Feeding ? - Page 1

Is an elevated bowl for food and water good or bad? Seems to me that an elevated bowl would make it easier to swallow What does everybody think? Thanks to all in advance

Very very bad.

If it is not good can ,you explain why please?

'The Glickman et al study found that use of a raised feeder increases the risk of bloat by 110%. Dr. Glickman's data showed that "approximately 20% and 50% of cases of GDV among the large and giant breed dogs, respectively, were attributed to having a raised food bowl." (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:1492-1499). It should be noted that Dr. Glickman's study was confined only to large and giant breed dogs.'

 

Causes bloat, possibly. Dogs are designed to eat and drink with their head down, lifting food into their mouth. I've never believed it's good for a dog to eat with raised bowels. Still, some controversy...

 

The only times I would use elevated feeders would be for very tall, inflexible dogs, like borzoi, greyhounds, Great Danes, and such. I would also use them for older, arthritic dogs where it's difficult for them to reach the floor. For either type, I would only elevate up to a position of comfort and no higher.

I feed out of my hand. I hand the dog a piece of chicken, or beef rib, or pork rib, or liver, etc. from my hand to their mouth. I feed each dog separately which decreases gobbling, growling, and choking the food down. They sometimes eat in their kennel or I let them take their food and take it outside or a place they feel safe to eat it. Bloat is complex but it seems that gobbling the food down with a lot of air and feeding dog food that swells after making it to the stomach plays a big part in bloat. Raw meat does not swell after it gets to the dog's stomach. Bloat is a stomach torsion or twisting so that exercise before or after eating, swelling dog food, and gobbling air while eating all play a part. Dogs that eat swelling dog foods and large amounts at one sitting are more bloat likely as their stomachs and muscles get stretched which allows the possibility of torsion under the conditions that twisting can occur. If you feed raw meat day after day and limit exercise 30 minutes before and after eating the chances of bloat are greatly reduced or eliminated.  As we know dogs are not picky about their water or liquid source and my commode is a favorite water dish for some and it is elevated. 

This is one of those interesting areas where the 'science'
has overturned itself. For many years, people with large,
deeper chested breeds (GSD, Danes, others on that large-
to-giant spectrum) prone to Gastric Dilation and Volvulus,
to give Bloat its full medical moniker, frequently switched to
feeding in bowls on raised stands - because we'd had it
suggested that dogs fed this way swallowed less air with
their food, and it therefore reduced the risk of Bloat.

Well I tried that, in a pack of GSDs, with one dog who was
not 'purebred' but a "Shiloh" - and very tall & slab sided.
This was about eight years ago. It did not seem to help slow
down his eating, or prevent him air-gobbling. But I stuck with
it. Then the word was passed on by our Vets that some more
recent research had concluded, like Glickman et al, that raised
feeding was not a good idea. I dispensed with the stand. And
a few months later - he Bloated. The only case I had of Bloat
in a dozen years of caring for that group of dogs. Fortunately
I discovered it in time to get to the surgery, and he survived.

So TBH if I had an outsize dog, or other large breed, I might
consider using the method again, in the face of whatever is
'advised' this week !

While hand feeding is about the same height as raised feeding,
it just isn't possible to hand feed any 'non-raw' diet to multiple
dogs, you would have to feed Raw like Bubba.
...& I think Bubs is being a bit Holier-Than-Thou again. Did you
really do that with ALL yours before you had to down-size ?
How did you get time ? Have you all your fingers, still ?
Would you have risked it with a dog not of your own breeding
& rearing ? These are questions I hope newbies would address
before following your example !

Yuck @ dogs drinking from commode ! So after the dogs dip their heads into potentially deadly bacteria, ie. Ecoli, then put their head in your lap to have you rub it your hands on their toilet face and neck, and they jump on your bed and roll around on your pillow....then you'll say you never got sick from the dog's being allowed to dip their head in the nasty toilet. But how many times over the years have you been sick and figured it was just stomach flu or 'something you ate'. Gawd, just drop the seat and stop spreading nasty germs all over you and every body you come into contact with.

As for drinking from elevated container...the stands used are too high,IMO. A dog will stand in a creek and drink water, but the level is still lower than the stands. Too easy for them to asperate.

Feeding raw reduces the probability of bloat because raw does not swell up in the stomach and is nutrient dense. Dogs are not picky about where they drink ( creek, mud puddle, cow trough, or commode ). The only way to stop dogs from drinking from a very clean and sanitary creek or a sparkling clean cow trough if they are thirsty is to limit access ( the same for commodes ). All dogs lick their feet, genitalia, and anuses when they do their daily grooming ... therefore if you are concerned about germs they are not the ideal pet for face licking. I find it laughable that people who feed pet food made from 4D ( dead, dying, diseased, and down ) meat are concerned about germs from feeding raw human grade meat. And yes I still have all of my fingers ( my dogs are very respectful and I have never been bit feeding them but I also pay attention and make eye contact with them ) but hand feeding a piece of chicken or meat is not the same as feeding from a bowl. I have one dog who likes to take his piece of meat outside and eat it under the sky while another likes to eat in her dog house with her butt sticking out. My dogs respect me and part of the reason they do is that I listen to them and respect them. When you give a dog a piece of meat and a safe place to eat it he or she can eat it however they wish ... fast or slow and high or low .. they seem to prefer a bit slower and lower when given the choice. Sometime they lay down and eat their meat. Eating from a high position does not seem to be a favorite with my dogs but if they eat lying down it would be about the same as eating from an elevated bowl. If you give the dog a choice and some freedom they can work out most of their eating decisions for themselves. I feed raw because my dogs are healthier and happier with a high quality animal protein and fat raw diet and it costs no more than the cost of dry kibble plus vet bills plus all of the other health, pest and vitality issues that dry kibble costs in addition to the price on the bag.

Sure you are aware there may also be training and behavioural
issues with always giving a dog all its food by hand ...
you don't answer my point about needing to have a good deal
more time to feed each dog individually in that way than using
bowls - whatever is in the bowls ! And it could certainly be a
no-no in certain circumstances - I used to deal with a lot of
dogs brought in as adults from rescue orgs. Until I got to know
each of them well, the last thing I would risk is hand feeding
while staring into their eyes.
Same, I expect, goes for all those people who ship in adult or
sub-adult dogs from breeders (wherever), rather than raising
your dog from a baby puppy or breeding it yourself. And there
seem to be an awful LOT of those people.