Raised Feeders

[Burpdog]

If you do a search in this forum and the food forum you will probably come up with 20 or more threads.

 

Not sure where the vet got his info as the only study I know of is the Purdue study and it is skewed. They used show dogs = high stress.

 

When my first Dane bloated, I was not feeding out of raised bowls and the vet told me to raise the bowls, so I did. She never went into bloat again.

 

My second Dane who bloated had spent two days traveling from Florida to Houston and went into bloat on 1/4 can of pedigree dog food.

 

When Burp went into bloat, he had just come out of boarding, had been given only half his heart meds and had been bitten by spiders (very gross helping clean that out). He continued to be fed the same food and out of a raised feeder. He did not bloat again.

 

All 3 high stress situations. I've fed out of raised feeders since Tiff bloated in 1970. Some of the greys like to eat laying down (like Tootsie & Annie) and that is fine.

 

In my opinion what is more important is no exercise an hour before and two hours after or do not feed just before or after high stress events like an outing to the park or vet.

 

This is addition to feeding a food that does not produce gas. If my dogs start farting on a food, the food does not live at my house! I will not add yogurt, pumpkin etc on a daily basis. The food is either good for them or not good for them.

Edited June 29, 2009 by Burpdog

[Guest Energy11]

If you do a search in this forum and the food forum you will probably come up with 20 or more threads.

 

Not sure where the vet got his info as the only study I know of is the Purdue study and it is skewed. They used show dogs = high stress.

 

When my first Dane bloated, I was not feeding out of raised bowls and the vet told me to raise the bowls, so I did. She never went into bloat again.

 

My second Dane who bloated had spent two days traveling from Florida to Houston and went into bloat on 1/4 can of pedigree dog food.

 

When Burp went into bloat, he had just come out of boarding, had been given only half his heart meds and had been bitten by spiders (very gross helping clean that out). He continued to be fed the same food and out of a raised feeder. He did not bloat again.

 

All 3 high stress situations. I've fed out of raised feeders since Tiff bloated in 1970. Some of the greys like to eat laying down (like Tootsie & Annie) and that is fine.

 

In my opinion what is more important is no exercise an hour before and two hours after or do not feed just before or after high stress events like an outing to the park or vet.

 

This is addition to feeding a food that does not produce gas. If my dogs start farting on a food, the food does not live at my house! I will not add yogurt, pumpkin etc on a daily basis. The food is either good for them or not good for them.

 

 

Great information!! I never feed with they are hot, stressed, have exercised, etc. ... I also don't let the guzzle water right after eating. When I was kennel manager at the vets in Florida, we fed all the larger dogs raised ... MY idea :-)) Our kennel was immaculate. I loved that job!

[ahicks51]

If you do a search in this forum and the food forum you will probably come up with 20 or more threads.

 

Not sure where the vet got his info as the only study I know of is the Purdue study and it is skewed. They used show dogs = high stress.

 

Number of large breed dogs in the study that were show dogs: 796. Those that were not: 98. Relative risk:

 

Show dogs: 0.58 (confidence interval of 0.29 - 1.16)

Dogs not regularly shown: 1.00

 

Giant breed dogs in the study that were show dogs:673. Those that were not: 70.

 

Show dogs: 0.71 (0.30 to 1.68)

Dogs not regularly shown: 1.00

 

Large breed dogs shown up to 10 times per year: relative risk = 1.00 (number: 335)

Shown 10-19 times per year, relative risk = 1.18 (number: 208)

Shown 20+ times/year, relative risk: 0.71 (number: 253)

 

Giant breed dogs: up to 10 times/year: relative risk = 1.00 (388 dogs)

10-19 times/year: 0.72 (170 dogs)

20+ times/year: 1.37 (115 dogs)

 

In short, show dogs had a lower risk (within the confidence interval, anyway), and the risk went down with the number of shows (for large breed dogs), and well within the confidence interval for giant breed dogs.

[Guest sorenkkg]

Well, to answer the original question: yes, we use a raised feeder. It was hard finding one here that was tall enough, and we did find one with adjustable legs (they also fold for travel).

 

As for the controversy-- I had no idea there was so much! It made sense to me to raise the food as small dogs are closer to the floor, so they can eat off it... I figured raising it up so the dogs could get to it would be better, not in that weird head ultra-bent position.

hmm.

 

Mine don't eat fast (we do let the kibble soak quite a bit) but when we first got them and they ate fast, we put a big Kong in there (work with what you have I guess ) and now they eat at a normal pace.

 

In high stress situations (like the upcoming fireworks) I can count on Haka and Aleeya to NOT want to eat at all, for the whole night

 

In any event, I watch them carefully, don't eat for at least a 1/2hr even after a short walk, cool down if it's hot, etc.

[seattlegreygirl]

We use raised feeders here!

[Guest Tuxsmom]

well, my layman's uneducated theory is this: we are supposed to mimic what is natural for the animal. I feed my horses out of tubs on the ground, because they are not meant to eat with their necks curved into a food bowl at chest height.

 

So, in nature, a large dog would theoretically get larger game, which would be theoretically at chest height when chowing down right?

 

of course, greyhounds wouldn't actually exist in the wild. so never mind....

 

how's that for talking yourself in a circle ?

[msjpk]

I purchased the portion control bowl for Lou as he is the one who eats fast.

He doesn't like it and puts off his eating altogether.