Elevated food dish or not?

**MariaM** · 04-08-2005, 06:35 PM

I don't actually have an elevated stand...but when Major would come inside for water in the winter (its so warm now! that started about a week ago, so it's still new!) I would always hold the bowl up for him. His water bowls are on a step outside now, they are about a foot off the ground. It helps a bit when he co-operates, but I think he actually likes to bend down and drink better.

He doesn't EAT out of a bowl. I throw the food in a small area in our yard and he goes and finds it. I couldn't ever let him eat out of a bowl. He eats WAY too fast. He just gobbles it all down.

**bckrazy** · 04-08-2005, 09:10 PM

Gonzo just has stainless steel bowls on a mat on the ground. . I wanted to get elevated dishes, but I've never seen any I really like, and I don't know where I'd put it. It definitely makes sense though. Gonzo has gagged up his food before, I think it's because he ate it too fast and his head is straight down... n_n

**LauraT7** · 04-10-2005, 07:53 PM

My first two goldens lived to be 13 1/2 and 15, were very healthy and never had elevated bowls. they also SHARED a bowl, got fed once a day, and were self- feeders - whenever the bowl was emptied, I filled it ( premium dry food) They never got fat, or had any kind of problems.

then we got Tristan from rescue. Tristan was a 'gulper' and wolfed down his food - then he would often throw it up ( and eat it again - yuch!)

So to slow him down we did a number of things -

- fed him two or 3 smaller meals a day instead of one large meal
- put a bone, kong or toy in his bowl with the food (he had to 'pick out' the food around the toy - it slowed him down - some! ;-) )
-got an elevated bowl ( I used a cast-iron plant stand that his bowl sits in)
- we 'soaked' his dry food ( so that it would swell BEFORE it hit his tummy) and switched to a food that did not swell up as much when it got wet ( BilJack)

Since I have a dog door that the dogs can go in and out at will - I encourage them to drink LOTS of water. I change it often so it's cool and fresh. With Toby and Tara sharing a water bowl - I usually just had a big bucket that I used for their water bowl. It never went dry, and when food and hair got in it, I'd water the garden with it and refill it with fresh. but the height of the bucket made it like a 'raised' bowl. My current water bowl is a big ceramic thing - like a flowerpot - it still holds about 1 1/2 gal of water, but the ceramic makes it stay cool longer.

Tristan is gone now - we lost him to lymphoma in January. but I still use the raised bowl for our new golden, Fizz. she doesn't 'need' it - as she's not a 'gulper' - but it is just high enough to make it difficult ( but not impossible) for the cat to steal her food. she seems to like it.

But I am concerned that there are mixed messages out there about a raised bowl causing/preventing bloat. to me, it makes logical sense that the raised bowl should HELP - not HURT - but I just don't know. Fizz isn't a big girl, and she's very dainty and doesn't gulp. She's not in a high risk category, so for now, I'm keeping the raised bowl until I hear something further. the cast-iron plant stand works well, and looks nice.

laura