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Once you have a dog, you get familiar with the routine of daily feeding.  Elevated dog bowls make life easier for your pet as well as for you.  While most people use a simple bowl placed upon the ground, they don’t realize that eating from the floor isn’t ideal for any dog that is more than six inches high.

There are a number of medical conditions that are associated with eating at so low a height, and the mess is greater as well.

Stomach Bloat
While rare, stomach bloat occurs most commonly when dogs gobble their food from low bowls.  If you have ever watched a dog eat from a food dish on the floor, you will be amazed at how fast they can make the meal disappear.

Yes, dogs are fast eaters by design, you never know when the next dog will try to steal your meal, but the posture they must assume to eat from a bowl on the floor adds to the problem.

By gulping their food at such an angle, most dogs ingest a great deal of air.  That air can distend the stomach and even cause it to twist.  A dog with stomach torsion is an emergency.

Few dogs survive this painful condition and most will repeat the torsion within a short period 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.  Raising the dish eliminates the risk.

Joints and Muscles
For many older dogs the act of bending down to feed off of the floor is very painful.  The resulting pressure on elbows and wrists as they bend over causes them to eat quickly or poorly. Buying elevated bowls help relieve and pressure just like a dog ramp would.

Imagine trying 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 dish helps reduce pressure on those tender joints.

Less Mess
A dog that is eating or drinking at the right 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.

With less pressure on their joints, dogs relax a bit and enjoy their food more.  If you have a dog that really bolts their food no matter what, consider adding a bolt preventing bowl to an elevated feeder.  It will force your pet to slow down.

Elevated dog bowls are easily found either at your local pet store or online.  To match the height to your dog, measure your dog at the withers.  The withers are the front shoulder joint.   Subtract six inches and you have the ideal height for your dog’s bowl.

Find a bowl that can accommodate that height and give it a try.  Both you and your dog will be happier about feeding time and as a bonus, you won’t have to bend quite as far to put the food in the bowl.