Mar 24 2008
Feeding Highs and Lows
Because I have a greyhound, one of my big concerns is the dreaded bloat, a serious, life-threatening condition of large breed dogs.
When I first brought Greta home, I was told that it’s important to use raised feeders with greyhounds, because that way they don’t have to hunch down to drink/eat, and raised feeders also prevent bloat.
So I bought this.
I noticed two things immediately.
First, Greta would jump every time she had her nose in one of the bowls and it would bang or clank.
Two, she would always cough after she drank water.
So I started researching this mysterious cough, and I found a lot of research regarding “high” and “low” feeding.
According to a 1998 to 2004 Bloat (GVD) Study at Purdue University by Malathi Raghavan, DVM, MS; Lawrence T. Glickman, VMD, DrPH; Nita W.Glickman, MS, MPH; and Diana B. Schellenberg, these four (4) factors ARE associated with an increased risk of bloat in large breed dogs:
1)Raising the food dish more than doubled the risk for bloat
2)Speed of eating -Dogs rated by their owners as very fast eaters had a 38% increased risk of bloat
3)Age: The study found that risk increased by 20% with each year of age. Owners should be more alert to early signs of bloat as their dogs grow older.
4)Family History: Having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or offspring) that had bloated increased a dog’s risk by 63%.
The Purdue research team concluded these are the things you can do to prevent bloat, including:
1)Do not raise the feeding dish.
2)Slow the dog’s speed of eating.
In case you hadn’t guessed, Greta now eats and drinks from bowls placed directly on the floor, and she hasn’t coughed since the switch.
The findings indicate that a raised feeder is disadvantageous for dogs that they studied that were found to be prone to bloat. The study did not include Greyhounds as they are not in that category. The breeds found to be most susceptible include Great Danes, Akitas, Standard Poodles, Irish Setters, Bloodhounds, Rottweiler, Irish Wolfhound, Nefounlands, and St. Bernards. Here’s a link to the study information and updates: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm
If your dog is more comforatable using a lower or floor-level feeder, then by all means, use that. Raised or lowered has not been proven to protect Greys from bloat.
True, although they are basing the findings on “deep chested” dogs, which physiologically does include Greys.
Another study: http://www.nlga-mn.org/bloat_summer05.pdf
“Recent research suggests that raised feeders DO contribute to bloat. Greyhounds that have bad necks should be fed from a raised feeder, as it is more comfortable for them. Once their neck issues are resolved, ground level feeding should be resumed. Apparently the raised feeders contribute to the
swallowing of excessive air, which contributes to additional gastric inflation and therefore a critical aspect of bloat.”
Actually, Dr. Barr’s information is from the Purdue study, not a separate study.
The point is that Greyhounds are mentioned in the study, then, isn’t it?
No, Greyhounds are not mentioned in the Purdue study and Dr. Barr’s reference to greyhounds developing bloat are from his personal experience in his veterinary practice and two stud AKC-bred greys that he’s personally aware of.
Quote from his article: “Are Greyhounds predisposed to bloat? The incidence doesn’t seem to be greater than any other large
deep-chested breed, and if the truth be known, much less often than they are given credit for. I have cared for many Greyhounds over the past 30 years, and, to date, have experienced less than 6 cases.”
His reference to raised feeders concurs with the Purdue study: dogs generally predisposed to bloat are more likely to develop it if fed in raised feeders.
If you read the data from the Purdue study, I think you’ll be better able to disseminate evidence from theory.
My point is more that there is some (anecdotal) evidence that Greys and raised feeders might not be such a good thing. Isn’t it possible that some Grey owners are anthromorphosizing the floor-level feeding/neck discomfort a bit? My original post was more to point out that maybe the one-size-fits-all recommendation of raised feeders and Greyhounds is not such a good thing. As I have never professed to be a vet, I am not giving advice, but rather writing about my own personal experience. Consider it food for thought, that’s all.