Content
- Advantages of Elevating the Dog Feeder
- Ideal feeder height for dogs
- How to choose the best tall dog feeder
- How to Make a Tall Dog Feeder at Home
Elevated feeders are a good option to feed our dogs. On sale you'll find different models to choose from, but if you haven't decided to buy one yet, in this PeritoAnimal article we explain all of them. Benefits of a Tall Dog Feeder. In addition, we give you the guidelines to choose the most suitable one according to your puppy's characteristics. At the end, you will find, finally, ideas for making a fully customized tall feeder at home.
Read on and find out with us why tall dog feeders are a good option and how to make a homemade one.
Advantages of Elevating the Dog Feeder
The first point that can make us choose a high feeder for our dog is health. A feeder of this type don't force the dog to lower its head to the floor to feed, allowing him to maintain a more comfortable and physiological posture when swallowing. This aspect is especially important for those individuals who suffer from mobility issues. An example is arthritis, more common in older dogs, or cervical disorders. These dogs will be grateful that they don't have to lower their heads to the ground. On the other hand, if our dog has been diagnosed with megaesophagus, a tall feeder is part of the treatment and the vet will recommend for us. This pathology affects the functionality of the esophagus and dogs benefit from feeding without having to lower their heads, which helps the food reach the stomach, making regurgitation difficult.
If you pay attention to how the dog's posture is when eating on the floor compared to standing in front of an elevated feeder, you can understand the difference. Good posture at the time of ingestion favors the entire digestive process. Of course, because it is easier to eat, tall feeders are not the best option for individuals that eat too eagerly or too quickly. On the other hand, if your dog is a puppy, raising the feeder prevents him from putting his paws on it and ending up dirtying the food or staining everything; it also prevents it from sliding all over the house.
Lastly, when evaluating the benefits of a tall dog feeder, the hygiene must be considered. By not being in direct contact with the ground, there is less chance that dust, hair or any other dirt will fall on it. They also contribute to keeping the place of eating clean. The dog that eats on top tends to spot less.
Ideal feeder height for dogs
To get the most out of the benefits of a tall dog feeder, it's important to take height into account. Of course, this will vary depending on the size of our dog. Ideally, it should be enough so that the dog doesn't have to bend down to eat. one can reference the height of your elbow, which should approximately coincide with the bottom of the feeder.
Another calculation that can be done is measuring the dog from the ground to the shoulder blades and subtracting about 15 cm. In any case, if you are in doubt about the exact measurement, choose a height-adjustable pan. That way you can adapt it to the size of your dog. These adjustable feeders are also a good option if the dog is still a puppy, as the adjustable feeder can grow with it.
How to choose the best tall dog feeder
As there is no single perfect elevated feeder, but one that is ideal for each dog according to its characteristics, it is convenient to pay attention to some details that will make the difference when making our choice. O bowl size and height are the first important aspects, as they must adapt to the size of the dog so that it can feed comfortably. The larger it is, the less likely it is that food will fall to the ground.
Also look at the materials and choose the most hygienic, resistant and easy to clean. Plastic is not recommended because some specimens can cause allergic contact dermatitis. In addition, it absorbs odors and degrades over time. O stainless steel, in turn, is a very good option, resistant and easy to clean. THE ceramics or the glass they're good, but they're easy to break.
On the other hand, there are many elevated dog feeders that include a container for food and another for water in the same support. Make sure they can be removed for better cleaning. Having these two feeders close together is not always a good idea. When dogs drink, it is normal for it to drip and if water falls on dry food it can wet it, which makes it a product that will spoil easily if the dog does not eat all of its kibble quickly or if it is used to having it always at hand.
Finally, as there are several models, for example, the support ones on which the bowls are hung or the tray types with legs, in addition to meeting the benefits of tall dog feeders, you can also be guided by your personal taste or even for the decoration of your home.
How to Make a Tall Dog Feeder at Home
Don't think that a large investment is needed to enjoy the benefits of tall dog feeders. If you like crafts or DIY, you can make your own elevated bowl at home and also customize it. To avoid complications, you can look for a prefabricated support, such as the typical for vases or any stool or table that adapts to the height your dog needs. Just buy a pan that you like that fits. If you choose the easiest option, which is the vase holder, you'll just have to place it on the rim. On the contrary, if you have the smooth surface of, for example, a small table, you will have to support the pan on top of it by the narrowest part and draw its outline to cut out the circle and be able to fit the pan.
Another option is to build the support yourself, for example, out of wood. In any case, you can always customize by painting or decorating to your liking, for example, with the dog's name or a design you like. Of course, always use natural, non-toxic, washable paints or varnishes. In this video, we show the steps to follow.