Marty Feldhake

There are dozens of options when you are looking at regular dog bowls, but for elevated dog feeders, the choices are even fewer.  This doesn’t mean that you should not consider them, though.  They are so much better for your pet that it surprises me that there aren’t more of them available.

Preventing Bloat
One of the most common eating problems big dogs have is ingestion of air.  If they ingest enough air while eating, their stomach distends and they get a condition called bloat.  A bloated stomach can easily twist, causing a condition called torsion.

Both bloat and torsion are extremely dangerous and can even be fatal; emergency surgery is the only solution.  Granted, these are fairly rare conditions, but a dog that develops and survives once has a much higher chance of developing the condition again.

Even for smaller dogs, the benefits of an elevated dog feeder are obvious.  The ideal bowl height for a dog while eating is six inches below the withers, any lower forces them to bolt their food and places a lot of strain on their wrists, elbows, and shoulder joints.

Convenience
Aside from the medical reasons to purchase an elevated feeding station, there is the convenience they add.  Many of the stations are designed with a lip around the edge.  This prevents water and food from spilling onto the ground.  Fewer spills mean less mess.  Keeping food and mess off the floor means that you will attract fewer insects to the buffet.