all of the talk about hip certifications it is a shame that the silent killer bloat is not talked about nor researched enough.
Find out the truth about how many dogs in that dogs line have bloated.
(Logically speaking...Keeping a needled syringe on one at all times seems rather impractical and dangerous. If you don't have an idea on what you are doing the risk of perforating another area by accident can be pretty horrible too.)
Being aware of symptoms is half the battle and having an idea where the nearest emergency clinic is located is probably the best plan.
Snf
A lot of times with bloat a symptoms just don't occur until the dog is near death. The only hope is to release that gas.
I know it seems extreme but then again bloat is an extreme problem.
I am puzzled by what is often a laidback attitude twards bloat but mouth frothing ferver twards HD. I just don't get it.
But, done by any average person it might be just as fatal as bloat itself. Done right it could save the dog's life, but if done wrong it could kill the dog right there.
Bloat is a huge problem for a dog, yes.
That's why it is extremely important that people always keep aware of the symptoms and know the location of the closest emergency vet, as well as the phone number, to phone ahead so they are expecting your arrival and act faster on the problem.
Extreme measures can aggravate the problem and I don't think any one wants to add guilt to the grief of loosing a friend.
As for bloat in the bloodlines, a responsible breeder should never breed a dog whose close relatives had bloat.
Luckily, I live less than 5 minutes from our regions top Veterinarian Emergency Clinic. We had to go there to put Cody down in February. I don't know about keeing a syringe, You'd have to be pretty well versed on Akita anatomy to perform that procedure...we'll definately talk to our vet about this.
I will read the Purdue study, definately, and will follow the feeding guidelines. Unfortunately, I have no family history on her as she is a rescue.
And by the time you need to get Pulp Fiction/Vincent on the stomach of a dog with severe bloat, the animal generally is well on its way to renal failure. Soooo there better be an immediate serious follow through plan for keeping cardiac arrest at bay. Hence you will need the emergency clinic!
Yeah, Bloat (gastric torsion) happens in several species of animal, not just dogs.
It helps to have some meds in your toolkit to use if you suspect early symptoms. Again its best to talk with own veterinarian about it.
Snf
Breeders and farmers have been known for somewhat undesirable practices regarding home remedies in the past, perhaps in a time before access to good vets was the norm this was the standard practice. Old habits die hard, hopefully the dogs don't. I have heard of adding oils directly to the foods to help reduce the chances of torsion/bloat.
It was an advice left here on the forum by Michael, of Misaan Akitas. Doesn't hurt to try, and I found a vegetable oil, low on saturated fats, with Omega 3 added that is a boost for the Omega 3 on the salmon oil he gets for his skin and coat.
Also, there will also be a strong emotional bond to the dog, and it's a very stressful situation, and it is a very big needle. I don't think it's very likely that anyone in that situation won't be affected.
I go to a vet because when something is wrong, I want an expert to help me diagnose and fix it. I want the best possible care for my animals regardless of the price. It seems highly unlikely that any pet owner without formal vet training will be able to provide the same quality of care to their animal based solely on research.
I also have to disagree with your characterization of veterinary procedures not being cost effective. I pay a premium to a high priced vet because I trust them and I have heard from a lot of people about the quality of care. The cost goes towards ensuring my dogs get what is best for them and the chances of a mistake or problem are minimized. I'd call that money well spent, even if it is something I may be able to learn to do for myself.
And I think you misunderstood me or I didn't explain correctly (seems to have a bad habit of doing that). A farmer will usually live in a rural area where it would take a while to get to the vet. He could learn how to help his livestock and prolong its life so they could get to the vet to begin with (or have the vet get to them) or have the livestock die while waiting. That's what I meant by it not being cost efficient to not learn how to take care of your own animals.
I agree entirely. I'm a trained nurses aide, and while I can get a glucose reading with an arm prick and give a human an insulin shot, I don't feel comfortable giving my dogs a vaccine just because I know how to administer an injection. Even if (heaven forbid!) my dog developed diabetes, I would want the vet to train me to test and administer whatever was needed.
There's a reason vet's are called professionals, and why specialists are called specialists, and while all are not created equal, the ones I trust for my dogs care, I trust entirely for everything because I'm not the trained professional.
Now, in the last two months, I've started a huge on-the-side research project for myself regarding vaccines, which are required by law, which are core, why they are core, which are non-essential, why are they non-essential. I am still planning to discuss what I find with my vet, explain what I tried to figure out via limited research and how I want to apply that to my dog's vaccine schedules, but at the end of the day, I'm still going to trust and pay that professional.
Knock on wood for that. Just wanted to let you know vets will train you if asked. Same with sub-q's.
And I would like to note I do go to the vet for my animals' vaccinations because I have a fear of handling needles.
In any case, doctors and vets are versed hands on for years before being considered qualified to practice. A mere "how to" layman's reference guide does not address all the tricky factors that go along with treatment in many medical emergencies. For example: In the case of bloat you can relieve the gas, but then what?...Do you have the means to stabilize the animal??
Hack and slash methods of medical care do exist. However, the probability of survival is NOT putting the odds in favor of the dog, if there is full torsion. IMHO if the animal lived after the hack I suspect probably another less invasive method most likely could have been performed to begin with to alleviate the bloat condition. The ignorance makes the likelihood of wounds or tissue becoming septic and you will still need to seek a professional to patch up and also explain away an ill performed procedure. In the mean time valuable minutes have be lost when the animal could have been on the way to the vet to begin with. For many folks who are living in somewhat urban areas I suspect access to a professional/vet or emergency clinic is not too far away.
PS: And yes as Lindsay states farmers practices their own type of treatment out of necessity for cows/sheep/goats. However to ease misconceptions, ruminants and dogs have two different types of anatomy so don't think one method can fully pass for the other, if at all, depending on the case.
Snf
It seemed to me that the farmers were moslty concerned with cost of treatment and transport. If it cost more than $5, it was too expensive for a single animal when their herds numbered in the 500's. Some of things I assisted with were terrible and I regret it, but it's a fact of farming life (for someone other than me now).
Vaccines and subq's are completely different, but every pet owner should know some basic first aid for what ever critter they live with. If it involves needles, fine, just know what to do and be careful.
And here's the anatomy of a dog:
Ruminants have very large, compartmentalized stomachs, whereas in dogs it's much smaller and tucked behind other organs. I suppose if you felt comfortable enough or had enough practice it would be fine, but I personally wouldn't want to attempt it.