When feeding your dog it's only an obvious process of filling up the food and water dishes and setting them back on the ground, right? It's not complicated, since dogs dont require anything fancy. Well believe it or not, numerous veterinarians do not agree with that statement. Although several pet owners do feed their dogs in this manner, using an elevated feeder is really healthier for your dog for many reasons. At first it might not appear to be an important distinction, but the health problems that can be easily resolved by an elevated dog feeder are numerous.
If you take a few seconds to really think about it, the concept of eating and drinking with your neck and back bent sounds pretty uncomfortable and unpleasant doesn't it? For older dogs especially, an elevated feeder is important to their health. Like all mammals, including people, older dogs typically eat less anyway. Add to that the discomfort of eating from the floor and the risk of your dog not getting the proper nutrition is increased. Older dogs need to be as comfortable as possible to stay healthy and get the fuel they seriously need. The same theory is applicable to dogs that may have arthritis or joint pain. A raised dog feeders is a perfect item to use to ensure the appropriate nutrition of a senior or feeble pet.
Lets keep in mind overall sanitation for a second. Pet bowls that are kept on the ground soon become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. The moisture from the water your dog drips when he raises up his head to swallow collects underneath the bowls and makes the perfect environment for harmful little pests to live. This is bad news for the pets and the people in the house. When dogs drink from an elevated feeder it isnt necessary for them to raise their heads in order to swallow and all the water that escapes tends to fall back into the bowl instead of onto the floor. An elevated feeder will definitely help to eliminate this likely health hazard to the entire household.
Another benefit to using an elevated feeder is gas. Laugh if you want, but there isnt one single pet owner alive who hasnt had to deal with their dogs occasional periods of noxious gas. If you need more reasons to switch to a raised dog feeders this is it. An elevated feeder makes it so the dog can keep their head at a more natural angle while eating. This means that your dog gulps less, reducing air intake into the stomach and thus eliminates less odoriferous air into your breathing air. Clearly your dog also feels a great deal better without having the constant bloated feeling that comes from having gas - so it's definitely a win-win situation.
On a more serious note, eating and drinking directly from the floor is really unhealthy for the four-legged member of the family. Some dogs are hindered by a condition called megaesophagus. This is a condition in which the muscles of the esophagus become loose and too large. Eating off of the ground forces the affected animal to work against gravity with faulty equipment. Since the esophagus is weak to begin with, food will often get stuck there rather than continuing to stomach. An elevated feeder lessens the work the muscles have to do and aids gravity in getting the food to the stomach, where it needs to be.
There are many specific reasons to spoil and take care of your pet. Most importantly, when you accepted him into your home; you basically promised to take care of him as best as you could. Providing your dog with the proper materials to help ensure lasting health is just part of keeping that promise.
