Eating Height

[kimierose]

I have heard that for large breed dogs it is best to have their food and water bowls up higher not on the floor.I was just wondering how many here have their babies food bowls up. Also if you have heard this. Sometimes when I watch Bella eat it looks like she should have it at a easier height to her body looks like a long way down to eat.Just wanted some more opinion's as to how you feed.

[Chicag0_Red]

I don't worry that much about height for a couple of reasons. First these guys here don't tend to gulp the food. Second for eleventy-bajillion years out in the mountains they ate off the ground (unless they were carrying the food to a nice table size rock to eat off of). It is more about the speed and how they eat than the height of the bowls. When Hank was younger and tended to eat faster we would set his bowl in a dining room chair, but, we left it out for him all of the time. I have a couple of elevated set-ups that we use from time to time for dogs we get in with ortho problems just to aid them and to make it easier for them to feed and drink without having to reach or stretch to get the food. We'll also use it if we get one that has not been fed regularly and tends to gulp their food, but after a few weeks when they get in the swing of things and figure out that food will always be available at meal times they slow down and we start feeding them the same as everybody else. In fact Hank and Patsy will go in their respective kennels and lay down and have them a snack a couple of times a day just laying there and nibbling for a few minutes.

[CakemanPa]

I have always had raised bowls for my Danes as they are prone to issues. I tried it with our Pyr George and he dumped them, laid in the water, and ate. He wants to eat on the ground..


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[Davey Benson]

Originally Posted by kimierose

I have heard that for large breed dogs it is best to have their food and water bowls up higher not on the floor.....

Interesting. I read on the internet somewhere that if you elevate their food bowl, that would encourage faster eating, more gulping of air, and possibly bloat.

So there you have it. Feed them where ever they will eat.

[Espinay]

Purdue University, in their research in to GDV (bloat) found that eating out of a raised bowl increased the likelyhood of bloat.

I don't raise food or water bowls. But then most of my dogs do lie down to eat too.

[kimierose]

Thanks guys for all your input.Apparently what I was reading was old news doesnt surprise me. Bella will not be getting a raised bowl.

[Jewel]

My akita came down with bloat. He was not a fast eater, he didn't engage in any physical activities before or after the his meal that evening, his bowl was on the floor. In other words, the common risk factors were not present when it happened to him.

My current dogs' food bowls are raised, though only about 6 inches off the ground. It seems easier on them to not have to bend all the way down.

[Davey Benson]

Originally Posted by Espinay

...I don't raise food or water bowls. But then most of my dogs do lie down to eat too.

My german shepherd does that...... I always thought that was the oddest thing. Apparently if they do that, they arent worried about finnishing up really fast to go see who's else bowl they can help finnish up.

[Espinay]

It can depend on what you feed too. I feed a Raw diet so they tend to lie down to eat their raw meaty bones. A lot of the time I don't even use bowls.

Making the meal as stress free as possible is a good thing. I always separate all the dogs for meals so they can't get to each other (crates, runs or in different areas with some kind of barrier between eg a door or baby gate). I can monitor what everyone is eating and they are not stressed about other dogs trying to steal their food. Stress can be another factor which can lead to bloat.

Note that there are a LOT of factors which can increase the risk of bloat. Family history of bloat and body structure such as a deep chest are just two others. Note this is increased risk - doesn't mean if you do all these things that a dog will never get bloat, just that the risk is lowered.