Elevated Dog Feeders: Would you eat off the floor? Why should your dog?

The healthy benefits of elevated dog feeders are highly acknowledged by veterinarians and other dog experts, and include the following:

Cleanliness and hygiene - Keeping the dog’s dining area clean is essential to a sanitary life.

Better posture and comfort - If a dog has a back or neck problems, a raised pet feeder will certainly help him/her to eat and drink more comfortably.

Easy swallowing - Imagine trying to swallow with your head down! Some dogs with mega-esophagus or other conditions find it very difficult to do so…

Cleanliness of dining area

Elevated dog dishes can help keeping the food and water within the bowl, instead of on the floor. Dogs tend to lift their heads after eating or drinking. As the dog raises his/ her head, the water that doesn't get swallowed will spill onto the floor.

Our Black Labrador, Bird used to spill so much water on our kitchen floors before giving him an elevated feeder, that the joke around the house was that in a way, we had the cleanest floors in town since we had to wipe them off so often…But with his raised dog feeder,he does not need to lift his head so much, and the water drips right back into the dish…No more wiping every ten minutes!

Health benefits

Elevated dog feeders reduce food and water gulping. This will prevent some rare, but serious conditions: bloat (or volvulus), and mega-esophagus, which is a condition when the food accumulates into the esophagus instead of descending to the stomach. This can lead to regurgitation and vomiting, and eventually very serious health issues.

Again, with an elevated dog feeder, the dog's head being more raised as he/ she eats, gravity will draw the food down into his/ her stomach.

Elevated dog bowls are also much more comfortable for older dogs with arthritis, bad backs, or joint or muscular pain. An elevated dog dish will provide him/ her with a better eating and drinking experience.

Functionality

If bending causes you discomfort, you won't need to bend down to pick up empty or put down heavy full dog dishes. The stainless steel dog bowls are also light enough to be removed for easy cleaning and filling.

These feeders are often outfitted with stainless steel pet bowls: stainless steel has been the material of choice for food processing,dairy and brewery industries. It is durable, sanitary, rust-free, and non-leaching. Such bowls will last a lifetime.

Now, the right size of an elevated dog feeder should be chosen accordingly to each individual dog's needs and height. Your dog should be comfortable, not reaching down or up while eating or drinking out of the dog feeder.