Question about housetraining and safety
October 14, 2021 3:09 PM Subscribe
How do you reconcile these two pieces of dog advice:
* You shouldn't exercise your dog for +1 hour after eating to avoid giving them bloat.
* To train your puppy to eliminate outside, walk them immediately after they finish their meal.
I have a mini dachshund pup. In the past I thought only big dogs got bloat, but I have since learned otherwise. It really scares me, so I had been letting her rest when she wasn't supposed to go outside because of her shot status. Since she got her 12-week shot, I have been walking her for no more than ten minutes after a meal, but she hasn't decided to go on the ground yet. And it makes me nervous to see her playing around on the leash, because she's such an excitable boo. Should I be worried?
I have a mini dachshund pup. In the past I thought only big dogs got bloat, but I have since learned otherwise. It really scares me, so I had been letting her rest when she wasn't supposed to go outside because of her shot status. Since she got her 12-week shot, I have been walking her for no more than ten minutes after a meal, but she hasn't decided to go on the ground yet. And it makes me nervous to see her playing around on the leash, because she's such an excitable boo. Should I be worried?
I've never seen a doxie with that coloring, is it still called brindle when it's tan like that? Well done, regardless!
posted by rhizome at 3:22 PM on October 14, 2021
posted by rhizome at 3:22 PM on October 14, 2021
Even a stroll is going to be fine, just focus on "get the puppy to potty, don't do endurance sports". It's important that she learn to go potty on these walks, so you will need to make them as long as it takes, just take it slow and give her plenty of time to sniff around as that stimulates the urge to eliminate (as does gentle exercise). Walk a few yards, stop and sniff. Go a few more yards, stop and sniff. She's got little legs, so be mindful that a block is a lot longer to her than to you, but as long as she's showing no signs of exertion (which is different from excitement) you're okay.
I think a less alarmist rule of thumb is that if you're going to be doing strenuous exercise like a run, you should plan to feed afterwards. If you're going to be hiking, plan your hike so that there's rest time after feedings, and offer small drinks of water frequently rather than having them slorp thirstily at rare intervals. If your dog is doing agility training or lure coursing or dancing or stunts, schedule their meals with sufficient padding around the activity.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:46 PM on October 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
I think a less alarmist rule of thumb is that if you're going to be doing strenuous exercise like a run, you should plan to feed afterwards. If you're going to be hiking, plan your hike so that there's rest time after feedings, and offer small drinks of water frequently rather than having them slorp thirstily at rare intervals. If your dog is doing agility training or lure coursing or dancing or stunts, schedule their meals with sufficient padding around the activity.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:46 PM on October 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
My approach to walks for elimination purposes (as a former condo dweller, I got to get pretty good at these!) was to walk in a pretty circumscribed area and let my pup sniff and meander at her leisure while she made the important decision about where to poop. If she got distracted by other dogs, people walking by, suspicious plastic bags, etc. etc. I would redirect her to refocus on taking care of the matter at hand and keep walking around basically in circles. Sometimes she would try to turn these outings into a real walk, but sticking to a certain area kept her focused and I think helped her know the difference between types of walks. We also used a different leash and no harness for elimination outings vs. “real” walks.
Walks for exercise were a lot brisker and I’d let her sniff and meander for only a short time before redirecting her to forward motion.
posted by MadamM at 3:57 PM on October 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
Walks for exercise were a lot brisker and I’d let her sniff and meander for only a short time before redirecting her to forward motion.
posted by MadamM at 3:57 PM on October 14, 2021 [4 favorites]
The dog I know that died from bloat had been on an incredibly strenuous, off-leash, long run in the woods with it's athlete owner (who didn't know about this).
Perhaps you'll find this information from a vet reassuring:
Bloat can occur at any age, but is most often seen in middle aged dogs. Research from Purdue University found that risk increased 20% per each year of age. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons states that nearly all breeds have been reported to have had gastric dilatation (with or without volvulus), but the condition is seen most commonly in large breed dogs with deep chests. These dogs are normally much taller than they are wide, creating a high “height to width ratio.” According to the American Kennel Club, Great Danes are 5 to 8 times more likely to bloat than a dog with a low height to width ratio.
Despite continuing research, the specific cause of GDV is not known. Risk factors which are thought to contribute to bloat include:
eating very quickly
overeating
drinking a large quantity of water in a short period of time
raised food bowls
stress (anxious dogs are thought to be more prone, as are dogs in stressful situations or environments such as boarding kennels)
exercising after eating
genetic factors
increased age
A post-meal walk to pee and poop is not vigorous exercise. Please take your pup out after eating.
posted by bluedaisy at 5:11 PM on October 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
Perhaps you'll find this information from a vet reassuring:
Bloat can occur at any age, but is most often seen in middle aged dogs. Research from Purdue University found that risk increased 20% per each year of age. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons states that nearly all breeds have been reported to have had gastric dilatation (with or without volvulus), but the condition is seen most commonly in large breed dogs with deep chests. These dogs are normally much taller than they are wide, creating a high “height to width ratio.” According to the American Kennel Club, Great Danes are 5 to 8 times more likely to bloat than a dog with a low height to width ratio.
Despite continuing research, the specific cause of GDV is not known. Risk factors which are thought to contribute to bloat include:
eating very quickly
overeating
drinking a large quantity of water in a short period of time
raised food bowls
stress (anxious dogs are thought to be more prone, as are dogs in stressful situations or environments such as boarding kennels)
exercising after eating
genetic factors
increased age
A post-meal walk to pee and poop is not vigorous exercise. Please take your pup out after eating.
posted by bluedaisy at 5:11 PM on October 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: rhizome: she's piebald!
bluedaisy: I'm very sorry about your friend. Thank you for the information; it's narrower than I worried it was.
This is definitely just her bouncing around on the end of her leash while I stand still and wait for her to make the connection between outside and doing her business. It is good to know that isn't such a concern.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:45 PM on October 14, 2021
bluedaisy: I'm very sorry about your friend. Thank you for the information; it's narrower than I worried it was.
This is definitely just her bouncing around on the end of her leash while I stand still and wait for her to make the connection between outside and doing her business. It is good to know that isn't such a concern.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:45 PM on October 14, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fiercecupcake at 3:16 PM on October 14, 2021 [5 favorites]