Sane here lottie, I always thought it reduced until reading from some sites it didnt.
It seems to me, that this is another thing folk cant agree on in the dog world, along with breeding, training, food, health and a lot of other small things.

i have jrts and prt and they all eat out of raised bowls they much slower and chew not just swallow i found they did not gulp any more where they did with bowl on floor.

I have to raise Vegas's bowls because he has 2 compressed discs in his neck (he's on steroids for it though) and cannot be allowed to eat from floor level. He never ate fast anyway,but now its even slower.

What's the reasoning behind increased risk when using a raised food bowl?

Is it possible that it's just statistics show it's more common when dogs have been eating from raised bowls?

To me, it's logical that the risk would be decreased with a higher feeding bowl

If it's based on statistics could it be that breeds more commonly prone to bloat are usually fed from raised feeding bowls and so more cases of bloat occur when feeding from raised feeding bowls purely because of the types of dog that tend to use them? Does that make any sense at all??

I dont think statistics are as reliable as they seem at times because it's possible to influence statistics merely by choosing carefully where you obtain results from.

I always thought that raised bowls reduce the risk of bloat as well. I'm going to try a heavy toy in the bowl to see if it slows Flynn down any.

Does anybody have any tips on how to increase the speed a dog eats? With Jed, it's each bit of kibble one a time! I suppose he'll never get bloat then!

lol Leanne, Eddy sometimes eats like that... It often depends how he's feeling and what I'm feeding but I often find myself stood next to him praising him for eating otherwise he won't! And he always looks to me after taking a mouthful as though to check he's doing it right

You could try timing him, then start taking his bowl off him as soon as he finishes, then very gradually cut down the time you allow him (say it takes him 20 minutes, put it down to 18 minutes) before you take his bowl away and eventually he may start eating a bit faster so as to finish before you get there.

I wouldn't suggest it if he has any guarding issues or is a likely candidate to develop them. It's a very fine balance I think...

For me it is pretty simple, the leo's are at a more comfortable position eating from a raised bowl because of their height.
Yes they are capable on eating at floor level, but the bowl is supposed to be 4" smaller than what the dogs withers.
Which in turn helps them to eat at a slower rate, rather than gulping it up. We eat @ a level (the food comes to us) can you imagine us trying to bend down and eat lower?
Leo's are prone to bloat, size and deep chested but non of mine have had the problem, but their bowls have been raised to suit their height & growth.
But then again, my boxers always ate at floor level, they never had bloat either.So who really knows!

hi hun
i use this as a treat on my dogs dinners and they love it, it from "Barker and barker" its caled Garlic and liver its a very fine powder that you sprinkleon the food there are others there is a plain liver which i use as well put in a salt shaker so not to much is put on. this is the web site hope you a see it.
http://www.dogtraininginfo.co.uk/products.html

it takes about 2 days from ordered. let me now what you think.

Erm.....when Hector bloated i had always used a raised bowl and continue to do so.

the weimy article ( if read fully) goes on to say that bloat in weims is also linked to a pottassium defiencey.

the raised bowl issue has never been resolved, the same as what causes bloat.

you just have to watch your dogs carefully for any symptoms and get them to the vet QUICKLY.

the dog food manufactorers are on the fence at the moment wether dry food is a cause and its being looked into.
i'm watching this with interest as it one of the things i related to Hectors bloat.

No I don't used raised bowls because I too read the weim article, with having a weim an all. I read that the reduced teh risk first but then the weim article swayed me as it is my breed I guess so taylored to us. Maddy has one of those bowls which Carole posted a picture of as she is too fast with her food.