Great Dane gut health & bloat prevention

A Great Dane with a bloat history is a dog whose digestive health genuinely matters — GDV is one of the most serious risks the breed faces, and while probiotics won't prevent bloat on their own, a well-supported gut microbiome can reduce gas production, improve motility, and lower the kind of fermentation that contributes to the conditions that precede it. Probiotics can make a real difference for dogs, but quality and strain specificity vary enormously — what helps one dog can do nothing for another. Before I point you toward something, can you tell me: is your Dane 6 years old, has he or she already had a gastropexy, and what symptoms are you currently seeing — loose stools, excess gas, intermittent gurgling? And has your vet been involved in the gut health conversation?

That's a really sensible position to be in — gastropexy done, vet on board, and you're catching this before it becomes a bigger problem rather than after. Post-meal gas and occasional loose stools in a Great Dane often point to a microbiome that's slightly out of balance, which can be diet-related, stress-related, or just the large-breed gut being a large-breed gut. The goal here is consistent microbial support rather than a short-term fix. Can I ask what she's currently eating — raw, kibble, wet food — and whether you've tried any probiotic or digestive supplement before?

The twice-daily feeding and removing raised bowls is exactly right for her history, well done for sticking to that. The pet shop powder probably had a low CFU count and generic strains — that's the most common reason people see no result. For a large breed dog with her profile, you want something with clinically validated strains, a meaningful CFU count, and ideally some prebiotic support alongside the probiotic to actually feed the bacteria once they arrive. My clear recommendation is Protexin Pro-Kolin Advanced — it contains Enterococcus faecium (a robustly studied strain for canine gut health), combined with kaolin and pectin for stool consistency, and it's formulated as a paste which means dosing is accurate and absorption is good. It's widely used by UK vets, comes in a syringe format that's easy to give with meals, and for a dog her size the dose is clearly stated on the pack. It won't eliminate post-meal gas overnight, but used consistently over four to six weeks, most owners of gassy large breeds report a meaningful reduction. You can find it on Amazon UK — search Protexin Pro-Kolin Advanced, the 15ml or 60ml paste depending on whether you want to trial it first or commit to a longer course.

Good question. For a dog like her — with an ongoing tendency toward gas and loose stools rather than an acute episode — daily use during an initial four to six week settling-in period makes sense, then you can drop to giving it during higher-risk times: after any diet change, during stressful periods like travel or kennelling, or if you notice the gassiness creeping back. Some owners of large dogs with sensitive guts do use it continuously at a maintenance dose and that's fine, it's well tolerated. The key thing is consistency during the first month so you actually give the microbiome time to shift — sporadic use is why a lot of people conclude probiotics don't work. If you see no change at all after six weeks of daily use, that's worth going back to your vet with, because it might point to something worth investigating further.

That's the right call — the 60ml gives you enough for a proper trial without running out halfway through. Give it with her meals rather than separately, and keep a rough note of her gas and stool consistency week by week so you have something concrete to compare. Hope it makes a real difference for her.