# How long to wait after eating??



## duckslayermt (Nov 10, 2008)

I've got a quick question: 

What do you guys recommend as far as eating time and exercise? I've heard before to never work a dog right after eating because it can make their intestines twist, etc. Is this just a myth, or true? How long do you guys wait to let them exercise after eating? Also, what do yall think about taking food to the duck blind to let them eat when you know it's gonna be an all dayer? She won't eat when we get up early in the morn. 

Thanks in advance!


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## 1st retriever (Sep 2, 2008)

It is not a myth. It can and does happen. I feed in the evening when they are in for the night. That way they can just sleep and digest. A full stomach will also make a dog sleepy.


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## duckslayermt (Nov 10, 2008)

1st retriever said:


> It is not a myth. It can and does happen. I feed in the evening when they are in for the night. That way they can just sleep and digest. A full stomach will also make a dog sleepy.


I've been feeding twice a day. Once in morn, once in evening. Is once at night what most of you do is feed once at night?


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## Angie B (Sep 30, 2003)

2 hours and divide the meal between morning and night. Multiple small meals are better then one big one.

If she doesn't want to eat in the morning that's all right. Won't kill her to skip a meal or 2.

Angie


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## Fowl Play WA (Sep 16, 2008)

On a non working day I feed half the food in the morning, half in the evening. If the dogs are going to work/hunt in the morning, they skip breakfast, or to make them think they're getting something, they get a handful (like 2 bites). I was feeding once a night, but it was suggested that I feed Gunner twice a day to see if he'd absorb more of the food I feed him to put some meat on his bones. It has worked. We had to switch the others to 2x's a day to keep them from letting him have it for eating when they weren't. Styke and Bailey get 1/3 of their daily food in the AM, 2/3 at night. Gunner still gets 3 cups per feeding


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## BonMallari (Feb 7, 2008)

I lost my first dog to stomach torsion, but it had nothing to do with feeding him and then exercising him. Personally I would not feed him in the blind, you can bring snacks or treats but the blind is all business. If it is an all day affair bring him back to the truck and feed him there. I also feed in the evening when the day is done


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## duckslayermt (Nov 10, 2008)

Thanks a bunch for the advice. I noticed that you said if they're working in the morn they don't get any. What about feeding them right after they work and are back in the house?? Sorry for the 8 million questions


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## Fowl Play WA (Sep 16, 2008)

duckslayermt said:


> Thanks a bunch for the advice. I noticed that you said if they're working in the morn they don't get any. What about feeding them right after they work and are back in the house?? Sorry for the 8 million questions


I usually make them wait until they are in rest mode before feeding them after a workout. I want them to be breathing normally, and basically just laying around before I feed them. I don't know if that makes any difference, but I prefer them to be calm before eating.


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## Pals (Jul 29, 2008)

I've had lots of pro's and vet's tell me pretty much the same thing: 2-3 hours after eating before working them and wait at least 1 hour after they are done working before feeding them. I feed 2'x a day, two of my dogs will puke the yellow foam if they are fed once a day. Sensative tummies.

Yesterday I had a terrible scare with my 11yr old MGR, who is an 'inhale your food eater', he vomited while eating-then litterally inhaled puke and food into his lungs. Poor dog, I thought I was going to loose him. It sucks to live 30 minutes from the vet. He is okay today and just loves having tennis balls in his food bowl, that is the best I could do until I get one of those special bowls. If he ever gets torsion it will be because of the way he eats.


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

Lost this one right here to torsion(twist). Feed at night before bed. No food in the am. Occasional biscuit or treat between ducks in the blind. 










Better safe dog than a memory......


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## KwickLabs (Jan 3, 2003)

A canine is genetically designed to run on an empty gut. When digesting food it rests. I feed once a day....in the evening.


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## Flats3 (Aug 22, 2008)

Here are some of the findings contained in the study on bloat conducted by Purdue University. The complete study results can be found by doing a search on Purdue Bloat study or just bloat study.

"As for feeding one large meal a day, this can weigh down the stomach and stretch the hepatogastric ligament, which usually maintains the stomach's normal position in the abdomen. Dogs that have bloated were found to have a much longer hepatogastric ligament; it is thought that this is due to chronic stretching. This could also explain why bloat risk increases with age."

"Several popular theories regarding bloat were not substantiated during the study. There was no correlation of bloat risk to exercise before or after eating, as most dogs bloated in the middle of the night with an empty, gas-filled stomach. There was also no correlation to vaccinations, to the brand of dog food consumed, or to the timing or volume of water intake before or after eating."

Hal


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## Angie B (Sep 30, 2003)

NEW Purdue Bloat Study

Recent studies are shedding more light on gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV),
otherwise known as bloat. GDV, is the second leading cause of death in large-breed (50 to 99 pounds) and giant-breed (100 pounds and over) dogs. Approximately one in four large-breed dogs and one in five giant-breed dogs may develop GDV during their lifetime, with some breeds at even higher lifetime risk. GDV strikes suddenly and has a mortality rate as high as 30 percent. 

In GDV there is a rapid accumulation of air in the stomach, causing distention and often rotation of the stomach, cutting off blood supply at both ends and causing the dog to go into shock.

GDV is an acute emergency and rushing the dog to immediate veterinary care is essential. The risk of a dog developing GDV increases with age. Other factors that increase a dogs risk are having a first-genera tion relative with a history of GDV, having a deep and narrow chest or abdomen, being thin, experiencing a major health problem before age 1, and having a fearful or nervous temperament. 
Research primarily at Purdue University by Dr. Larry Glickman, VMD, Ph.D, (an AKC Excellence in Canine Research Award winner), and Dr. Malathi Raghavan, DVM, Ph.D. has identified a number of feeding management and dietary factors that increase the risk of GDV. These include eating only one meal a day, feeding only dry dog food, feeding food with only small particles, and feeding a large volume of food per meal. Other feeding factors found 
to increase the risk of GDV were eating rapidly, increased physical activity before and eating, restricting a dogs water intake before and after eating, moistening dry food before feeding, and eating from a raised feeding bowl. Thus, some of the recommendations commonly made to prevent GDV were shown by the research to actually increase the risk of GDV. In the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 17, No. 10, Glickman wrote, “In 
addition, in univariate analysises, many of the recommendations commonly made to prevent GDV, such as raising the food bowl, moistening dry food prior to feeding, and restricting water intake before and after feeding, were associated with a significantly increased risk of GDV. Recent research, not yet published, has shown an increased risk of GDV in dogs who consumed dry foods containing fat among the first four ingredients, and an increased risk in dogs who consumed dry foods listing citric acid as a preservative with this risk rising when foods with citric acid were moistened. Although not statistically significant, researchers found that a modest increase in risk of GDV was seen with the consumption of dry foods that listed more than one corn ingredient among the first four label ingredients, while in contrast, a pattern was observed of decreased GDV risk with an increasing number of protein ingredients of animal origin, including beef, poultry, lamb, and fish among the first four ingredients. 

STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS 

* Feed two or more meals a day 
* Feed no more than one cup per 33 pounds of body weight per meal when
feeding two meals a day 
* Feed an energy-dense diet, to reduce volume, but avoid a diet where a high amount of calories are from fats. 
* Feed a variety of different food types regularly. The inclusion of human foods in a primarily dry dog food diet was associated with a 59 percent decreased risk of GDV while inclusion of canned pet foods was associated with a 28 percent decreased risk 
* When feeding dry food, also include foods with sufficient amounts of meats and meat meals, for example: beef, lamb, poultry, and fish. 
* Feed a food with larger particles, and include larger pieces of meat to the diet. 
* Avoid moistening dry foods 
* If your dog eats rapidly, find ways to try to reduce his speed of eating 
* Avoid raising the food bowl place it at ground level
* Try to minimize stress for your dog. Stressful events have been reported to be precipitating factors in GDV occurrence. 
* Restrict vigorous exercise one hour before and two hours after meals. 
* When you are not in close proximity to your dog, use a baby monitor to alert you if your dog is in distress. 
* Learn to recognize signs of GDV, which include pacing and restlessness, head turning to look at the abdomen, distention of the abdomen, rapid shallow breathing, nonproductive attempts at vomiting, and salivation. These symptoms can progress rapidly to shock and death. Get to your veterinarianor emergency hospital the moment you suspect GDV.


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## Flats3 (Aug 22, 2008)

Angie I'm not sure where that article came from but it's not the Purdue Study and the Study Recommendations are not consistent with any other reports I have read. Although it's titled NEW Purdue Study the AVMA article referenced was an abstract which was published November 15, 2000. The study continued until 2004.

Some of the study recommendations were in complete contradictation to all the results I have read (don't exercise for an hour before or after feeding, stress is a factor - neither were found to have any affect) while others weren't even touched on in the study (use baby monitors on your dog). 

The American Kennel Club published a report on bloat in their August 2007 Gazette which you can read online at AKC.org. They were co-sponsors of the Purdue study through their Canine Health Foundation and their article also includes comments from Dr Laflamme, the senior pet nutrition scientist at Purina.

Hal


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

Flats3 said:


> Angie I'm not sure where that article came from but it's not the Purdue Study and the Study Recommendations are not consistent with any other reports I have read. Although it's titled NEW Purdue Study the AVMA article referenced was an abstract which was published November 15, 2000. The study continued until 2004.
> 
> Some of the study recommendations were in complete contradictation to all the results I have read (don't exercise for an hour before or after feeding, stress is a factor - neither were found to have any affect) while others weren't even touched on in the study (use baby monitors on your dog).
> 
> ...


I wonder if the dogs in the study had an activity level consistent with a working field trial retriever. Problem with most studies is they are done following the scientific process and usually leave out real world variables because it makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the assembled study data...


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## Flats3 (Aug 22, 2008)

Here's something that I found that discusses the approach used in the Midwest during phase 1 of the study: Note the reference to exercise patterns.

"Veterinary practitioners and owners in the Midwest participated in Purdue's bloat study by identifying in their practices 59 pairs of dogs. The pairs consisted of two dogs of the same age and breed -- one with bloat and one without bloat. Through interviews with owners, detailed information such as breed, age, sex, neuter status, health history, body weight, body conformation and body condition (i.e., thin, lean, optimum, overweight or obese), diet, and exercise patterns was collected."

Hal


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## Leddyman (Nov 27, 2007)

I feed 2 X per day. If I have less than 2 hours before working I skip the meal. I don't try to make up for it in the evening feeding, he just misses it.

He doesn't miss many meals and I think this schedule helps him gain weight which is what we're looking for right now.


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## bill barstow (Nov 14, 2003)

Wow what a timely subject 
Arleigh Reynolds (purina consultant)says our dogs perform best when feed 24 hours before competion so I have followed this advice and done well.

I used the power bar after an event before they stopped that now use a power gel with the same result

BUT it does not work in hot weather for my northern dog

He did well in the open at 10am but died on the 3rd bird in the amauer at 3pm which was beyond well 24 hours...same thing last fall in the heat

It was like his mind was blank for the last bird and it wasn't hard...pretty picture

Next time one cup in the morning with an egg and some canola oil...secret GA receipe!


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