Drinking Water

Put water in her food and youll "trick" her into drinking. 1 of mine wont drink unless Im next to her water bowl, and even then it's like a punishment.

Yes you should be concerned for big dogs water intake, especially after workouts. They will drink themselves to death, literally, if allowed. I dont know if theres a set amount required, but Ive taking to mixing warm water with the meals till it floats. Thats what works for me, not saying its a guideline or a rule.

It is not about the water itself, but about the quantity that is risky. I say risky, because not every dog that drink copious amounts of water will bloat. When performing or exercising, I prefer a 10 minute cool down before allowing a drink. I count to twenty, remove the dog from the water and then if I am done with the work, I reintroduce water 20-30 minutes after finishing. If hiking, I just let them drink. They usually lie in the water while they drink. I never had a bloat issue on a trail, but I also never hike or work dogs on a full belly.

Bloat can happen in the middle of the night as well, as can gastric torsion. All it is is inflation of the stomach. GDV (torsion) is when it flips on itself. Make sure he has lots of water. Limiting water only pertains to during exercise. GDV is at highest risk after or during exercise. This can happen with water or food intake. It can happen on an empty stomach, but it is rare.

It takes a long time for dogs to suffer ill effects from starvation or dehydration, they're much tougher than we are. My male dog went 5 days without drinking or eating once when one of my female dogs was in heat. I was worried, but really he suffered no ill effects whatsoever. My Bulldog hardly ever drinks water, as she's on canned food which is mostly water anyway.

The reason for the confusion is that we don't really know exactly what causes bloat/GDV. We know what can increase risks, but there are no definitive answers. We were talking about hydration, which is why I add water to meals. This is an old trick used by competitive mushers. I do let it sit before feeding. This expands the food before it hits the system. I also do not feed large volumes. There is a risk in both. The main component of bloat and GDV is air intake with consumption. Your animal can bloat regardless of all the precautions you take. Personally, I feel there is a conformational causative that puts animals at a high risk. Though both elevation and water can increase the risk, ultimately it is the volume consumed and this includes air as well. I hope this helps you understand the risks. Knowing the risks is key to feeding and working your dog safely.

Well, considering that not every breed out there can bloat, and it is believed to relate to structure, and structure is inherited, then yes. Personally, I feel there are a few key anatomical features which increase the likelihood of bloat and GDV. If you are familiar with HD and DJD, it is similar in manifestation. We know there is a genetic link, but there is no one key "culprit" that can be found. Make sense?

I think you missed my point. If lines within a breed known to bloat (or have HD[hip dysplasia]) have a higher instance of bloating, you can say, yes it is heredity. Those parents and that line produce a higher instance of the disease. Therefore, there is some trait, possibly physical that causes this risk. You would say the same for hip health. It is not really just big chested dogs. There is something people miss in saying this. If it was just because of broad chested dogs, then Deutche Dogges, GSDs, Irish Wolfhounds, and Dobermans and other narrow, deep chested breeds who are know to bloat would not. Again, in these breeds there are lines and certain dogs that can produce a higher instance, just like HD. We can create it through breeding (many test groups have been specifically bred to have HD or bloat for trials), but we can not totally pinpoint it or eradicate it. You have to remember that every breed starts with individual dogs. Breed tendencies are genetic by design. One of the first identifiers of an inherited disease or anomaly is if it is solely found in one or a few select breeds.