Evening everyone, my little Delta (who is going to be huge!) is already 27.5 lbs and gets the mad half-hour every evening right after her food. Even if I put all her toys away, she always finds something to do (running laps at the very least). My concern is that it is right after eating; it worries me because she is a large breed and, as you know, bloat is more likely in big dogs :s I have a friend who lost her GSD when it was only 3 years old because of that, it is not that rare... (I cannot remember the exact circumstances). Does anyone else have the same issue (the post-dinner madness)? Any advice? Or perhaps some reassuring words on the matter?
Cheers!
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Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. So, she’s a White Swiss Shepherd, exactly 3 months old (born 17th March), and we’re on 3 meals a day. Since she’s only 3 months, we’re sticking to the 5-minutes-per-month-of-age rule for walks, so 15 mins max for now, not counting playtime with any doggy friends we bump into. I take her for a walk before every meal, wait for her to settle, and we do a "sit" and "stay" before she gets her food. I’ve had to buy a slow feeder bowl too because the little madam eats way too fast—she was gulping down a handful of dry food and then bringing it all back up whole! When we get back from a walk, even if she looks knackered, she settles for 2 or 3 minutes before getting all excited to play again, so we just wait. I have to take her out into the garden right after she eats because she needs a poo and a pee within 10 minutes. She sleeps a lot during the day; yesterday she was wiped out from 10am to 3pm (probably because of her jabs), but usually, it’s the same routine but with a walk and a bowl of food at lunchtime.
So, I was thinking of either:
- Reducing the amount she gets in the evening and increasing her lunch.
Or
- Pushing back her evening meal until after her "mad half-hour," but that makes it much later (11pm). We walk her around 7:30pm, get back, and then she shows signs of being hungry around 8pm (we eat, then she gets her bowl around 9pm).
Or maybe doing a training session after she eats (you’ve just given me that idea!)—I do that in the morning before we go for a walk so we can at least have breakfast in peace. (Sit, down, stay, and "on your bed" for now.)
- Set up a fixed schedule?
Or feed her before the walk? But the mornings are a bit hectic—we’re basically "on duty" from 6am sharp with her, and given how overexcited she is when we go downstairs, it’s impossible to feed her first, otherwise she’d just bolt it. Or do we keep the morning and lunch as they are since they're going well, and just try swapping things around in the evening?
Otherwise, I could take her for a walk on my own around 5:30 or 6pm, but that bothers me because my partner doesn’t get back until 7:30pm, so he doesn't get much time with her during the week (I work from home).
The "settling" session worked well this morning; she's asleep now. But the evenings are a bit like @merline's post with her Cane Corso...
Evening everyone, my little Delta (who’s definitely going to be a big girl!) is already 27.5 lbs (nearly 2 stone) and she has her "mad half-hour" every evening right after her dinner. Even if I tidy all her toys away, she still finds something to do (she’ll do sprints at the very least). My concern is that it’s right after eating; I’m worried because she’s a large breed and, as you know, bloat (GDV) is more likely in big doggos. I have a friend who lost her GSD at 3 years old because of it, it’s not that rare... (I can't remember the exact circumstances). Do you have the same problem (the zoomies right after eating)? Any advice? Or some reassuring words on the subject? Cheers!
Hi,
You mentioned it’s not rare, but I’ve had a look around and couldn’t find any specific figures on it.
Just because it happens to dogs belonging to people we know doesn't necessarily mean it’s a common problem (if that’s the connection you were making?).
I'm not saying it's rare or not, I honestly don't know, though I suspect it's not actually that common (perhaps because owners are so vigilant). On the other hand, I think the risk is high for large breeds, especially with "very" intense activity in the first few hours after a meal. From what I understand, that doesn't really seem to be the case with your dog—I'd call that more moderate activity?
I don’t know if that reassures you, but it might help you see things a bit differently.
Otherwise, you've probably already read up on it, but I found the advice on the PDSA website quite comprehensive:
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/conditions/bloat-gdv-in-dogs
What do you do besides tidying away the toys? How do you go about calming Delta down? A few more details, please... What time does she eat, how many hours of napping does she do in the afternoon, and how long is her afternoon walk? Does she burn off enough energy? And what’s her state of mind before dinner?
Otherwise, yes, for medium to large dogs, it's best if the dog stays calm before and after meals to avoid bloat.
What breed is Delta? (Sorry, I’ve forgotten).
In any case, don’t panic—it’s normal. I think she’s about three and a half months old? 🙄 Our Boxer was the same; when she was a pup, she used to go a bit wild after eating—pure zest for life! 😂 And eating is the best thing ever, isn't it? 😁 She’d do zoomies all over the house 😅😅 So, I’d call her over after her meal for a quiet cuddle (no playing), and she’d sit or lie down near me with a chew toy or an antler. It actually helps with calmness and recall training too! Especially after eating, it was great that she’d come to me... Don’t let her wander off with the toy... keep her close to you with it... no stress or pressure, just a quiet moment... As soon as she got wound up, I’d give a soft "shhh" while stroking her (firm and steady—not ten strokes a minute or you’ll just excite her) and when she calmed down... I’d say, "good girl, settle".
After a few sessions each evening, she’s understood since she was about four months old that evenings are for winding down! Sometimes I’d just put the antler next to me and, while she was gnawing away, I’d use her back as a bookrest (I know, she’s not a table! 😁), but I also wanted her to realise I wasn't just an audience member and that she wasn't the centre of my attention 24/7.
So, once she’s in that calm state, take her out. Be calm yourself as well, obviously...
I always ramble on... but I hope this helps... I’ve had my fair share of hyper puppies! I'm here if you need anything else...
Hi everyone, my little Delta (who is going to be huge!) is already about 27 lbs and gets the zoomies every evening right after her dinner. Even when I tidy all her toys away, she always finds something to do (doing sprints at the very least). My concern is that it’s right after she's eaten, which worries me because she’s a large breed and, as you know, bloat/gastric torsion is more likely in big dogs. I have a friend who lost her GSD at 3 years old because of it, and it's not that uncommon... (I can't remember the exact circumstances). Do any of you have the same issue (that "mad half-hour" right after eating)? Any advice? Or some reassuring words on the subject? Thanks!
Post-dinner routine:
She goes outside, sniffs around, nibbles her buffalo horn, starts running a bit,
Does a wee and a poo, and then that’s it—off she goes, it’s total chaos!
