Originally Posted by
patentcad
You actually have to be very careful about letting large dogs drink water when they're exercising, they can develop bloat - that's where their stomach flips over. That's what killed Marley in 'Marley and Me'. Common problem with dogs like retreivers. I give him a little water when we're riding, then wait until we get home and he's cooled off.
unfortunately all dogs can suffer from this deadly condition but medium to larger dogs with deep chests (especially great danes) are the most at risk. there are lots of theories on how to prevent it but no sure fire method .
common theories are:
let your dog rest a couple hours after heavy excercise before feeding
maintain a healthy weight
smaller more frequent meals
feed/water in a calm environment
slow gradual diet changes (when a change is needed)
raised food/water dishes (although this was supposedly debunked)
as a past great dane owner who almost lost one of his dogs to this condition i just thought i'd put this out there.