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Dog Care Library
Veterinarians recommend elevated feeders
for dogs and cats because they:
Promote hygiene and cleanliness
Provide comfortable eating and drinking for pets with arthritis or
neck or back problems
Aid cats and dogs with megaesophagus, difficulty swallowing, or
other digestive problems.
Help owners who have physical disabilities.
Keep your dog's eating areas clean
Raised feeders and dishes keep feeding areas cleaner by keeping the
food and water in the bowls and not on the floor. Dogs are less likely to
drip water on the floor when drinking from an elevated water bowl. All our
elevated feeders come with removable ceramic or stainless steel bowls that can
be placed right in the dishwasher.
Bending over to eat is not comfortable for pets with stiff
muscles or sore joints, particularly for pets with neck or back problems, such
as intervertebral (IV) disc disease. A more natural posture also promotes improved digestion and may discourages gulping. Raising food and water to their level by
using a an elevated dog diner encourages eating and drinking. Improve your
dog's digestion can prevent a serious condition called megaesophagus. In this
condition, the esophagus (the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach)
becomes large and flaccid. Instead of moving the food down to the stomach
through muscular contractions, the enlarged and weak esophagus dilates and
allows the food to accumulate there instead of in the stomach. This can lead
to regurgitation and vomiting. An elevated feeder will allow gravity to help
get the food down to the stomach.
Many pet owners appreciate not having to bend over as far to pick up or
fill up water and food dishes. For the frail, physically handicapped, or
persons with arthritis or back problems, elevated feeders can make a big
difference. Some feeder designs incorporate food storage like the sturdy Store
N Feed that stores the food right in the feeder.
Determining Height of a Raised Feeder
The picture above can be a starting point but, it depends on your dog. Not all dogs that stand 18" at the withers will automatically need an eight inch lift. You can try using a tape measure to get a rough idea of height from the middle of his forearm to the ground and order a feeder from that. The other option is to start with a dog food bowl on a low box then a slightly higher box. until he is comfortable. Whatever height you end up with is the height you want to measure. Now you have a number to roughly go by and an idea of whether he is going to adjust to the new feeding stance.
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