Rose Cottage Ltd

I wrote a post Tuesday about the joys (and trials) of having a new puppy. Yesterday was Cato’s first big trip to the Vet and I’m happy to report that the leather seats in my Mini Cooper remain intact!

I did have a conversation with the Vet about feeding and bloat and the preferred bowls to use to avoid this often fatal situation. First, a definition of bloat so over to Wikipedia:

“Gastric dilatation volvulus or bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It is also commonly referred to as torsion and gastric torsion when the stomach is also twisted. The word bloat is often used as a general term to cover gas distension of the stomach with or without twisting. The name comes from the Middle English blout, meaning soft or puffed, which is from the Old Norse blautr, meaning soft or soaked.

In dogs, gas accumulation in the stomach is usually associated with volvulus of the stomach, which prevents gas from escaping. Deep-chested breeds are especially at risk. Mortality rates in dogs range from 10 to 60 percent, even with treatment. With surgery, the mortality rate is 15 to 33 percent.”

Yikes.

I had used a raised, or elevated bowl for CoCo ever since I first got him in 2002. At the time, elevating the bowl was supposed to be better for the dog’s ability to swallow and to aid in digestion. It sounded good then and according to my vet, it’s still a good thing.

So then I asked the Vet about “slow-feed” bowls. I wasn’t sure if this was just the latest “new” thing or not. Apparently, depending on your dog’s type, and whether or not his or her breed is deep-chested, these slow-feed bowls CAN keep your dog from eating too fast, swallowing too much air, and possibly developing bloat.

My Vet also said that dogs that eat fast – even if they are not one of the deep-chested breeds like Mastiffs or Great Danes, can still benefit from eating slower – bloat or not.

I had figured out around Day Three with Cato that he is definitely a “chow-hound” who likes to gobble his food. I’m not sure WHO he thinks will eat it if he doesn’t, but he does eat fast, and eats everything in his bowl. This may change once he gets a bit older and I may move him to the elevated bowls but last weekend I ordered one of the slow-feed bowls as well.

It arrived today and as you can see from the image, Cato was more than willing to be a “spokesmodel” for the product! He seemed to circle the bowl a bit more than usual to make sure he left nothing behind. This alone slowed down his eating process.

Cato is a Weimaraner/Lab mix – Weimaraners being one of the top 5 breeds prone to bloat – I figured for around $20, it was worth it to purchase this slow-feed bowl. This particular model has a little rubber edge to it which will also keep it from sliding all around the floor while he eats – which is comical to me, but probably annoying to him!

Find out more about bloat and breed susceptibility.