hi, have been reading up on raised feeding bowls for larger breeds, as our first dogue de bordeaux is arriving in jan, the fact that the bowl is raised helps with conformation and helps to prevent gastric torsion, only thing is we have a smaller breed at home who wont be able to reach, so we will still have to leave out fresh water in a bowl on the floor, do you think the bordeaux  will end up using this bowl instead, has anyone had the same problem?     hope that made sense thanks

How small is your small breed ? my cavaliers drink out of my GSDs raised bowl with no problems(well they do dip their ears  ;))

oh right that sounds promosing my small breed isnt that small after all( staffs)  maybe i imagined the raised bowls to be higher than they actually are, so do your dogs all drink and eat from the raised bowls? thanks

Well the cavaliers all have their own spaniel dishes but it doesn't stop they helping the GSD if she doesn't finish off her food in one go,quite funny to see 4 cavs & one GSD round the dish

Hi i was just wondering would it be better for my GSD puppy to have her bowl raised as i notice she sit`s down instead of standing, when eating from her bowl.Also she does get hiccups often? Thanx
Andy

i think its a good idea!

Raised feeding bowls are now contra indicated in large breeds re bloat.  Although I appreciate the giant breeds require it from a comfort perspective.

i feed my lab from a raised bowl as i was told it was better for his elbows and digestion?

Out of the 24 hours in a day, how long does your lab take eating?  If it is a normal one probably about 30 seconds; :D so could you enlighten me how 2 x 30 sec per day could have any impact on your dog's elbows as opposed to everything else it does in a day................?

Tohme - I'm not sure I'm reading your post right... large breeds shouldn't have raised feeding bowls?  If so, why is this thought to be - just curious as I'm off to LKA tomorrow to buy a couple of new feeding stands for my rotties! 

Thanks

Rudi thats what i thought it said aswell was wondering the same myself?

Rudi & sarstaff, the bloat study at Purdue - http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/bloat.htm - exploded a lot of myths about bloat and actually found that feeding from a raised bowl increased the incidence of bloat (along with increasing age, having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV and bolting food.)

I found that interesting as an example of how myths perpetuate themselves. When I got my first giant I was told to feed from a raised bowl because floor feeding was likely to cause deformities to the forelegs. A decade later and front legs are forgotten but suddenly floor feeding 'causes' bloat.

what do i do now then ? feed from a raised bowl or not?

FWIW I never have fed from a raised bowl as the 'theories' never made sense to me. Half of my lot choose to eat lying down anyway. Touch wood I've not yet had a bloat, tho' one pup I bred did and she was fed from a raised bowl.

Jas,

Thanks for the interesting link.  Bloat has always held an element of uneasiness for me as I have previously, and currently, own large and giant breeds.  I know I have very recently read (in the dog press I think but you can never find it when you want it!) about raised bowls possibly contributing to the risk of bloat and found your link has confirmed this.

Personally I've never fed from raised bowls but it has nagged at me and on the occasions it nags the loudest I try and remember to place the feedbowls on a step thus giving the effect of raising the food source albeit only a few inches.  It made me feel better at the time....

Thankfully neither of my dogs bolt their food.  I believe the breeder of my giant breed raised his litter with love and care and advocated "free-feeding" so that the pups never became" ravenous" (in a puppy-kind-of-way!) and although, initially, we believed this might lead to faddy eating, it has not proved to be the case.  He invariably finishes his meals - in his own time, with a hairy GSD veteran sneakily watching out for any missed bits! Bless her!

I'm also a firm believer in soaking any dry food as this slows down any gulping.

I raise Fagans bowl because he just looks so uncomfortable when he eats if its on the floor :P