How We Get Our Eat On

There are so many adorable choices out there for food and water bowls for your dog.  I think I am drawn to a new one every time I am in a pet store.  I always have to call on my common sense though, as I know which bowls and dishes are the safest and best overall for dogs.  This is might be common sense to anyone reading this post as well, but in case it's not, here is what I know for sure (doesn't Oprah say that? ;)).

Plastic comes in fun colors and can be a tempting, affordable choice, but these kinds of bowls are easily scratched and chewed, and in those scratches on the plastic over time, bacteria can grow.  They don't hold up well, if at all, in dishwashers either.   

Ceramic is another option.  These are the most tempting for me because they have so many cute patterns, colors and designs.  Just about anything you can dream up you could probably find on a ceramic bowl.  They, however, have similar issues as the plastic does.  Ceramic is prone to small cracks just in normal wear and tear.  Again, these are places bacteria can grow.  They also are not always dishwasher safe, just like the plastic.

Stainless steel is the best choice.  It does not crack and can be washed and disinfected thoroughly in the dishwasher.  Your pets bowls should be washed several times a week to keep them in good shape and healthy for feeding.  I do not wash mine in the dishwasher several times a week, but I do wash them by hand when I am not using the dishwasher.  I don' t know about your dog bowls, but mine get slimy and dirty every day or two.  It amazes me what I find everyday when I refill their water!  Leaves, grass, dirt are all common items my doodle brings to the bowl with his beard.  Another nice option with the stainless is that there are many options with non skid rubber along the bottom so your dog cannot push the bowl across the floor.  We use three stainless steel bowls at our house for our dogs.  Two food dishes, one for each dog, and one water dish.  We keep our two feeding bowls together on our elevated system, and our water bowl is elevated on a plastic crate.  Our dogs do very well eating side by said so that has never been an issue for us.  Our type of elevated feeder is adjustable to your dog's height and it's wrought iron.  We have had it for probably 6 or 7 years and it's still going strong.  Obviously,as you can see in the picture below, it does not have storage for food, but we keep our dog food in a large, air tight bin because we buy large amounts at one time.  We purchased this elevated dog feeding system from Orvis.  Our dogs are both large boys and they seem to prefer to eat higher off the ground.  I know the research on this tends to go back and forth.  Currently I believe it is generally recommended to feed on the floor for safe digestion, so I am not any expert here.  For a time it was believed elevated dishes promoted safer digestion and helped prevent bloat.  I think it comes down to being a personal (and dogsonal) choice.  See which way your dog seems to eat better.  Maybe over time, or as your dog ages, you will even find yourself switching methods.  After all, I think their comfort in eating will make for the healthiest system.

LET'S EAT! :) 

Our Orvis Elevated Dog Dishes