need to know stuff
"Eat UP!"
Why it makes sense to raise your dog's (or cat's) dinner to new heights with a height-adjustable bowl.
Veterinarians recommend elevated (or raised) feeders because they offer a number of sensible health and hygiene advantages for both dogs and cats.
What is an elevated or raised feeder?
A bowl on a stand that allows an animal to eat at its natural head-height. In other words, it doesn't have to lower its head and stoop to eat or drink. As the name suggests, a height-adjustable bowl enables you to match the height of your pet more closely - a particular advantage for small and tall breeds.
So why is elevated feeding a good idea - particularly for dogs?
To feed from an ordinary bowl, a dog has to bend down, tighten muscles and place stress on joints - the taller or heavier the dog, the greater the stress.
By enabling feeding in a more relaxed, standing position, raised food and water bowls reduce neck, muscle and joint tension. This is more comfortable for all breeds of all ages. Comfortable eating is obviously kinder for pets who are older, arthritic, sick or recently injured.
Eating bent over can force dogs to gulp air as they eat by snatching food up into their mouths to prevent it dropping. Air in the gut = gas!
Phew! Elevated feeders can help reduce whiffy intestinal gas. The higher the food bowl is to the dog's mouth, the easier it is to eat in a more relaxed position and reduce gulping. In rare instances, swallowing an increased amount of air may result in a condition called bloat (gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV). This occurs most commonly in larger breeds and is life-threatening. Some veterinarians recommend elevated feeding for dogs susceptible to bloat.
Elevated feeding can help in the care of dogs and cats with a condition called magaesophagus.
This condition causes the esophagus (the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach) to become large and flaccid. Instead of moving food on its natural course through muscular contractions, the weakened esophagus dilates and allows food to collect there instead of the stomach. This can lead to regurgitation and vomiting. An elevated feeder will help gravity to move food into the stomach.
Bending down to eat isn't comfortable for pets who are already uncomfortable.
Elevated feeding is kinder and easier for pets with arthritis, hip problems, stiff muscles, sore joints, neck or back problems (such as intervertebral (IV) disc disease).
If it's uncomfortable to eat or drink, older pets may not get the nutrition they need.
Older pets often eat less anyway, if they're uncomfortable they'll be disinclined to make the effort. Raising food and water to a comfortable level encourages eating and drinking.
Older, arthritic and disabled OWNERS get a bonus, too!
We've heard that not having to bend down to floor level to clean and refill pet bowls is a big bonus. Elevated feeding also benefits those who suffer from bad backs or occasional sports injuries. And while we're on the subject of ups and downs...
Ordinary bowls encourage dripping, messing up and scooting around.
Oh the joys of hearing that bowl get chased, scraped and scooted around your shiny floor! And who has to get down and clean up afterwards? Elevated feeders not only stay put (they can SEE there aren't any morsels hiding underneath), they actually help limit mess by keeping food and water in the bowl. For example, dogs are drippy drinkers because they tend to lift their heads afterwards to help facilitate swallowing - by drinking at nose-height, more water goes into the dog and less goes on the floor.
Bugs love pet bowls!
Elevated or raised feeding helps keep the area around and underneath your pet's bowl clean, clear and free from moisture, so that bacteria and mold are less likely to accumulate.
Eating at nose level is less stressful - they can see if any thieves are sneaking up!
Relaxed, upright, elevated feeding at a height adjusted to suit your pet makes for calmer meal times - less stress means better digestion. Just the same goes for you, but you're not bending down to eat your food off the floor without a knife, fork or fingers - or programmed to bolt your food in case someone steals your meal.
Enough said?
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