Our dear little girl just died of bloat (we did a necropsy (otopsy), the stomach was twisted). All the trash on the internet so far sounds very cerebrial...but is GARBAGE..(Male dogs...After a big meal....served on the ground...with rough play & drinking afterward...BLAH BLAH BLAH.
  She might as well as suffered a sudden infand death for all the 'authorities' can clarify. (She ate (the same dry kibble she ate for 13 years, give or take &in EXCELLANT health) about 8oz at 0815am...laid in the yard, in the sun, -I did not supervise her water intake but the air temp was 50 degrees, and shade was plentiful so I doubt she drank much...I noticed her drink @300pm and went to pet her, she was laying on her side, bloated, SLOW breathing, in NO PALPABLE PAIN, with bluish tongue & gums...that became whiteish in 10-15min. she died enroute to the Vet. Necropsy confrimed the diagnosis.
   Do YOU know more than the 'Experts'....do you know anything that might help, e have another 'large chested dog'.....what garbage!

Hello Guest, so sorry to hear your very sad news, I had the same thing happen to one of my old Bullmastiff females and she was in good health ? but my vet said that a lot of older dogs get bloat and it is because some thing else is going on in there bodies that we dont know about/infection/virus.

I lost my Boxer at 12 with bloat :(
                                      Anne

Sorry about your dog guest :(  I was lucky enough to have a dog survive a torsion operation.  There are lots and lots of THEORIES about the possibles causes and preventative measures - but no one really knows for DEFINATE what causes it.  It's just known by experience which dogs are more prone to it.
Lara x

So sorry to hear this. I can understand your feelings completely. This was my story too, 15 months ago I lost a 5 year old Irish Setter. They are a breed known to be at increased risk and our national breed club is financing research into the condition. My Cassidy had bloated on two previous occasions and I had always taken every care to reduce the risks for him and my other Irish too. I am left with the certain knowledge that if it's going to happen, it will happen. I no longer beieve that you can do anything to prevent bloat. Cassidy bloated 3 times, and Bailey never has, I think some lines are more likely to have this than others.
You know, there is alot of previous disussion on this that you might find interesting. Try clicking on search and put n bloat or gastric tortion.
Meanwhile my thoughts are with you.
Dawn R.

Guest, I'm very sorry about your dog. I can kind of understand your frustration, I too have lost a  bitch (Bullmastiff) from a full torsion & like you - I couldn't understand why.
I can only echo what the others have said - that some breeds tend to be more likely to have torsion than others, but why that is? who knows?
good to hear that the Irish Setter breed club are doing some research into it.
take care,
snoopy1.

Hi all, I feel sorry for you I too lost my gsd bitch aged 7 throughout the nite with torsion and yes I agree with you it makes no sense at all all the info contradicts the other,

Janines

i think alot of the information is aimed at trying to reduce the risk of torsion but at the end of the day if your dog has a flaccid stomach when it gets older then this increases the risk of torsion. Alot of dogs who get bloat have probably had bloat before perhaps in the middle of the night when you are not aware or after a big meal so the stomach bacomes stretched then later in life it affects them when they are older. I too had aboxer survive with a torsion and the vet perfomed a gastropexy which i believe in amerca is performed on all large breed dogs when they are ever in for surgery (ie speying) they stitch the stomach to the inside wall of the abdomen so that it cannot twist, theycan  still get bloat but it is the torsion that is lifethreatening this op seems to help reduce torsion so if ever you are getting your deep chested bitch speyed i would advise the vet to do a gastropexy as prevention is better than cure

I am sorry to hear that you have lost your beloved dog, I have a Dogue de Bordeaux pup that his mum died from bloat when he was 5 weeks old, Her owner was a vetinary nurse, and although the bitch had the operation and survived she died 3 day later of complications. I have to agree with with you that a lot of the information is contradictory, it used to be raise the feed bowl now I belieive it is said not to bother as it make no difference, it makes you think what to do for the best