Dadas as qualificações profissionais da forista, interrogo-me sobre o motivo pelo qual continuam a defender uma alimentação só com ração.
Vou colocar aqui o post da forista, datado de Dom Jun 01, 2003 17:19-
SeaLords Escreveu: To whom it may concern
(desculpem lá, mas não me apeteceu traduzir. Para os que precisarem, o Altavista e o Google têm uma ferramenta de idiomas que dá para derenrascar):
"Dr. Larry Glickman, an epidemiologist at the Purdue Univ. School of Veterinary Medicine, conducted a controlled study on canine bloat, beginning in 1994. He followed 1914 dogs that did not have a prior history of bloat. Eleven large and giant breeds were represented in the study.
Several risk factors were identified.
The dogs with the greatest risk of developing bloat have chests that are deep and narrow. This can be evaluated by measuring the depth and the width of the chest. Then the depth is divided by the width. The depth-to-width ratio reflects the amount of room there is for stomach movement in the abdomen, behind the rib cage. Dogs with more room have a greater risk of developing bloat.
Lean dogs were found to be at a higher risk than overweight dogs. It is hypothesized that this is because fat takes up space in the abdomen. The lack of fat in the abdomen of a lean dog creates a basic situation to that of a dog with a deep and narrow chest. (...) This does not mean, of course, that overweight dogs are generally healthier than lean dogs.
Risk is also higher for older dogs. For large breeds, the risk of developing bloat goes up 20% each year after the age of 5. For giant breeds, it goes up 20% each year after the age of 3.
First-degree relatives of dogs that have had bloat have a 63% greater risk of developing bloat themselves.
Dogs that eat quickly have a 15% higher risk of developing bloat. This may be related to increased swallowing of air.
One traditional preventative has been to raise the height of the food and water bowls, but this was found to actually increase the risk by 110%.
The study also found that fearful, nervous or aggressive dogs had a much higher incidence of bloat than did dogs perceived by their owners as having happy temperaments.
Stress can also be a precipitating factor, and many dogs bloat after recent kenneling or a long car ride.
Several diet-related factors were associated with a higher incidence of bloat. These include feeding only dry food, or feeding a single, large daily meal.
Dogs fed dry foods containing fat among the first four ingredients had a 170% higher risk for developing bloat. Dogs fed dry foods that contained citric acid and were moistened prior to feeding had a 320% higher risk for developing bloat.
(..) Mixing table food or canned food into dry food decreased the risk of bloat.
(...) Several popular theories regarding bloat were not substantiated during the study. There was no correlation of bloat risk to exercise before or after eating, as most dogs bloated in the middle of the night with an empty, gas-filled stomach. There was also no correlation to vaccinations, to the brand of food consumed, or to the timing or volume of water intake before or after eating.
From the research performed to date, we can list several factors that, added together, can characterize the typical dog that develops bloat:
- a deep and narrow chest;
- leanness;
- a relative that has had a bloat episode;
- eating quickly;
- a dry-food diet;
- a single, large daily meal;
- stress;
- and a fearful, nervous, or aggressive temperament".
(os negritos são meus, e têm a haver com mais uns tantos mitos)
Chamo a atenção para esta passagem:
"Several diet-related factors were associated with a higher incidence of bloat. These include feeding only dry food, or feeding a single, large daily meal.
Dogs fed dry foods containing fat among the first four ingredients had a 170% higher risk for developing bloat. Dogs fed dry foods that contained citric acid and were moistened prior to feeding had a 320% higher risk for developing bloat.
(..) Mixing table food or canned food into dry food decreased the risk of bloat. "
Pelo Babel Fish ( a tradução está pessima)
Diversos fatores faç dieta-relacionados foram associados com uma incidência mais elevada de torção de estomago.
Estes incluem a alimentação somente do alimento seco, ou a alimentação de uma única, refeição diária grande. Os cães alimentaram os alimentos secos que contêm a gordura entre os primeiros quatro ingredientes tiveram um risco mais elevado de 170% para a torção de estomago.
Os cães alimentaram os alimentos secos que contiveram o ácido citric e foram umedecidos antes da alimentação tiveram um 320% um risco mais elevado para se tornar a torção de estomago.
(..) A ração misturando com comida de mesa ou o alimento enlatado no alimento seco diminuíram o risco de torção de estomago.
Perante isto não sei o que dizer...
Ou a forista colocou no forum um artigo incorrecto, o que eu não acho muito provável...
ou muitos de vocês estão a dar uma alimentação incorrecta aos vossos animais....
Deixo isto à vossa consideração...