Walking dogs right after walk?

Do you think the risk is lower if I walk the dogs, then feed them right after? So I'd walk them at 730Am, feed them, and then do it all over again at 530. I mean, the food takes hours to be processed in the dogs' digestive systems, right?

And the dogs can take awhile to poop honestly; like sometimes it takes almost the whole walk.

Also I have heard that Chrondritin and MSM multi pills can be really helpful. Lol I feel so bad but they seem really uninformed about so many aspects of care... I don't want to seem like I'm lecturing but obviously I want to help the dogs.

To make matters more complicated the wife just said they're going to be in the Amazon Basin and probably won't be reachable for three days. She does have a daughter I can contact though.

Yes, the risk is lower if the dogs are walked, then fed. If they were super active dogs (running, jumping, etc) then not having a cool-down period before their meal would be a problem, but walking shouldn't cause issues.

Okay, thanks! Seems like I'll be doing that then. And the food takes awhile to process in their gut, right? So they're never pooping out the food they just ate?

Right. It takes about 24 -36 hours for food to go from one end of the dog to the other, so to speak :-D. Eating can trigger the gut to move, and make them need to poop, but what comes out is what they ate the day before.

Thank you so much! The only other problem is that the lab drinks a ton of water after she eats... it seems to be the time to drink for her. She would have to hold it for 9 hours; what do you think about that?

Another reason to not feed the dogs before their walk! Having a lot of water with the food would increase the risk of bloat. But holding her pee until the next walk shouldn't be a problem. It takes time for the water to go through the dog's system, so when she pees on the walk (when being walked

after feeding) it's not the water she just drank. It's what she drank the previous visit.

Thank you so much for being so patient for me :). My only concern now is that when we get back they eat even faster than before! And I worry I'm really testing their patience... the akita looked at me after I withheld the water as if to guilt me lol

Hopefully, their eating quickly won't be an issue. If you want to do something different you have a couple of options. You can give 1/2 their meal (after the walk), wait about 5 minutes, then give the rest of the meal. Or you can give 1/2 the meal before the walk, and the rest after, as long as

you don't let them gorge on water before the walk. The recipe for bloat is lots of food + lots of water + bouncing or rolling motion. Sometimes you don't even need the activity. But as long as there isn't a lot of food and water in their tummies when you walk them, you should be good.

Thank you so so much! Your advice here has been invaluable; I've been stressing over this stay like crazy. If I decide to feed them only after the walk (and wait 5 minutes after they've eaten half fat food) when should I give them the water? They both love to drink a ton after eating

You're welcome! Offer them water both before and after the walk. I wish I could tell you to offer just 1/4 or so pan-full with their meals, then after a half hour or so, they can drink more, but I'm assuming that won't work in this case. Are the dogs crated during the day between your visits?

Hi, I thought that gulping down water was as much of an issue? No, the dogs are not crated. After the walk the akita pretty much chills out and the lab follows me around excitedly

I also worry that changing up their routine with the owners being away could stress the dogs out, adding another trigger for bloat. Like when they're eagerly anticipating more food. But this is just me overthinking things probably

In reality, since the dogs are fed twice a day and have free access to water throughout the day (and throughout the night, I'm assuming), their risk for bloat is lower. I recommend you feed after the walk, but you can leave the rest of their routine as is, if you prefer.

Thank you. I was thinking about scattering their food on the floor to slow their eating down but maybe it's not worth it. I really really appreciate all your help here!

Hi Mary, I was asked to walk/feed them at 730AM and 530PM so it seems like that might be a long time for the dogs to hold it in. That's part of the problem :/. And they poop not even 10 min after they're fed. As for arthritis, the arthritic akita moves full speed ahead! I don't even know how I could

try to slow her down, honestly. The wife mentioned that they were going to start the dog on glucosamine after they got back; I'm assuming that's what the vet recommended but it seems like such a minimal kind of help for the dog at this point :/

Thanks for your insight. While they are pretty old, the akita-german shepherd mix actually moves quite quickly for an old girl, almost the same pace as a dog much younger, so I don't know if that affects anything. I watched a youtube video of an old akita having bloat which concerned me.

I was thinking of recommending that soft piece of fabric that can go on the harness under the armpit for the dogs so at least it could prevent chafing but idk. Are there any examples of how the Walk-EZ leash works in action? I'm a bit confused as to how it actually functions

The Walk-EZ attaches to the collar just like any leash, then you wrap the lead around the chest and pull the end through the ring and you are ready to go. It is the pressure around the chest that controls the dog from pulling. I've used them for a long time and never noticed any chafing

How does the leash not cut into the back/hurt the back?

No, it I have yet to see it harm any pup and I use them every walking day. I walk a 100Lb Bulldog & a 75Lb Lab, both of them would pull like the dickens until I started them on the Walk-EZ, now both walk very easy with me, to the point the leash is slack most of the time. Give it a try

Walt, from what I have researched older dogs are more at risk for bloat than younger dogs...