Raised dog bowls or commonly known as elevated feeders have been gaining a lot of popularity in the past few years among German Shepherd owners.
Are raised dog bowls good or bad for your dog?
The answer depends mostly on your dog’s specific condition, but in general, your dog doesn’t need to use a raised dog bowl.
If you’re unsure whether you should get a raised dog bowl or not for your canine friend, the best thing to do is to visit your vet and ask for his opinion.
Benefits of Elevated Dog Bowls for Dogs with Medical Conditions
A veterinarian will prescribe elevated dog feeder for dogs with certain medical conditions such as neck ache or problem swallowing foods.
Elevated dog bowls allow aged dogs or dogs with arthritis to eat on raising posture which helps to reduce any strain on their neck, shoulders, joints, and hips.
Dogs with megaesophagus disorder are also benefited from raised dog bowls.
Megaesophagus is a condition where the esophageal muscles weakened; these muscles are responsible for pushing meals into your dog’s belly for digestion.
Because of the raising posture, the movement of food from the mouth all the way to the stomach can be effortless.
Your dog’s body doesn’t need to exert a lot of effort to push the meals into its belly.
Another benefit of raised dog bowl for German shepherds is it keeps your dog from splashing water from the bowl to the ground as they drink which saves you a lot of time from cleaning the mess afterward.
Benefits of Raised Dog Bowls for The Dogs’ Owners
As for the owners, raised dog bowls make your work a lot easier. You don’t need to bend all the way to the ground to fill the bowl with food.
Cleaning is also a lot easier since you don’t have to kneel on your hands and knees to clean the dog bowl, you can simply wipe off the dirt from the bowl surface in standing position.
Raised Dog Bowls Buyer’s Guide
These are three things that you want to look for before buying a raised dog bowl:
1. The first thing you want to consider is the height of the bowl, how tall the bowl should be. The bowl that is too tall or too low will strain your dog’s neck, back, and shoulders.
How to Pick the Right Height for Elevated Dog Bowls
The easiest way to find the right for your dog’s raised bow is by measuring the distance from the floor to your dog’s shoulder then subtract the length that you get by 6 inches.
2. The second thing to consider is the material that is made of the bowl. The popular ones are ceramic, plastic, and steel.
3. The last thing, I would suggest picking a raised dog bowl with an adjustable height feature. You won’t need to keep buying a new one as your dog grows.
Elevated Dog Food Bowl Caused Risk of Bloat
Remember you should only use elevated dog bowl only with a vet’s approval.
Don’t use this for healthy dogs.
In spite of all of the myths surrounding raised dog bowl about being able to minimize the dogs’ chance of developing bloat, the opposite holds true.
Studies have shown that raised dog bowls can actually make healthy dogs more vulnerable to bloat.
You should never underestimate bloat. Bloat disorder leads to a medical condition known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) which interferes with your dog’s blood circulation and leads to extensive damage.
So once again, no matter what your friend might tell you about how wonderful his brand new raised dog bowl, you must never use this on your dog unless you’ve consulted with a vet first.