Thanks for the responses! You would think as a nurse I might be a little less ignorant of this subject, but it is not a condition seen in humans by this name or precipitated by those events. After helping out at my friend's kennel, I unfortunately was witness to two cases of bloat where the dogs both died very suddenly. One was elderly. The other dog was overfed shortly after being released from our facility. Feeling guilty for having left their "babies" for a period of time, many clients often feel the need to "treat" their kids to anything and everything, even though have been fed prior to discharge. This was the case with one of the dog's and the cause of her unfortunate end. Since then, it has been a subject that has concerned me. I have a young lab who insists on playing, running, retrieving and swimming hard, from the moment I get home and it HAS worried me that too much exercise close to feeding might precipitate such an event. Your info. was very enlightening. Your clinical description makes me think you may have a medical background! Anyway, thanks again. Sandra