Is it better to feed a dog with their bowl raised off of the ground?
Apr 04, 2006 by duck's attitude | Posted in Dogs
Right now, I have my dog's food and water bowls on the ground. Should I elevate them? I've heard that this can help the dog digest their food better. Is this true?
My dog is about 88 lbs. She's a relatively big dog. She's an Akita.
http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
O.K., I'm really confused now. I found the link above that says one way to help prevent bloat in dogs is to NOT have raised food bowls.
Another website says you should raise the food bowls to prevent excessive intake of air. what the?
I have always been told that keeping the feeding dish on the ground helps prevent bloat.After your added info,I started searching the web,and also found alot of conflicting info on raised feeding.See what your Vet thinks on the issue.Deep chested breeds,and males 2 years or older are the most common victims of bloat.But It doesn't hurt to take precautions regardless.
All I can say from personnel experience is that I have owned Labs for the last 20 some years.Labs are a breed prone to bloat,and I have always fed mine with their food bowl on the ground.I have never lost a dog to bloat,it could be luck,or it could be the lowered food bowl.I can't say with certainty which it is.
The site below does offer a section on ways to reduce the risk of bloat,give it a look,and hopefully it will help you out some.
metzger52365 | Apr 05, 2006
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Once you have a puppy, you get familiar with the routine of daily meals. An elevated dog bowl will benefit you and your dog in numerous ways. The most popular bowl that sits on the ground will always be a classic, however, these bowls can be very dangerous on bigger dogs.
There are a lot of medical issues that are associated with eating at such a low height, and the mess is greater as well.
Stomach Bloat Even though stomach bloat is a rare issue, it is usually caused from an improper height in your dog’s bowls. The next time your dog is eating, watch how his food will instantly disappear.
Dogs are fast eaters by nature. It is a form of protection against anyone or anything taking their food. What a lot of people do not realize is that it is very dangerous for their health to eat from the bowls on the ground.
By scarfing their food at such an angle, most dogs ingest a lot of air. When air is ingested by your dog, it can cause your dog’s stomach to turn. If your dog has a twisted stomach, it is a very critical emergency.
Few dogs make it through this harmful condition and most will repeat the twisting within a short length of time. On a less serious note, there is also the gas to deal with, and that is uncomfortable for you as well as your dog. Lifting the dish eliminates the chance.
Joints and Muscles For many elderly dogs the act of crouching down to eat off of the floor is very painful. The resulting tension on elbows and wrists as they crouch over causes them to eat quickly or improperly.
Imagine attempting to eat while bent at the waist from a surface at arms length. That is what dogs do every time they eat from a dish on the floor. The position is bad for their posture and makes eating difficult. Raising the bowls helps decrease tension on those soft joints.
Less Mess A dog that is eating or drinking at the correct height makes less of a mess. There is no longer a reason to quickly throw the food back to the throat, and they don’t have to eat so frantically.
