BARF - bloat/gastric torsion

[grabichler]

Does anyone know numbers on BARF and bloat/gastric torsion, i.e. do dogs that are fed a raw diet bloat less often, more often or is there no difference compared to dogs that are on kibble? I would be interested in any studies if they exist as well as personal experiences. TIA.

[handrolled]

Hello .

I've no data on bloat only a personal experience .
My first male (1978) USA /English lines with Ellendonk/von Forrel .
He was only bought as a pet but was a fantastic guard as well as trustworthy with adults/children. His only fault was his aggression to other large dogs which was controllable.

My wife was in charge of feeding but like most housewives always looking for a bargain, so he got what was the cheapest canned food + biscuits and our left overs of course. The only time he saw the vet was for his shots and no other tests were done.

He was nearly 16yrs old when he got torsion and was pts then.
However he had been suffering with what my wife thought was 'dementia' and was forgetting he'd had his dinner leading him to steal food etc which led to his torsion. One small point -he was hardly grey and still looked fairly young say 9yrs old ,I 've often thought was it his genes or 'our' ignorance in his feeding which prolonged his life.

Brian.

[sonterra]

Hi COrnelia,

I have fed raw now for about 8 years. I had a bouvier that would bloat even tho it was raw. It always happened when she got too much fat, and usually beef or red meat fat, in her diet. She did some horrendous bloating, but never torsioned.

After I finally put two and two together I fed her the fat several times to see if it really was the thing making her bloat, and it was. I got her to bloat several times with the beef . I did it under direction from our attending vet with them on call when I did it. After we established that it WAS the beef fat, she did not get it again.

Now I am not sure if they are linked, but she was a horrible snoring dog as well.. not sure if the physiology is applicable or relevant or not.

I have not had problems with my dobes on the raw, nor the sibes either. Mind you my dobes are not super deep chested either... or at least my last two have not been.

Tamara McIntosh

[ReholzerDobes]

When I made the switch to feeding raw I had a male who had bloated numerous times and so I kept a pretty close eye on him with bicarbonate soda and a syringe always nearby. This dog did much to confirm my switch to raw and one factor was that he never bloated again. On kibble he would typically drink huge volumes of water and once switched to raw he probably drank less than a 1/4 of the previous amount. I am quite certain that was a major factor.
Knock wood.... I haven't had a dog bloat since switching to natural diet in 1989 and while I don't work or take my dogs for hikes close to mealtimes I also don't freak out enforcing 'quiet time' either.

Traci Mulligan
Rebholzer Dobermans
Elegance United With Working Ability~since 1973.
www.rebholzerdobermans.com