Raised dog feeders

Due to injury we decided to feed the girls on raised feeders, we always used one for the late Molliepops as she used to get wind eating at ground level. Decided the ones in the shops were rather expensive and saw this http://www.instructables.com/id/Plantpot-dog-dishes/ made 5 for the various places they eat and they are brilliant (if I do say so myself ).

Re: Raised dog feeders

Sorry Julie I don't see the point in raised bowls myself.
I don't see why a dog can't bend its head to eat.
Ok if is has an injury and is wearing an Elizabethan collar there may be temporary difficulties in which case I would improvise if necessary to raise a bowl with whatever happens to be around.

Re: Raised dog feeders

Awww c'mon Meg..Eating from a raised dog food bowl can make your canine companion feel like royalty, and who doesn't want to treat her beloved pup like a king or queen?

They help with certain health condition, also where the dog (and the owner have arthritis)

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We find they don't gulp it down to fast and they don't get so windy I believe it's recommended to feed larger dogs that way too by vets, ours certainly suggested it to us for Mollie, and we are finding it's helping Elsie too. Betty doesn't really need one normally but it is certainly easier for her not to bend recently.

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My dogs have never given a dam where they eat floor or bowl is all the same as long as it is food of some kind

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I think they are a very good idea. Especially if they are a large dog, it must be a strain on their neck keep bending down to the floor.

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I'm not saying they care where they eat I am just trying to help them eat without indigestion and less strain on their necks, some breeds are recommended to eat from raised feeders to avoid twisted stomachs too.

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There was talk years ago that some of the larger breeds prone to gastric torsions might benefit from raised feeders, but then I have seen other reports since that seem to think they don't make a scrap of difference.
One of my old German Sherpherds suffered a torsion once, but lucky for her I recognised it and got her to the vets in time. I raised her bowl after her operation, but not all the other's bowls, only 'Daisy's'.

My old gal of 17 doesn't seem to manage very well now with getting food and water to go against gravity and suck up from the floor, so for a while now she has had her dish raised a little. I found an old clay flower pot which fitted her bowl to perfection, but now I just stick her bowl on the plastic 'step' I bought to stand on to reach stuff. She is getting very weak now and definitely swallows better if liquid is a little nearer her chest level.

The other younger, healthier ones eat from bowls on the floor as normal. Only the old gal needs a bit of extra tlc .

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Julie this is a much debated with many vets saying that raised bowls are of no benefit to preventing Gastric Dilatation Volvulus .
If you read all the latest research there is no definitive cause for GDV but breed predisposition and the content of food have been cited as contributary factors.

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Well what ever the research mine don't get so windy and eat slower with a Labrador that is a minor miracle.

But I am starting to think I wish I hadn't bothered to share this idea why one person's choice of feeder is such a problem I cannot understand I thought all dogs were individuals and some may benefit from this but obviously if one members dogs don't need them none of us do