Have you ever seen a pet food bowl shelf like this? Or if you have a medium to large dog, you may have considered elevating food and water bowls for dogs and cats to make it easier for them to eat? Is an elevated food bowl a good idea? There is actually considerable controversy in this.

Pros and Cons of Elevated Food Bowls

Elevated food bowls are great for parents of large pets, older dogs and cats with arthritis, neck and back pain, or other mobility issues. Bowls make eating easier and more comfortable. This reduces pressure on your pet’s neck, back and legs, so dogs and cats don’t need to bend down to eat or drink. Another potential benefit is less mess on the floor because food and water are less likely to fall on the floor due to the design. The biggest and most serious risk of elevating the food bowl is said to increase the risk of gastric volvulus, also known as gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), which is especially high in some large dogs with deep chests, such as Great Danes. A controversial 2000 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association linked elevated food bowls to gastric volvulus, concluding that approximately 20 percent of GDV cases in large breed dogs and 52 percent of giant breed dogs Cases have been attributed to elevated food bowls. Some experts are more inclined to believe that the speed at which dogs eat is a key risk factor for increasing GDV (elevating the food bowl makes eating smoother, thereby speeding up the eating process?)

Other information about pet food bowls Research

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition suggests that the size of dog food bowls and spoons may be contributing to the pet obesity epidemic.

In one experiment, dog owners were divided into different bowl and spoon combinations:

• Small bowl and spoon

• Small bowl and large spoon

• Large bowl and small spoon

• Large bowl and large spoon

As you may have guessed, the experimental group using a small spoon and a small bowl provided much less food to the dogs than the other groups.

This study is strikingly similar to some studies on humans. If you're trying to lose weight, stick with smaller bowls and spoons. It really works.