The definitive cause of bloat in dogs is unknown. However, veterinary scientists have identified a number of potential risk factors, including:
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- Rapid eating or drinking
- Eating only one large meal a day
- A dry-food-only diet
- Heavy exercise after a meal
- Anxious or easily stressed personality
- Abnormal gastric motility
- Hormone secretion
- Male gender
- Being underweight
- Advanced age
- Deep-chested breeds
