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yukidomari · 18-03-2010, 17:26

Ah, bloat. A fear for many dog owners.. We’ve learned a lot about bloat for our Dobe.. This is what I can say about it..

Regarding the elevated or unelevated bowls.. there is no conclusive opinion one way or the other. It still is up in the air whether or not one is better.. some say yes.. some say no. A recently published Perdue study says not being elevated is better, but it’s not conclusive.

Regarding dog food – Only dog food containing Vitamin C should not be watered down prior to consumption from what I have learned.. keep in mind that "vitamin C" is not usually what is listed on the bag.. sometimes it is called "citric acid" as well. Doing so will cause the food to expand a lot in the dogs’ stomach.

Why would someone water down food in the first place? Well.. a lot of the higher protein foods like EVO and Orijen should preferably only be used with dogs who get adequate hydration (for kidney/liver health).. Orijen is roughly 40% protein.. when fed a raw diet, a huge portion of the diet is water. That means that without adequate hydration, Orijen is higher in protein levels than a raw diet.. watering down the food is the easiest way to get hydration. Worry not though, both EVO and Orijen can be safely watered down.

What is said about bloat is that feeding one large meal at a time is not preferable, either.

I think all this information regarding bloat is in regards to kibble-fed dogs, though. Our three are on a prey-model raw diet. In feeding raw, a lot of things above don’t apply .. we feed by a gorge-fast method.. meaning the dog will eat 1 or 2 times their daily allotment and then be fasted for the next day or so. Obviously, this should not be attempted with kibbles.. the breakdown is completely different. There is anecdotal evidence that kibble itself is to blame for a lot of bloat episodes, although I have known very rare cases (exactly 1) in which raw-fed dogs also bloated.

Something that Boxer, Great Dane, and some other large Mastiff owners (and other breeds really prone to bloat) do is have a gastropexy done. This basically staples the stomach to the inside wall of the abdominal cavity. Bloat can still occur- but the torsion (twisting) cannot. You must still get your dog to the vet and have emergency care given, but the twisting of the gut is one of the most dangerous parts of bloat that can be prevented with a gastropexy.

18-03-2010, 17:26	#13
yukidomari Moderator Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles CA Posts: 847	Ah, bloat. A fear for many dog owners.. We’ve learned a lot about bloat for our Dobe.. This is what I can say about it.. Regarding the elevated or unelevated bowls.. there is no conclusive opinion one way or the other. It still is up in the air whether or not one is better.. some say yes.. some say no. A recently published Perdue study says not being elevated is better, but it’s not conclusive. Regarding dog food – Only dog food containing Vitamin C should not be watered down prior to consumption from what I have learned.. keep in mind that "vitamin C" is not usually what is listed on the bag.. sometimes it is called "citric acid" as well. Doing so will cause the food to expand a lot in the dogs’ stomach. Why would someone water down food in the first place? Well.. a lot of the higher protein foods like EVO and Orijen should preferably only be used with dogs who get adequate hydration (for kidney/liver health).. Orijen is roughly 40% protein.. when fed a raw diet, a huge portion of the diet is water. That means that without adequate hydration, Orijen is higher in protein levels than a raw diet.. watering down the food is the easiest way to get hydration. Worry not though, both EVO and Orijen can be safely watered down. What is said about bloat is that feeding one large meal at a time is not preferable, either. I think all this information regarding bloat is in regards to kibble-fed dogs, though. Our three are on a prey-model raw diet. In feeding raw, a lot of things above don’t apply .. we feed by a gorge-fast method.. meaning the dog will eat 1 or 2 times their daily allotment and then be fasted for the next day or so. Obviously, this should not be attempted with kibbles.. the breakdown is completely different. There is anecdotal evidence that kibble itself is to blame for a lot of bloat episodes, although I have known very rare cases (exactly 1) in which raw-fed dogs also bloated. Something that Boxer, Great Dane, and some other large Mastiff owners (and other breeds really prone to bloat) do is have a gastropexy done. This basically staples the stomach to the inside wall of the abdominal cavity. Bloat can still occur- but the torsion (twisting) cannot. You must still get your dog to the vet and have emergency care given, but the twisting of the gut is one of the most dangerous parts of bloat that can be prevented with a gastropexy.