Last night our 12 yr old GSD underwent emergency surgery for bloat/GDV; a chunk of pork meat was blocking his pyloric sphincter. When I made the switch to raw two months ago, one reason among many was the purported reduction in probability of GVD; lost two dogs to it in the past.... it's ugly.
Our guy is recovering well... but I feel sort of shaky/doubting myself. I've thoroughly educated myself on raw feeding and taken every precaution against 'gulping' (cuts of meat larger than head, etc.) Maybe added enzymes would have helped... <sigh>. Experiencing LOTS of pressure to switch back to kibble now; Innova seemed to serve our dogs well with no visible drawbacks...
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Pressure from whom?
Were the dogs you lost to bloat on kibble diets?
I understand your reaction, but I am sure that you know what the chances are of bloat caused by a chunk of meat blocking the pyloric sphincter. Is someone pressuring you to go back to kibble based on that possibility?
Would you like to review ingredients, etc.?
I would like you to be comfortable. You lost two kibble dogs to bloat and now had a near-tragedy triggered by a rare-to-the-point-of-unheard-of kind of incident involving raw. What would be the most reassuring info or discussion?
I'm so sorry this happened. But is someone trying to tell you that this is a common problem with raw feeding?
With the dogs lost to GVD in the past, when I was a kid, our 9 yr old Weimaraner (fed mostly left-overs) consumed a loaf of stale bread left out for the birds. Our (10 yr old) standard poodle was kibble fed; exercise too soon after eating may have contributed.
The pressure (that matters; vets are a different story) to switch back to kibble is coming from my family... hard to turn a deaf ear to their emotional appeals. They've leerily supported my decision to feed raw, but have been a bit freaked out with the 'ick factor' and the change in bowel habits, although that seemed to have stabilized as the dogs and I adjusted to the diet. Although I don't feel guilty per se, I'm thinking maybe it isn't so terrible to go back... the dogs are elderly, and I'd start afresh with new pups...
Thanks for the replies... support is better than recrimination for sure!
To Connie:
Well, that's the question, isn't it? If I don't 'cave' and go back to kibble, what is the progression on a raw diet when recovering from such a trauma? After the boiled mush, then what? Would a ground raw diet be an acceptable compromise between family anxiety and pooch health? And when is what re-introduced and with what supplements?
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