Rhodesian Ridgeback nutrition: bloat, joints and lean weight

A Rhodesian Ridgeback should be fed to stay lean, in two or more measured meals, from a food that suits its actual activity rather than its athletic reputation. The American Kennel Club gives a standard weight of 85 lb (39 kg) for males and 70 lb (32 kg) for females and a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. The breed was known in southern Africa for tracking and holding lions at bay, but a Ridgeback living as a house dog needs far less food than that history suggests.

Calories and the right food

The Merck Veterinary Manual gives a standard starting estimate. Resting energy requirement is 70 multiplied by body weight in kilograms raised to the power 0.75, and daily needs are that figure multiplied by 1.4 for a dog that gains weight easily, 1.6 for a neutered adult and 1.8 for an intact adult. For typical Ridgeback weights, rounded to the nearest 10 kcal:

A dog that runs or hikes for long periods most days will need more, and Merck notes that individuals of the same weight can differ by as much as 30%. Weigh the dog monthly and adjust by body condition. A Ridgeback in good condition has ribs that are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, a visible waist from above and a tucked-up belly from the side.

For most adults, a complete and balanced food labeled for adult maintenance is enough. Protein matters for a muscular dog, but commercial complete foods already meet its needs; higher-protein or higher-fat performance formulas are useful for hard-working dogs and add weight to sedentary ones. Ingredient order says less about quality than marketing suggests, since ingredients are listed by weight before cooking.

Puppies

Ridgeback puppies grow fast, and the aim is steady growth, not maximum size. Feed a food labeled complete and balanced for growth, including large-size dogs, in measured meals. Do not add calcium or bone meal to a complete puppy food. Merck warns that excess calcium (above 3% of dry matter) makes osteochondrosis worse in rapidly growing large-breed dogs. Keep the puppy slim, and ask the vet at each visit whether the condition score is right.

Bloat and meal routine

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is an emergency in which the stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off its blood supply. Large, deep-chested dogs like the Ridgeback are the body type in which it is most often seen, and it is fatal without prompt surgery. A distended or tight abdomen, retching that brings nothing up, drooling, restlessness or collapse means going to an emergency vet immediately.

Two US prospective studies of large and giant breeds give the clearest feeding evidence (Ridgebacks were not among the breeds studied). In the first, of 1,637 dogs, fast eating, older age, a close relative with GDV and a raised food bowl all increased the risk. In a diet analysis drawn from 1,634 dogs in a five-year study, dogs fed a larger volume of food per meal were at higher risk, and the risk was highest for dogs fed a large volume once a day.

• Split the daily ration into two or three meals.
• Feed from a bowl on the floor.
• Slow a fast eater with a slow-feeder bowl, a puzzle feeder or kibble scattered on a mat.
• Keep hard exercise and excited play away from mealtimes. This is standard advice, although it has less study behind it than the points above.
• If a parent or littermate has had GDV, ask the vet about preventive gastropexy, an operation that attaches the stomach to the body wall so it cannot twist. It is often done at the same time as neutering.

Hips, elbows and body weight

Breeding dogs can be X-rayed and scored for hip and elbow dysplasia, and a puppy buyer should ask to see both parents' results. Dysplasia is partly inherited, so food cannot prevent it, but body weight affects how much a dysplastic or arthritic joint hurts and how quickly it wears.

The strongest evidence for the effect of leanness comes from a lifelong study of 48 Labrador Retrievers raised in pairs, with one dog in each pair fed 25% less than its pair-mate from 8 weeks of age. The leaner dogs lived longer, with a significantly longer median life span, and signs of chronic disease generally appeared later. For a large breed with joint risks, that is a strong argument for keeping the dog slim.

Joint supplements are widely sold. The strength of evidence varies from one ingredient to another, and doses differ widely between products. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are included in several veterinary joint diets. If a Ridgeback is stiff or lame, a vet examination comes first, then a decision about pain relief, weight, exercise changes and any supplement.

Dermoid sinus

Dermoid sinus is a congenital defect in which a tube of skin runs from the surface of the back or neck into the tissues beneath, in some dogs as deep as the spinal canal. It is found mainly in ridged dogs. In records of 12,700 Ridgeback puppies born in Germany between 2001 and 2019, 2.53% had a dermoid sinus, and the rate fell over the years. The condition is strongly heritable but does not follow a simple single-gene pattern, and the authors concluded that the gene variant producing the ridge is unlikely to be what determines whether a dog has a sinus.

A sinus can often be felt as a thin cord or a small opening with a tuft of hair along the midline, and puppies can be checked by feel soon after birth. A sinus that becomes infected can discharge, swell and, if it reaches the spinal canal, cause pain or neurological signs. Treatment is surgical removal. No diet prevents or treats dermoid sinus; after surgery, the dog needs its normal complete food and the vet's wound-care instructions, not special supplements. When buying a puppy, ask whether it was checked and have the vet feel along the back at the first visit.

Thyroid health

The Ridgeback is one of the breeds with a higher risk of hypothyroidism. A genome-wide study used it, along with the Gordon Setter and Hovawart, as a high-risk breed and found a shared risk region on chromosome 12. An underactive thyroid slows metabolism. Typical signs are weight gain without eating more, lethargy, a thinning or dull coat, repeated skin infections and seeking warmth.

• Diet does not prevent it. Hypothyroidism in dogs is usually caused by the gland being destroyed or shrinking, and complete commercial foods already contain the iodine and selenium the gland uses. Adding either is risky without a diagnosed deficiency.
• Test before assuming. A Ridgeback gaining weight on the same food should have its calorie intake checked and then be tested by a vet, rather than put straight on a diet.
• After diagnosis, daily hormone tablets usually restore normal energy and metabolism. Recheck the portion size as the dog responds, since calorie needs change once treatment starts, and give the tablets consistently in relation to meals as the vet advises.

A practical feeding routine

• Two or three measured meals at regular times, weighed on a kitchen scale rather than scooped.
• Treats counted, ideally under a tenth of daily calories, taken from the ration on training days. Choose chews sized so the dog cannot swallow large pieces.
• Fresh water always available.
• Seasonal changes. Many Ridgebacks do much less in hot weather. If activity drops for weeks, reduce the portion before the weight shows.
• Counter-surfing. Ridgebacks are tall enough to reach kitchen counters, and stolen food adds calories and risk. Keep foods toxic to dogs, such as grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions and xylitol products, out of reach.

Sources

1. Rhodesian Ridgeback dog breed information. American Kennel Club.
2. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
3. Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.
4. Diet-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs of high-risk breeds. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2004.
5. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002.
6. Prevalence and segregation analysis of dermoid sinus in Rhodesian Ridgebacks. The Veterinary Journal, 2022.
7. A multi-breed genome-wide association analysis for canine hypothyroidism identifies a shared major risk locus on CFA12. PLoS One, 2015.