"Our current recommendations to prevent a first episode of bloat include the following:
Do not breed any dog that has a first degree relative that bloated
Feed two to three meals daily rather than one meal and use a more energy dense dry food.
Do not use a raised feed bowl
Do not moisten dry food prior to feeding, especially if it contains citric acid as the preservative.
Do not use dry foods that contain fat among the first four ingredients on the label
Supplement dry foods with a small amount of fresh foods including fruits and vegetables
A prophylactic gastropexy can be performed, but this should only be done if the animal has been neutered or will be neutered when the gastropexy is performed. This will prevent passing on bloat genes to the next generation."
(Nothing here about these recommendations only being for specific breeds.)
"For years veterinarians, pet food companies, experts, breeders, etc. recommended owners to raise a dog’s food and water bowl to prevent bloat. This recommendation abounds on the Internet, in textbooks, in brochures in veterinarian’s offices, etc. However, there was never any scientific research to support this recommendation that seemed to evolve like an “old wife’s tale”. (Remember hearing your mother tell you that swimming after eating will cause cramps? Where did that one come from?) People justified this recommendation by saying that it was unnatural for large and giant breed dogs to eat off the ground and therefore, this must cause bloat. (Ever see a large animal in the wild or at the zoo eat from a raised food bowl?). In 1993 we began a five year study in which we followed nearly 2000 dogs that had no history of bloat. During the study 105 dogs bloated. When we compared these 105 dogs with those that did not bloat, we found the dogs that bloated were significantly more likely to have been fed from a raised food bowl. It was based on this study that we now recommend a dog’s food bowl not be raised. To my knowledge, I am not aware of any proven benefits to raising the bowl, even though to some owners and veterinarians this still “seems like a good thing to do”."
