Nov 07 2009
An Elevated Dog Bowl Could Be A Good Choice For Your Dog
When it comes to a pet’s eating needs, an Elevated dog bowl could be a good choice for your dog. In fact, you might try to use one whenever possible, as their height helps in preventing something called bloat. Bloat is a potentially life-threatening medical issue that’s second only to cancer in causing death in dogs.
The average Elevated dog bowl of this type comes in at about 10 inches in overall height. The better units also have stainless steel or ceramic bowls, which are safer for the animal than plastic ones. This is because they don’t become gouged or scratched, like plastic can. These gouges and scratches are perfect breeding grounds for potentially harmful bacteria, most veterinarians say. Ceramic and stainless steel doesn’t suffer from that problem.
Quite a few elevated dog bowls are adjustable to fit the height of the animal. They’re also constructed sturdily and will have non-skid material on their leg bottoms. This helps to prevent the likelihood of slipping or sliding of the unit when the dog is really going at the food contents in the bowl or bowls. Bowl sizes also rank from a single pint on up to three quarts of capacity.
Bigger or larger dogs - those of fifty or more pounds in weight or nineteen or more inches in height at the shoulder bones area - can benefit from having their own feeding stations. Ones for these sizes of dogs usually run about sixteen inches tall. They’re also constructed with the large dog’s unique ergonomic requirements in mind, which small dogs don’t have.
Another benefit to an elevated feeder is that it’s less stressful on a dog’s posture. This in turn helps benefit bone and joint health in your animal. Built up over a lifetime of hunching over or stooping, feeding activities can place a strain of the dog’s skeleton and muscles, even if the dog looks outwardly healthy. There are special elevated feeding stations for the small dog or pet, so that they too can benefit from a more relaxed eating position.
There are feeding stations which alsoprovide for a gravity watering system. In it, an upside down bottle allows water to flow into the pet’s bowl as the water level in the bowl goes down. In this way, fresh and clean liquids are always on tap for your dog or other pet as they drink. Some of these models even come in travel or portable versions, for when you and Spot decide to hit the road for a bit of sightseeing.
Style and fashion can also be a part of a dog’s life, too. Many elevated feeding stations come in a variety of styles, colors and fashions. They can range from purposefully utilitarian all the way up to ornate Victorian or even Danish Modern in look and materials. Of course, we’ll like the looks more than the dog probably will ever care about. But what’s wrong with have something of the dog’s blending in with the overall decor in the home?
An elevated feeding station for your dog might just be the perfect accessory that allows your dog to get its food and water in a healthful, safe and enjoyable manner. Always use stainless steel or ceramic bowls if you can and try to find ones that provide self-watering if possible.
