Feeding and exercise

Ruby Red · 08-23-2009, 03:45 PM

Just wondering - how long after a meal do you leave it before letting your dog exercise, as in running free off-lead? I'm curious as there seems to be a lot of views on this. I try to leave it for at least 3 hours, my agility teacher says nothing for 5 hours before class.

Ron · 08-23-2009, 04:18 PM

I don't limit Tie at all, never have really.

Spyglass Sally · 08-23-2009, 05:18 PM

Buddy has been running off leash on the beach probably a couple hours after eating. Logic would say the risk of GDV (bloat), which is what I assume you're concerned about, would vary depending on what and how much they ate.

An article in the August 2007 AKC Gazette looked at the role of exercise and food (among other things) in the risk of bloat. According to a 1998 study done by Lawrence Glickman, VMD, professor of environmental health at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, "We found very consistently that dogs eating only dry food had higher risk of bloat. It didn't matter whether the owners added canned food or table scraps; as long as it was not dry-food-only, the risk went down." The study also says it was a common belief that drinking large volumes of water with meals and that exercise before and after meals were dangerous. Glickman found these to have no effect.

If I recall correctly, you feed raw which we know would digest more quickly than the dry. It would seem that in the wild a dog would naturally rest if it's stomach were full and run again when it was comfortable doing so. It would seem then that if you don't force Ruby to exercise, she should be fine to take out much sooner than the 5 hours your teacher is saying. Perhaps she is aware of some study we are not? If so, it would be nice to see it. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it and follow your own instincts.

AussieGirl · 08-23-2009, 06:53 PM

We don't do agility like you (she's not old enough) but when we take her to the beach where she has a good run and frisbee session I try to feed her after we go when ever possible, but do wait a few hours if she's been fed before. She usually eats breakfast between 6:30 - 7am and if we go to the beach in the morning I stop at the beach after taking the kids to school around 9:30ish. But I do try to go in the afternoon when possible.

whitedaisy · 08-23-2009, 08:21 PM

I don't do any forced exercise for at least an hour before or after but I do let them run themselves after if they choose.

I don't have enough hours in the day to wait that many before and after feedings!!

Specs · 08-23-2009, 09:04 PM

I'm with whitedaisy, I wait after an hour before heavy exercise.

Ruby Red · 08-24-2009, 09:46 AM

Thanks I was just interested to know what others did actually, as talking around with other dog walkers, opinions on this matter vary. It was more brought to a head because our agility teacher made this statement about not feeding our dogs for 5 hours before class last week [I think a dog was sick in one of the other classes and that’s what prompted it]. It wasn’t really about bloat as such, although sadly, only last weekend I was out walking the dogs when we meet a lady who really fawned over Ruby and said she used to have a boxer but it died from bloat.

I read the article about bloat [August 2007 AKC Gazette], which was interesting, especially the bit about raised feeding stands:

Quote:

People had long believed that bloat-prone dogs should be fed from elevated food bowls. "We found that not only was this untrue, but it actually increased the risk by up to 200 percent.."

Scary – these things are promoted over here as an object for lessening the risk of bloat!!!! I was rather surprised to see that that they listed collies as high risk though, in the collie fraternity they are generally considered only medium risk dogs.