We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
Soaking food, how long?
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OMG i didn't know you could even do the Heimlich manouver on animals. You must have been so scared, thank goodness you managed to save him. This little Dog is going to give you Grey hair before youre time.
I hope Gizmo is feeling better, i'm sure he will have forgotten all about it soon. -
Poor Gizmo, he just likes to live on the edge, doesn't he.. Our dachshund does that as well, with raw meat and bones..inhales them whole, idiot..Our newbie, Moses, inhales his food as well, he is on kibble still, so I am thinking about what to do for that..
There are food bowls for dogs that inhale their food, at least here in the states ( let me know and I will send you one, if you want), here are some sites..
http://www.dogpausebowl.com/
http://www.eatslowerpetdishes.com/
http://www.planetbluedog.com/products/bowls-for-dogs-cats-that-eat-too-fastor just google and see what you find. I know some people even put large rocks, big enough so they can't be swallowed, in the bottom of the bowl, that way the dog has to slow down a little bit as well.
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I don't know if you can either…I just had to do something. I sure wasn't gonna just stand there and watch my best friend die on me! Thank god it payed off.
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Poor Gizmo, he just likes to live on the edge, doesn't he.. Our dachshund does that as well, with raw meat and bones..inhales them whole, idiot..Our newbie, Moses, inhales his food as well, he is on kibble still, so I am thinking about what to do for that..
There are food bowls for dogs that inhale their food, at least here in the states ( let me know and I will send you one, if you want), here are some sites..
http://www.dogpausebowl.com/
http://www.eatslowerpetdishes.com/
http://www.planetbluedog.com/products/bowls-for-dogs-cats-that-eat-too-fastor just google and see what you find. I know some people even put large rocks, big enough so they can't be swallowed, in the bottom of the bowl, that way the dog has to slow down a little bit as well.
Hm, looks interesting. I see what they pretty much do is just divide up the food into smaller portions slowing down the time it takes to finnish. But I don't see how it can stop the dog from sucking the food down.
The thing is, this is what I have been doing for 3 days now since I started with dry food. I have been feeding him small amounts from my hand.
It was this that he choked on. He sucked down a very small amount, maybe 5-7 small food pieces.I think I will go back to soaking the food, at least a little bit so they are just a bit soggy on the outside. At least that way they are "lubricated" and go down easier.
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I think I will go back to soaking the food, at least a little bit so they are just a bit soggy on the outside. At least that way they are "lubricated" and go down easier.
In your case, I can see where soaking the food is a good idea - maybe giving him crunchy treats now and then so the benefit to his teeth will still be there. :eek:
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We have directions for the doggie heimlich as well as dog cpr on our fridge at home. We printed them from a website. When I get home later tonight I will look at them and post the links.
It could be just the information you need to save your dog's life.
Miranda
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I use food dispensing toys for my dogs (think buster cube). Or you can just dump the food all over the floor and he can forage. (This works best with only one dog.)
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Another method I have heard of to help slow down dogs who literally inhale their food is to put a large ball in the dish so they dog has to roll the ball out of the way to eat forcing them to slow down.
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Here is a link to Animal CPR and Heimlich
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Is he inhaling it because he is truly hungry? If that's the case, try a different food with a change in nutrients…he may not be getting all the nutrients he needs and his body is hungry for something he's not getting. I've seen this in dogs whose people put them on vegetarian diets. Dogs are carnivores and need the amino acids and fats in meat.
If this isn't the case, hand feeding him a piece or two at a time may teach him to slow down a little. He may be so used to wet food he doesn't bother to chew it because he doesn't have to. I like the ball in the dish trick...crafty!
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Here is a link to Animal CPR and Heimlich
That's the one. Thanks, Pat. Jason whisked me out to wine tasting and then dinner after work, so I didn't get time to post it.
Miranda
