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