[AirForceAngel]

I have been having a massive pain of a time trying to decide solidly on a feeder for Apollo.

I have been torn on whether or not I should get a raised one because I have heard it helps with digestion and they don't have to bend their necks as much so it strains them less.

So do they actually have real benefit in the long run or does it not matter if I get a raised feeder?

 

[trumpetjock]

I have been having a massive pain of a time trying to decide solidly on a feeder for Apollo.

I have been torn on whether or not I should get a raised one because I have heard it helps with digestion and they don't have to bend their necks as much so it strains them less.

So do they actually have real benefit in the long run or does it not matter if I get a raised feeder?

You're worried about what type of feeder to get, but you're ok buying from what sounds like a puppy mill? You're going to find a heck of a lot more health issues come from terrible breeding practices than bending to eat out of a bowl.

I can't believe after all the advice you got in that picture thread you're still going through with supporting this terrible thing. There is so much literature out there about why you shouldn't be doing what you're doing, not to mention the thousands of posts here.

You even posted your distate of these breeding practices in this thread http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/37497-today-s-paper-ads.html yet you are totally fine buying from someone who is likely doing the exact same thing? Unless you've come up with miles of new information about your breeder since you stopped responding last time this was brought up, you're still buying from a puppy mill, or at best one heck of a BYB.

 

[flipgirl]

I got a raised feeder for my little dog because I had read they were good for digestion. But then I read some more and found that, they may actually cause bloat. Since it is easier to eat the food, the dog will 'inhale' it more. I'ave been using a raised feeder for my Shih-tzu x Bichon and I notice she has to clear her throat more so I'm not going to use it anymore.

I'm kind of on the fence but I think if Apollo is a large dog, you may just want to leave the bowls on the floor. I can't remember where I read that, if I find it, I'll let you know.

There is a new thing out in the UK called Hugx, it's a tilted bowl that can be rotated for easy access. The company claims it's easy for post-surgery dogs wearing collars to eat from these bowls. It looks like the bowl is tilted at a 45degree angle. The url is: hugx.co.uk. They are associated with Dog's Trust which is a dog charity in the UK.

 

[pamperedpups]

Our dogs eat in bowls, raised and not, or on the floor. I believe in variety.

 

[Pepper]

Flipgirl, I too have recently read that studies on raised bowls have been known to cause bloat and torsion in dogs that it happens a lot in, such as wolfhounds(I was reading a wolfhound book)

Apollo is a pom/eskimo mix I believe so he won't be that big.....
Trumpetjock...good point, but you never know, maybe she'll get a healthy one...

 

[trumpetjock]

Trumpetjock...good point, but you never know, maybe she'll get a healthy one...

I could care less if she gets a healthy one or not. It's the actual act of supporting a breeder like that. So what if both parents have "never had any problems" if the breeder is breeding fad breeds specifically for profit. You can get a mutt from a shelter for cheaper, and you aren't supporting this crap. I know you seem to think you can't adopt because you're military, but that's TOTAL bs. Go talk to some rescues. Actually call them up and speak with them, don't just assume.

 

[flipgirl]

It does make sense though.. I mean, they didn't have raised feeders in the wild right?

Raised, tilted, whatever, just another marketing gimmick. I guess I'm a sucker....

You know the funny thing is, now that I think of it, I think it was on this forum that I read that these feeders weren't good. I think it was when I first joined. This is my brain on age....

I think if your bowl made your dog's neck sore, then it would just do what my dog does with her water bowl - lie down and stick her face in the bowl....

 

[AirForceAngel]

I could care less if she gets a healthy one or not.

Don't post in my threads if you don't care about me or my dog.

Thanks.

 

[RonE]

Trumpetjock, I appreciate your passion (agree with it, actually) but you're banging your head against the wall here and you're only going to hurt yourself.

 

[rosemaryninja]

Don't post in my threads if you don't care about me or my dog.

Thanks.

Ironically, it's because Trumpetjock cares about you and the overall dog population that he's saying these things.

It doesn't sound like you have an understanding of BYBs/puppy mills and the dog overpopulation problem; if you did you would not be knowingly perpetrating it.

 

[poodleholic]

Trumpetjock, I appreciate your passion (agree with it, actually) but you're banging your head against the wall here and you're only going to hurt yourself.

ROFLMAO

RonE, we adore you!

 

[wvasko]

Ironically, it's because Trumpetjock cares about you and the overall dog population that he's saying these things.

It doesn't sound like you have an understanding of BYBs/puppy mills and the dog overpopulation problem; if you did you would not be knowingly perpetrating it.

Alright people, play nice. I read the raised bowl program whenever it came out and like all new stuff it had all the reasons stated why ground bowls were bad and raised bowls good. I had a choice to make, I could go along with 40 yrs of working and feeding assorted breeds (with 1 personal dog getting bloat) with grounded bowls that I personally experienced. Or I could believe stuff that somebody else did studies, polls whatever they did to sell people on the idea of spending hard earned money on sky bowls. Of course I know nobody would say something not true to sell stuff. Just think of all the deer running around with bowls strapped to their bodies so that the wolves can eat safely while running upright, kinda like a deer drive through buffet. Alas I'm being facetious, this is another owner's choice, it's on the same plateau with purchasing a pet rock or not purchasing a pet rock. I don't own any skybowls or pet rocks, I'm just not into buying adventures.

 

[midnight mojo]

My parents had an English Setter that eventually got to where she had a lot of trouble eating and the vet recommended they get a raised feeder for her. It did make it easier for her, which made a significant difference in her health because it meant she was eating more. So in that regard, I think there are definitely times when they are superior to bowls on the floor. However, I used bowls on the floor for my dog (same breed) because that's what I grew up seeing my parents do and it worked just fine. When my parents made the switch for Ginger, they switched for their other dogs as well and it's what they've continued to use ever since without problems. The only benefit I see now is that raised bowls do seem to stay cleaner longer than the ones on the floor.

I'm planning to keep bowls on the floor for my new pup since there's really no need for one off the floor (and he's a small dog so a "raised" bowl isn't going to be very high anyway).

 

[pugmom]

I use both....the best thing I like about the raised feeder is that it holds the bowls...no tipping, no scooting

 

[GroovyGroomer777]

I have three dogs, the largest one has raised bowls. She eats her food from the raised bowl, but I have noticed that she only drinks her water from the other dog's bowls which are on the ground....I find this odd....

 

[Pepper]

It's basically, neck problems vs. bloat.

In either category, people don't want neck strain on their large breed dogs, but they certainly don't want bloat or torsion. So it's a toss up really. Maybe you could have a tall feeder where it's a tray, so the food is spread out all over the pan so the dogs aren't wolfing it down and sucking in a lot of air...hmmm...

 

[melgrj7]

I have raised bowls for my dogs, but they are not raised very high (just a few inches from the floor). They pretty much to keep Lloyd from tipping the bowls and playing with the water. I've read that raised bowls may be a factor in bloat as well.

 

[Willowy]

I bought a raised feeder for Willow (a long time ago). She never liked drinking water from the raised dishes; she would always go drink from the cats' dish. The other dogs never liked drinking from it either. Willow ate from it just fine for many years, but when she got older she would lie down to eat from a bowl on the floor, she just refused to stand up to eat from the raised dishes. I don't care for them now.

 

[AirForceAngel]

Thanks for the input guys!

Since he's going to be such a tiny little dog I'm just going to stick with good, old-fashioned floor bowls. Seems like if it has any benefit it's really only for larger-sized dogs and small dogs aren't really affected.