Bloat And Elevated Dog Bowls

[Guest TeriD]

I'm confused. Should I or should I not be using an elevated dog dish?

My Rosey started dry heaving tonight. For probably about 10 minutes. We massaged her throat and she drank some water. And afterwards....I did the most dreaded thing...I GOOGLED IT 😩😩😩 and I read about the possibility of bloat and having an elevated dog bowl.

She's resting nicely now but to be honest her little episode scared me.

Edited October 22, 2015 by TeriD

[buddibear]

It'd odd that track dogs eat off the floor of their kennel. We just think it looks more comfortable for a leggy dog to have a raised bowl. Some will say they swallow more air and results in bloating. I think wetting the food helps it slide down better and slowing the eating speed can't hurt

[Guest Scouts_mom]

10-20 years ago it was accepted wisdom that raised dishes help stop bloat. Since then, there have been studies showing that raised dishes may actually make bloat more likely. Others have found that it makes no difference. Frankly I don't think it makes a difference at all. My dogs seem to prefer raised dishes so that is what I use. But if your pup is going to choke with raised bowls, try putting them at floor level.

 

Also be aware that, while it is something to be aware of, racing greyhounds don't get bloat very often. I understand it is more common with AKA greyhounds.

Edited October 22, 2015 by Scouts_mom

[Hubcitypam]

The jury is still out and there have been many studies (I think Purdue was a famous one that used danes). Greyhounds at the farm and track don't eat out of raised feeders. Would have been very inconvenient for my girlhound who would only eat while lounging next to her bowl to have a raised feeder.

[greysmom]

Most studies seem to indicate that genetics (first degree family members having bloated) and body type (more rectangular rather than squarer) have more to do with bloat than any other factors.

 

That being said, you still don't want to exercise your dog right before or after eating; you don't want them to bolt their food; you don't want them becoming agitated around meal times.

 

Putting water on dry kibble, not necessarily soaking it soft, seems to help with the food going down if you have one that eats fast. There are also commercial food bowls you can buy that make them slow down when eating.

 

Elevated food bowls are mostly a matter of personal preference than other factors. We prefer to use them to avoid the whole "Bambi" effect when eating. And mine seem to find it more comfortable - except for the one who prefers to eat laying on her bed!

[Guest TeriD]

Thankfully I already do wet her dry food and add Olewo just because. I do feed her after her morning walk but by walk I mean just across the street to p&p. She isn't running or doing zoomies or anything outrageous.

Last night when she started her gagging it was well after she ate and seemingly out of the blue. I didn't hear her doing it throughout the night and she seems ok today (knock on wood).

Thanks for your input. I will keep an eye on her and call the vet if she has another episode. I've looked at the thread regarding recommended vets in each state and luckily for me there is a recommended 24hr vet near me. So that gives me some peace of mind 👍🏻

Edited October 22, 2015 by TeriD

[FiveRoooooers]

You say that she started well after she ate and seemingly out of the blue. I wonder if Rosey was reverse sneezing, not gagging? FWIW, starting with my Danes and then all the greyhounds, we have always used raised feeders - feed bowls sitting in a flower pot.

[Guest TeriD]

You say that she started well after she ate and seemingly out of the blue. I wonder if Rosey was reverse sneezing, not gagging? FWIW, starting with my Danes and then all the greyhounds, we have always used raised feeders - feed bowls sitting in a flower pot.

Reverse sneezing? Idk....she was definitely gagging bc I think a little would come up and she would eat it. 😖

But maybe....I'll need to google exactly what reverse sneezing is 😜 this is my first experience with Greys so maybe it's a thing I've never seen before. My dog before Rosey was a pug and lord knows the noises they make!! You start to ignore it after awhile Lolol

[GeorgeofNE]

And when people say "don't exercise" before or after feeding, they don't mean you can't walk your dog or let it out in the yard.

 

For what it's worth, my family lost a dog to bloat. An enormous Labrador. We did nothing wrong--it just happened. It was horrible and sad, but I've always said that Josh died the way he lived--full speed ahead. He was fine one minute, and a couple of hours later he was gone (euthanized at the vet at their recommendation after opening him up and seeing the terrible damage).

[MP_the4pack]

You really can't use tracks and farms as comparisons for bloat since while we know they don't use raised feeters, there are no stats on how many dogs get bloat at the track or farm.