2 Apr |
Posted by Italian Dog |
no comments |
raised dog bowls and bloat
No! In my opinion this can be detrimental to the health of your large breed dog like a Cane Corso, Rottweiler, Great Dane or many other large breeds who tend to be more at risk.
For years I knew that a raised food bowl is nonsense. I would often site a Large Breed Bloat (GDV) Study that was done in 2000 by Perdue University on ‘Bloat’ (GDV). What amazes me is that this is still being pitched as a preventative measure against the very thing that this study shows it actually causes.
So if you are wondering if you should be using a raised food bowl for your Cane Corso Mastiff, then read keep reading!
Each time I come in contact with people I try to explain why the ‘raised bowl’ is nothing but nonsense and big business is pushing their junk in the name of preventative health. I thought it’s time I did a blog post on this topic for those who I do not get a chance to email or speak to. It never did make any sense to me why a raised food bowl would matter, after all do Wolves only eat food that is raised? In fact most canine or four legged animals for that matter will consume their food on the ground. In my opinion dogs are “designed” to eat with their heads down to the ground, which is where it is natural for for them to chew and swallow. With a raised feeder, a dog is eating at his knee level or at chest level, this is an unnatural position to swallow, causing more intake of air. People who are using raised bowls were obviously told the wrong advice the issue is some people still use these raised bowls. So make sure you throw them out ASAP! I think its a tragedy that people are still buying these silly bowls and thinking it is a great prevention for bloat.
Here is a video I made on the Raised Dog Bowl and Bloat Issue:
I am amazed that I still hear professionals advising to use the raised bowl. You will see on the study that over 1600 dogs were studied and 6% of them got bloat, out of the 6% 52% of them used a raised bowl! That is clear evidence in my opinion.
Raised feeders are not necessary unless your dog has a back, neck problem — where putting their head to the ground is genuinely difficult for them because of joint issues or extreme arthritis. Keep in mind even if your dog must use this raised bowl its important to watch them close so they do not develop bloat.
Keep in mind larger breeds like Cane Corsos, Great Danes, English Mastiffs, Rottweilers are the ones who are at risk the most since they are larger breeds.
Does Diet Cause Bloat in Cane Corso Mastiffs and Other Large Breeds?
Evidence points to a raised food bowl as well as diet. There has been some evidence that dry dog food (with corn especially) can contribute to bloat. In my opinion dog food is a very important factor in bloat. Lets face it dogs should be eating raw, yet we feed them dry kibble with high concentrations of carbs and sugar. Many allergies in humans come from wheat and other grains that are hard to digest. If you have a wheat allergy like me, then you will know the first thing that happens is you feel very very bloated followed by pain, and we have amylase which is an enzyme in humans to digest wheat and other grains, dogs do not have amylase! Wouldn’t you think then that giving grains would cause bloat,? well many are coming to realize this. So my #1 solution to prevent bloat is a good Raw diet for your Large Breed Dog!
You can make your own, or you can read our page on the recommended raw dog food for a Cane Corsos or Large Breed that we use for our dogs who are showing at AKC. If I only had one or two Cane Corsos I would use this food for 100% of my feedings, unfortunately the costs are higher than my kibble that I feed, I can say even though I feed kibble I feed my dogs what I feel is the best dog food for Cane Corso Italian Mastiffs next to raw.
