Do You Use Raised Feeders?

[Guest Shermanator]

I have heard raising your greyhounds bowls are both good and bad. There is so much conflicting information.

I feed them in 21 inch high plant stands with their bowls in them. Cheap at walmart, easy and done!

 

But is this bad? I've heard feeding raised reduces the chance of bloat, and I've heard feeding on raised bowls makes the dogs more likely to bloat?

[Guest smarthound]

I think the jury is still out on this one. We use raised feeders and it sure makes it more comfortable for the pups to eat. Especially when they get old and stiff.

Edited August 6, 2010 by smarthound

[OwnedBySummer]

Rather than paying attention to the whole bloat controversy, I just decided to go with comfort and boy, she sure is more comfy not having to do the giraffe imitation to eat from the floor. So... for that alone... I use a raised feeder.

[Walliered]

I really like the Neater Feeder as my dog has terrible table maners. I got tired of putting beach towels under his water bowl, so this does the trick.

[dante2zoe]

I elevate their water bowl, but raw feed. They prefer to lie down to eat, so a raised feeder would make things rather uncomfortable! Otherwise, I probably would raise the bowl just for comfort.

[2greytgreys]

I use raised bowls for both water and kibble. Voted "other" for the type as someone through our adoption group makes wonderful wooden stands. They are shaped like a dog bone and our director paints little bones, paw prints and greyhounds on them.

[Guest Sweetreba]

When I adopted my first grey I called my vet to ask him about this and he said in the wild if they caught a rabbit how would they eat it. So we went with bowls on the floor. He said they only recommend raised if the dog is having a problem. Well, as of today my Reba is using raised feeders. She has nueropathy in her left back leg and they advised the raised feeder which she seems to like and is not wobbling trying to bend down. I keep the water dish elevated for both because they both use it and I am doing it for her but he is still being fed with his dish on the floor.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Sweetreba

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I do not, but most of my dogs lay down by choice to eat They inhale and the food is gone in seconds and no morsel is left behind. It is so nice having good eaters, especially since I've had some picky ones. My oldie used to be very picky but now he's just a senile old thing and lives for food I don't think there's a anything wrong with it. I have fed in buckets (clipped to the side of the crates) in the recent past, and only recently took down and gave away the last crate in my house.

[Guest kydie]

I use them, poor pup looks like a little giraffe,, with his front legs splaied trying to eat off the floor

[Guest ctgreylover]

Tony prefers the raised feeders. If I have a foster who seems uncomfortable, I put it on the ground. so I guess my answer is - I let the dog decide.

I heard raised feeders were supposed to help prevent bloat but not I am hearing it doesn't matter.

[Guest mountain4greys]

Raised feeders and water for all mine. It's more comfortable. I have a couple of these.

 

[racindog]

The studies I have seen say it increases the likelihood of bloat. Knowing this, I still began to feed my soulmate Slim out of a raised feeder on the advice of a veterinarian due to neck injury. He crossed over at only 6 years old from bloat/GDV . Never again. Better a little discomfort or even pain in eating naturally from the floor than being dead. JMO.

[Batmom]

We use raised feeders most times. AFAIK there's been just the one study showing that raised feeders increase the risk of bloat. I recall reading some criticism of that study but don't remember what it was so can't agree or disagree. The two dogs we've had bloat were both debilitated with age; neither ate from a raised feeder at the time. ..... I will say that any sign of distress, odd appearance, odd behavior after eating, we are at the vet. You betcha it costs, but if your dog does bloat, every minute counts. ..... Every dog owner should read up on the signs and symptoms of bloat and reread a couple times a year. Note that abdominal distension may appear in the ribcage and not in the tuck area so it can be hard to spot.

[Guest jupiterooos]

Angler eats from a raised feeder. He has arthritis, and is quite tall, so it's difficult for him to eat off the floor. Jupiter eats off the floor with no problems.

[PrairieProf]

I was told by the adoption coordinator at my group that using a raised feeder wasn't necessary/desirable, so I don't. (I also like being able to take the food bowl up between meals -- I don't need it cluttering up my living room [we feed on a rug, less slippery for her feet as she bends down] all the time for the three minutes or so a day Beth spends actually eating.) And after all, they've never had raised feeders before they're adopted, I don't think! I might use one if Beth seems uncomfortable reaching down to the bowl when she gets older.

[Guest KennelMom]

raised feeders for everyone. The increase in the risk of bloat in the Purdue study was actually extremely small...and I think the study was somewhat flawed to begin with because they used all show dogs, which tend to have higher stress levels than your average couch ornament.

[kudzu]

... I still began to feed my soulmate Slim out of a raised feeder on the advice of a veterinarian due to neck injury. He crossed over at only 6 years old from bloat/GDV

I am so sorry that happened. It is awful and when it happens it is so often in middle-age. This could happen for many, many reasons. My experience was the opposite of yours. Initially fed using a raised feeder 10 years ago as all suggested my dog's conformation made him susceptible to bloat. The several years later learned of the Purdue study findings & immediately put his bowl back on the floor. He still suffered GDV & was only barely saved. He later went on to bloat many times more though never torsioned again. He had a motor neuron disease. Eventually for his own safety I fed him from a raised feeder. He had no more or less bloating that way.

 

Had my boy died when he torsioned I would have forever felt that I had killed him by putting his food bowl back down on the floor. Please, please do not think your choice of a raised feeder contributed to it.

Edited August 9, 2010 by kudzu

[Guest mattbta]

Mine eat too fast and the raised bowl helps keep them from choking.

[stlgrey]

I have used raised feeders from day one with all my greyhounds and my whippet. They are too tall to have to try to bend down to eat. They look more comfortable when they are eating or drinking. After my family seen how my greys love their raised bowls they also bought them for their dogs. I found mine at a store like Marshalls and they were only around $12.00. including the bowls.

[Guest SueG201]

I have always used raised feeders for all of my dogs over the years and there have been many, I just think it is more comfortable for them to not have to bend over to eat, and I have not had bloat, JMO

[MarcR]

Actually, one of my girls does get her food from a raised position. But two of my girls prefer to eat laying down, so I guess you could say I have lowered hounds instead of raised feeders.

[Guest TBSFlame]

I answered yes as I do use raised feeders for both water and kibble but I also feed some of the dogs in their crates from the floor. Memmie and Jeremy do lay down in their crates while they eat, most of the time.

[Guest Paige12]

We had one grey bloat 4 years ago. The whole time we were rushing him to the ER we were in denial that this was happening. We lost him that night and I immediately started researching what we could have done wrong. Read the Purdue study and all bowls went to the floor. Then we had Paige, who lost her front leg and we had to put her bowl up, it was too hard for her to bend down, balance and eat off the floor. Last year we became patients of Dr. Bill Feeman and as we talked about bloat, he said he felt that there were really a lot of factors to the mix. Was the dog nervous? Elvie was extremely nervous and skittish, so we will never know for sure. We do have all our greys back on raised feeders because they seem to eat more comfortably, less coughing, but we do two small meals twice a day, no exercise right before or after eating. Just hoping to beat the odds.

[ShantisMom]

Shanti has raised feeders. I am now looking for a stand for Nala. She is 12 and has a hard time reaching down to eat. It was actually sad to see her so splayed out trying to get her food. Asti still eats from the bowl on the floor.

 

I use plant stands. I have not been able to find another yet.

[Guest Houndstown]

We use a double raised feeder to feed our two-we have to improvise with chairs, etc, when we have houseguests. We actually just have the water in several locations around the house (ad outside in a big bucket), and they are just in the floor. They never have had a problem with the water being low.