You may think that your pet’s bowl is just another utensil, but when it comes to feeding your dog, choosing the right utensil is just as important as what you pour inside. After all, he drinks and eats out of his bowl all the time.
A dog vessel (large or small) depends entirely on his size. While there are so many available in the market, picking the one as per your pet’s needs is what you have to care for. So have a look at the options listed below to choose the right bowl for your pet.
Elevated bowls
If your dog suffers from joint issues, or is at an older age, then bending down to have food can be problematic for him. In such a situation, raised bowls or elevated bowls can help them. These bowls are slightly above the ground and are best suitable for giant dog breeds. Apart from this, elevated bowls are of two types:
● Folding Feeding Tray
Feeding tray will serve two purposes; you can either use them on floors or can add legs to lift some height. They are sturdy and prevent the dog from bloating. The legs of this feeding tray are designed in a way that it won’t topple over easily. Elevated trays mostly come in the size range of up to 14 inches.
● Double elevated tray:
If you want to add little comfort in your dog’s life, get them double elevated trays. With this, you don’t have to worry about buying two separate bowls; the table itself owns separate trays to serve your pet’s needs. Also, they could be your best pick if you have two pets- adult and a puppy of different height. The lower section of the tray will be best for a 4-inch dog, while the upper one will be apt for an 8-inch dog.
Plastic bowls
If your dog loves to play with his food bowl, get him the plastic one which is very handy, affordable and unbreakable; plus, it comes in different sizes to fulfil every breed’s needs. These trays offer different shapes and beautiful colours that your dog will love to play with. They are dishwasher safe and are unbreakable. However, they are least recommended by vets as the plastic can be chewed by your dog leaving spaces in the bowl which could raise bacteria in it.
Stainless steel dog bowl
These bowls are by far the best and most durable ones for your monster. They are made up of stainless steel with a non-skid rim at the bottom to prevent any spilling. Although these bowls often don’t come in different designs and colours, few can be found at the pet store. They are inexpensive and easy to clean, but sometimes, when not handled with good care, could develop rust or stains.
Automatic dog bowls
They are standard dog bowls which are attached to some container or reservoir to keep your pet’s bowl full as long as there’s food in the storage chamber. They often come in plastic material. Automatic bowls are of two types. One is programmable variant that gives you the access to provide food to your dog at the time you set, while other is the non-programmable one.
Although these trays constantly provide food from the storage chamber, they are also perfect to keep water available at all times. Also, it’s convenient to use them when you’re not at home. But, you should feed in person as it won’t allow you to keep a watch at your pet’s food intake and could take your pet towards obesity.
Ceramic bowls
A blend of style and fun designs, this dog bowl will go with your interiors. They are perfect to express style in another manner. These are handmade and are often clad in beautiful designs. Their charming glaze makes it easy to keep them neat and clean. But, they are breakable and can chip or crack at any time.
Travel bowls
If you are on a road trip with your loving dog, or on a vacation, travel bowls for dogs can be very helpful. They are perfect to carry food and water for your pet. These bowls are generally made up of polyester with a nylon or plastic liner. They are portable and can be folded or packed once empty. Also, they are quite worthy and inexpensive.
Slow feed bowls
Some dogs just gulp down food instead of chewing. Although eating too fast isn’t a problem, it can give rise to problems like indigestion, vomiting or gas issues. So if your dog eats too fast, get him a slow feed dog bowl and help him stay healthy. These bowls are specially designed to make pets eat slowly. They have ridges or obstacles to let your dog enjoy while eating and help him feel less hungry after that.
Designer dog bowl
Do you want something that could add definition to your pets place, and not just serve as an area for your pet to have food? If so, a designer bowl can be the one you are searching for. These bowls come in various fun designs that could cater your dog’s needs. Also, they are hard and are made up of stainless steel.
Why the shape of your dog’s bowl matters?
While hunting for a perfect bowl at the pet store, you must have seen bowls in various shapes and sizes. These shapes are designed depending on the different types of breed. For the dogs with large and floppy ears, wide base and narrow opening bowls are the perfect pick while shallow bowls are good for small breeds like pugs or bulldogs.
Whatever bowl you pick, just make sure that you don’t leave any food or soft chews in it. Also, clean them every day! Eating fresh food and water in the right utensils is not just important for us, but for our dogs too.