What is the connection between Bloat in dogs and feeding them kibble?

Bloat is a very dangerous condition in dogs which runs close to a 50% fatality rate. You can read about types of Bloat here (More Info on Bloat)

Lets answer few questions first.

1. What breeds can  get bloat?

Any. Even though some deep chested breeds are more prone to bloat like: Doberman, Great Dane, Hounds, and etc, any dog can get bloat at some point of their life.

2. How do I prevent bloat in dogs?

You can prevent bloat very easy, by not feeding your dogs kibble.

3. But why so dangerous?

Kibble chips are extremely dehydrated to sustain shelf life and can “ expand” in your dog’s stomach. Some kibble feeders recommend not to exercise, or give your dog water an hour before or after feeding times and give few small meals and this should prevent bloat, but the truth is that even dogs fed in this regime can still get bloat.

A dog’s stomach is not a dry environment. When the food enters the stomach and mixes with bile and stomach juices it expands. In another hand, when fed kibble the food stays in your dogs stomach longer than an hour. This means not to give your dog any water for at least 3 hours during feeding time and this sounds a bit torture to me. Then what do we do? Well, we don’t feed kibble. If I am still not convincing enough, then cook for your dog. Cooked food may not be the best for your dog, but at least it is better than kibble. Raw food has enough moisture, so when eaten it doesn’t expand in your dog’s stomach. You will also notice while feeding raw food, dogs do not consume as much water because they get plenty from the food.

4. Why is so important to prevent bloat?

Two important reasons to know about bloat. First, bloat has a 50% fatality rate, if caught in time. Too late and the rate increases to 90%. Second, treatment of bloat is very expensive. Average bloat treatment runs between $4,000-$8,000 in a regular vet office.Emergency Centers have been known to charge double.  I wouldn’t want to take the risk with kibble.

Is it too late to start an older dog on a raw diet?

Answer: It is never too late to start your dog on a raw diet and It can help prolong their life. Dogs who have been on a kibble diet for many years may experience a longer transition period and will experience a prolonged detox as I mentioned in another post.

There are a some physical condition we need to consider.  For example, older dogs may be missing a few teeth.  If this is the case, then give them softer bones such as: chicken, duck, quail, and turkey.  Avoid harder bones like: beef, lamb, and pork, but you can still feed them the meaty parts. A few time per week I recommend giving them meat and bone ground. There are a few options do do this:

1. Get a meat grinder and grind the meat and bones yourself . Some meat grinders could be very expensive, but you can get a good one in the $150-$200 range

2. If you don’t want to grind the meat yourself you can join a local co-op for raw feeding. Many of the co-ops offer Prey-Model Meat Grinds (which mean, meat, bone and organs finely ground together)

3. You can also give them bones that are higher in cartilage content than bone content. An excellent source is turkey neck which are very popular among raw feeding groups.

The only time I do not recommend immediately converting to a raw diet is if you just introduced a new dog to your household who has previously been on kibble. In this case I suggest feeding your dog kibble for couple of weeks and then introduce them to raw foods. The reason for this is that dogs are very habitual animals and a new environment is always stressful on them. Introducing a new diet while stressed might not have a very good results from the beginning. Many dogs that suddenly changed their environments may vomit or experience diarrhea despite their diet.  You don’t want to confuse these symptoms of stress with the those of detox from switching to a raw diet.

Can dogs eat eggs and dairy products?

Answer: Yes dogs can eat dairy products, but the ultra pasteurized dairy products (milk, cheese) have no nutritional value to the dogs. The proteins in them are completely destroyed by the pasteurisation process and they are of no benefits to the dogs.

RAW MILK: This is only really beneficial to puppies.  Most adult dogs lack enzymes that break down lactose and therefore it can cause gas and upset stomach. I do not recommend giving milk to adult dogs.

YOGURT: Like milk most dogs get stomach upset. Only Raw Yogurt that contains LIVE ACTIVE CULTURES, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, is of any real benefit to dogs.  When our dogs have an upset stomach I will only give a single tablespoon of yogurt.  Any more can cause the opposite of the desired effect.

CHEESE: Aged cheese contains molds that can be harmful to dogs, and many cheeses contain too much salt for them.  If you do give your dog cheese then only “young” cheeses, low in salt, and in small amounts.

ICE CREAM: Like Chocolate, Ice Cream is an absolute ‘NO’. Dogs develop diabetes much more easily because they lack the necessary enzymes to break down the sugars in ice cream. This is why all processed sweets should be avoided.

RAW EGGS: Eggs are ok in small amounts.  Give them one or two per week, but no more. Raw organic eggs have beneficial, omega 3, acids which with healthy heart and joints.  Eggs are also good for itchy skin and give them a shiny coat.

You’ve probably heard the Myth from you Vet never to give raw eggs to your dogs because of the Salmonella scares.  However, as I mentioned in another post, dogs’ stomachs are very acidic  having a pH level very close to 2. Unlike humans, the dog’s digestive system is able to handle salmonella bacteria,. I’ve never had any issues nor have I heard from anyone who feeds their dogs raw diet, that their dogs have had problems with Salmonella. Most of the advice I hear regarding salmonella risks are from people who have never fed their dogs a raw diet.

Another common myth is that the enzyme inhibitors in eggs can interfere with digestion, but this is only true if you give them too many eggs. Some people recommend cooking the eggs to avoid this problem, but cooking the eggs causes them to lose the nutritional benefits dogs get from them. When you feed your dogs eggs make sure to give them with the shell. There is no need to grind them. Just crack the egg open and serve.   

Some dogs are more sensitive to dairy than others, like humans, caused by being lactose intolerant  In these cases I do not recommend giving them any dairy products.

My dog got sick after switching to a raw diet. Is this normal?

Answer: Dogs experience “detoxification sickness” after transitioning from kibble to raw. This is one of the main reasons why some people do not stick to raw die.  Raw diet is the most natural diet to give to your dog and provide them with a healthy life. Unfortunately, everyone expects a fast miracle when transition to raw and do not give time for the dogs to adjust to the new diet.

Some symptoms of detoxification are:

1. Itchy skin ( hot spots)
2. Itchy ears( mild ear infections)
3. Loose stools
4. Constipation
5. Strong odor from your dog’s skin, or anal glands

Do not be alarm! They usually go away in a few days or weeks. Some dogs may experience symptoms lasting longer ( if they were fed kibble for a long time) and some dogs might not have symptoms at all.

Some things you can do to help reduce these symptoms:

An oatmeal bath helps relax and nourish their skin and relieves itchy skin.( to make an oatmeal bath: Take a cup of organic non flavored oat and grind it with the blender. Fill a bathtub with a lukewarm water and mix in the oatmeal. Let your dog sock in for 10/15 minutes and gently massage into the skin . Remove your dog from the tub, without rinsing and softly pat it dry.)

For itchy ears, you can make an ear wash using 1 part organic apple cider vinegar and 1 part purified water.

If the dog has runny poop you can fast them for a day, or give them a cup of boiled, baked, or canned organic pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), or you can give them boiled or baked sweet potatoes (yams).  You can also feed pumpkin or yams if they are constipated as a way to normalize their stool.  These help to normalize their digestive system.

Also, avoid giving herbal supplements during their detox period.  You can continue the supplements a week after the symptoms subside.

How do I start my dog on a raw diet, gradually or a “cold turkey”?

Answer: It depends on your dog. There are several approaches to help transition your dog to a raw diet.

Puppies: In the wild, wolf puppies are fed regurgitated food from their mother, so starting by giving them ground meat mixed with ground bones you can imitate this feeding process. You can feed them like this while they are between 2-3 months of age.  Once they are 4 or 5 months old you can start introducing them to meaty bone meals.

Adult Dogs: Most adult dogs can be transitioned fairly easily.  I recommend fasting your dog between 12 and 24 hours prior to giving them their first raw meal.  After that first raw meal, don’t turn back.  You can start feeding your dog raw meaty bones right away or you can give ground meat and bone mixture. Every month you can try to introduce them to a new type of meat.

Dogs with sensitive stomachs: For dogs with sensitive stomachs you may want to make this transition more gradual.  These are mostly dogs who have been on a kibble diet for 2 or more years.  The acidity in the dog’s stomach is pretty high ( 2 pH), but dogs feed on kibble for a long time have less acidity in their stomach and this makes it more difficult for them to quickly switch to raw (or even between types of kibble).  I do not recommend mixing kibble with raw meat, but if you choose to do so please make sure you wait at least 8 hours between kibble and raw meals. If you feed once a day, try one raw meal and next day a kibble meal.  Do this for a week and then switch to raw food only.

It is normal for your dog to experience an adjustment period to the new food. Some dogs have a runny poop for few days so don't be alarmed. In some cases they can experience some constipation (as our dogs did), but don’t worry.  Their digestive system normalizes after a few weeks.

It is perfectly normal for your dog to throw up some bile while adjusting. Transitioning from kibble to raw diet increases the acidity level in their stomach. This is why they throw up some bile in the beginning. The bile’s function is to break the fat’s down and when high fatty meal is given even for experienced raw-fed dog, they might have increase bile production. To ease this, you can give them a little treat before meals (just avoid kibble treats) .

Which fruits are veggies are safe and which are not to give to our dogs?

Answer :There are all sorts of fruits and vegetables that you can give to your dogs although you should not make fruits and veggies a large part of your dog’s diet.  Some fruits and vegetables should be used with caution, while others should be avoided altogether.  Here are some examples of these different types.

The are some of the safe food

• All berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
• Cantaloupes, Watermelons, and Honeydew Melons
• Yams/Sweet Potatoes are ok but avoid regular potatoes
• Certain types of squashes such as Pumpkins, Summer Squash and Zucchini
• Some leafy greens such as Lettuce and Parsley
• Bananas
• Sugar snap peas and Green beans
• Carrots

Fruits/veggies  we should give with precaution

• Mango - Remove the seed. It could be a choking hazard
• Pears - Remove the seeds
• Apples - Remove the seeds. Apple seeds contain cyanogenic acid and are poisonous
• Cherries - Remove the seeds since they also contain cyanogenic acid
• Garlic - In small amounts it is very beneficial as a de-wormer and for keeping flees away, but in larger amounts it can affect the red blood cells and causes anemia
• Apricots - remove seeds, they contain cyanide
• Broccoli - These have the element isothiocyanate, which is fine in small amounts, but in larger portions can cause severe stomach upset
• Plums - remove seeds, they contain cyanogenic glucosides

Foods we should NEVER giver to our dogs

• Grapes and Raisins - Even though grapes and raisins are tolerated by most dogs,some dogs could be very sensitive to them and it can cause acute kidney failure, which is a fatal condition. I recommend not giving them for the sake of trying out to see if your dog is sensitive or not
• Onion, Chives, Shallots, Leeks, Spring Onions or anything in this family - These can cause anemia affecting the red blood cells
• Macadamia nuts - Even though the toxic compound is unknown, dogs can develop tremors and paralysis leading to fatal condition even consuming only few macadamias
• Chocolate (Cocoa) - The darker the chocolate, the worse it is for the dog. Chocolate contains an element called theobromine, which is a stimulant that increasing the heart rate and the blood pressure in humans but even more prominently in dogs. It can lead to a fatal heart attack in dogs when given even in small amounts. Dogs in perfect health condition can tolerate very small amounts, but you should never play with “ fire” and just because your dog tolerates it few times, it doesn’t meant the the 4th or 5th time around will not be fatal.
• Coffee - Can lead to a profuse diarrhea and vomiting
• Avocado - They contain persin, which is toxic for dogs and can cause heart and lung damage
• Hops - Yes, the ones used in beer making in small amounts it should be fine, but in larger amounts it can cause hops toxicity which leads to a malignant hyperthermia and uncontrollable fever. The hound breeds are more sensitive to hops toxicity than other breeds.
• Eucalyptus leaves - they are toxic to eat not only to the animals, but humans. The leaves can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and can even cause them to slip into a coma
• Rhubarb leaves - The contain Oxalic acid and Anthraquinone Glycosides . On its own, Oxalic acid is not poisonous but it forms deadly combination with Anthraquinone Glycosides

When you give fruits and veggies, try to buy organic or locally grown and give them to your dogs in small amounts as treats.  

Is it ok to give my dog fruits and vegetables while they are on a raw diet?

Answer: This is a very controversial topic. Some people do not give any fruits and veggies to their dogs and others give too much. To find the answer we have to go back wolves. First, let’s not forget that, like wolves, dogs are carnivores and their main diet should be meat. According to researchers, a small percentage of the wolves diet consists of fruits and vegetables. These studies were done on well fed wolves who did not need to graze on berries as some wolves have been observed to do when they did not have an abundance of wild kill. The wolves needed this small percent of vegetation because it gives them the necessary fiber to help the proper elimination of meals with heavier bone content. Even though the berries, grass, and fruits do not make up the main source of nutrients the wolves need, they still have an important role in their diet. If wolves eat it, why not the dogs?  Make sure that when you feed your dogs fruits and vegetables, you do so in small amounts. It should never substitute a whole meal and not more than a small percentage of their diet. I usually give them to my dogs as healthy treats each day.  For example, maybe a few berries, or a quarter of an apple, but no more). Fruits are more easily digestible for the dogs than vegetables. If you lightly steam the veggies, they are easier on the dog’s stomach than raw. Be aware that cruciferous vegetables are harsh for your dog’s stomach and give them only sparingly.

In another post I will go into more detail which fruits and veggies are ok, and which ones to avoid giving to your dogs.