Bloated / fat Labrador

[catbingo]

I have a yellow lab (4 years old). Like all labs she has an insatiable appetite and I keep a very close eye on her weight and she is quite trim.

She goes to a daycare provision and on several occasions when she returns she is absolutely massive - like she's scoffed a ton of kibble. When I've asked the guys who run the daycare I've been told that she hasn't had any extra food or got into their food storage. She never gets like that when not at daycare unless she somehow gets into the kibble sacks.

She seems well and healthy (except last night when she was clearly too full to feel comfortable) with lots of energy. She isn't massively farty so I don't think it is bloating. It just looks like her stomach is completely full.

Assuming the daycare guys are telling the truth, what could be making her so fat? Are there any medical conditions that could cause this?

They are not telling the truth. Does she do massive poos the next day?

Well I don't really see, because she is at daycare when she poos, generally. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Occam's razor is all I have to say on this one

Maybe she's eating the other dogs dinners?

Maybe she's eating the other dogs? (lighthearted)

Well, the most likely explanation is that she is eating too much while away from you. Whether or not the daycare people are aware of where she is getting the food is probaly the thing you need to think about.

Do they secure their stores properly? Are dogs fed away from one another? Are their systems about who has fed which animal, how much and when, robust?

My lab will eat anything, and can be quite clever with finding stuff. If there is anything in his range, he will find a way! It may be that your daycare setting just isn't being careful enough?

I had a labxrottweiler, and one day he got really bloated, looked like his stomach had been inflated.

It was a Sunday so emergency vets visit. Yay. The dog was was fine, the vet did the checks because there's something with puppies and their stomachs, so we were worried about him. The little sod had eaten nearly a quarter of a huge 15kg bag of kibble.

The vet was pissing himself laughing, and only charged a small fee. We learned very quickly that labs will eat just about anything.

He's either being overfed, or is getting into the kibble. Can you put a mini camera on his collar to see what he does

I agree that she is probably having the other dogs' food. I'm guessing they feed all the dogs at the same time and yours will scoff the other dogs' food first and then eat her own. Our old dog (half lab) would do exactly that.

If she is not supposed to be fed at all whilst there, then she is somehow getting into the feeding area. That should not happen.

I'd be telling the day care that she is to have no food at all while there (and that means making absolutely sure she doesn't get into the feeding area with the other dogs).

Can you ask to see how they actually feed dogs that are there? If it is just a free for all then of course the greediest dogs will eat everything. There will be some dogs going without any food. That is not on.

If they won't tighten up their feeding regime then I'd find another day care. I'd be worried that medication put in food for a specific dog would end up being eaten by another dog. That is simply not on and could have terrible consequences, even apart from the overeating issue.

I like the camera on the dog's collar idea.

Can you say she's not to be fed at daycare? And is to be separated from other dogs when they are eating to control her intake?

Our dog has breakfast at 0630 with DH, and dinner at 1700 when she gets home. No need for her to be fed by 3rd parties at all.

Bloat is a serious condition and can be fatal. If they’re letting her scoff down all that food they could be putting her at risk. I’d be going over that day care with a fine tooth comb and if they don’t like it, tough. Hope she’s ok.

If it's a free for all, I'd be surprised if there haven't been scraps over food before now - even if it's only the 'handbags at dawn' level of fighting. Even otherwise perfectly sociable dogs can do it if they feel their dinner is under threat - mine has to be fed separately at boarding for this reason.

Has anyone seen that video of the two terriers and the Labrador lined up before three plates of food? Someone gives them the go ahead and the Lab has grabbed the food off all three plates before the terriers have hardly moved. I know it’s meant to be funny but it’s not really.

Well this has happened before but not to the extent that she got that large and I have said from then that she is not to be fed at all. Like SilverHairedCat she has breakfast at 6.30 and dinner at 5pm so there's absolutely no need for her to have extra food.

I took her to the vets this evening and she's had a blood test and is going back today for Xray and ultrasound. If they are feeding her then it will cost me in the region of £500.😡

She has barely had anything to eat since Tuesday (whilst being with me - who knows at daycare) and she's still quite large and hasn't really pestered me for food, which suggests to me that she is poorly but in all other respects she is her usual self. Very perky.