Raised feeding bowl question?

[lisa33]

Unfortunately, when we got Emmy from the breeder Emmy's mum died of bloat. Ever since I have done nothing but worry all the time about how to avoid it. Along my reading travels I read that you should raise their food bowl. On another reading travel I saw they said it doesn't make any difference if you raise the bowl or not

Could someone please put me out of my misery and tell me what is right

Thanks!

[marjolein]

Hmm, difficult question. They used to say feeding from a raised bowl was better, but now they've changed their minds. They now say feeding from the ground is better.
I don't really think these things prefent or cause bloat. What's far more important, that your dog is not too greedy, doesn't eat or drink shortly before or shortly after heavy excercise and that he stays calm after he's had his food. Heavy panting is not good either.
I feed from the ground btw, in fact, I don't even use bowls and just throw the food outside on the floor.

[marjolein]

Almost forgot to add that they say BARF-feeding your dog should lessen the risk too.

[lisa33]

Thanx for that! I was going to say that when she has her food (natural fed) she takes it out of the bowl anyway so it would'nt really make any difference!

Oh well thats that decision made!

Cheers

[emma]

A Finnish veterinarian specialized in small animals has written a review article about this. Unfortunately it is in Finnish only...
The article mentions also weimaraner as a breed that has been investigated.
In this article, it is stated that food should NOT be given from a raised bowl. The risk of getting bloat was increased 110% when using a raised bowl.
There are some main risk factors listed and they are quite familiar:
the bigger the dog is, the greater the risk.
A small dog´s intestine constitutes about 7% of the dog´s weight while in large breeds the intestine is only about 2.8% of the body weight. This increases risk.
Also the dog´s structure is associated with bloat. I don´t know if I get it right in English but it is said that a "high, deep and narrow thoracic cavity (chest?) will increase risk 170%.
High age was also a significant risk factor.
Most dogs are fed dry food and this increases risk significantly and that is why it is recommended that dry food is always swelled first and also large breeds should be fed twice a day.
Also, skinny dogs have an increased risk of getting bloat.
Feeding dogs BARF decreased the risk for bloat.

[marjolein]

Thanx for this post Emma, can I cross post it???

[emma]

Marjolein, of course you can
Hopefully I have managed to translate correctly. Maybe I should mention the name of the veterinarian that wrote the article, his name is Tuomas Kärkkäinen.

[marjolein]

Thanx!

[fialCo]

well I also have read that those deepchested dogs should not be fed and drink from a raised bowl.
As Jurate has once told me, dogs used to ate their food only from ground:) And all the throat and oesophagus are just addapted to swallow the food straightly.

and P. S. Emma, I also crossposted this article! Thanx!

[sian]

it is so confusing...

Cassie used to eat from a slightly raised bowl (about 10cm off the ground - on the 1st step of the stairs).

Then I read that it wasn't necessary, and we moved out to Belgium, where feeding in the hall was not as convenient. So, she's eaten at floor-level for 2+ years. No problems there....

When she got torsion, she was being fed 3 times a day , and she's never wolfed her food down. We still haven't really worked out what triggered the torsion - I don't know that we ever will. Probably a combination of stress (new puppy, plus one of their doggy friends was visiting), and posslbly playing outside too soon after eating.

[greyghost]

Our first Weim, Abbie, had a full 360 degree torsion at the age of One 9 years ago. At the time she was fed at a height. Dry food no water added. She had a couple of bonios not long after (more dry stuff going in ) and was going into the garden a lot.

Little did we know she had a secret water supply at the side of the house.

She presented with no text book signs but I managed to see that first non productive vomit. She would not settle all evening but hey what's new with a young weim like that.

I took her to the vets at 9pm and he gave her a tablet to relax the muscles to let any wind through. This knocked her out almost but something still niggled me.

I went down again at midnight and he operated immediately . He syphoned off quite a lot of water!! So maybe it is not just the food we need to watch. She was lucky and she lived to tell the tale. They performed a gastroplexy and she lived another 8 years.

I now feed on the floor, bit of wet, bit of dry, some barf etc. and watch the water intake, although this one (Holly) prefers rivers and puddles.