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Lick it clean! Eddie's pet bowl guide
I don't know if you've noticed, but I really like food. When it comes to eating, I never took much interest in what the food was served to me on. As long as it was there and tasty, I was all over it.
These days I'm taking a more careful look at my food, and even to the bowls I eat it from. In the market for new food and water dishes? Here are my recommendations.
Skip the plastic dishes.
Cleo and I used to eat from plastic dishes, but then she developed a little condition known as kitty acne (just don't tell her I told you, she might be embarrassed). Kitty acne can be caused by a variety of things, and one of those things is plastic dishes. See, plastic is porous, and that means that dirt and germs can live in the plastic. It also means that plastic can't be sterilized -- not even in the dishwasher. That might be bad for kitty's chin, but it's also pretty gross to eat off of if you think about it. Plus, there are all kinds of chemicals in plastic that might migrate into your food and water.
Stainless steel is a good choice.
Stainless steel is non-porous and extremely durable, so it'll last a good long time. As long as the bowls are made of food-grade steel, you don't have to worry about any bad things getting from the metal into your food. Stainless steel bowls are light, which means it can be hard to get the last bits of food out of them without pushing the bowl clear across the room. A textured placemat can help keep bowls in place.
Glazed ceramic is another non-toxic option.
Ceramic is heavy-duty stuff! As long as it's glazed it's non-porous, but make absolutely sure to get a bowl that's intended to be used for food and uses lead-free glaze. Keep an eye out for chips and scratches, since areas where the glaze comes off can harbor germs.
Keep it clean!
No matter what kind of bowls you're using, keeping them clean is critical. Any bowl you eat wet food out of should be cleaned every day. Dry food bowls and water dishes can be scrubbed less often, but even they should be rinsed on a daily basis.
Bonus: Tip for my tall friends.
If you're a tall dog who's tired of getting neck aches from bending down to eat, ask your human to put your dish up on a slightly higher surface, like a bench or low table. Or ask them to spring for one of these elevated dog dishes. You can get them in lots of styles from lots of places for lots of different prices.
How do I tell if the glazed ceramic dish is lead-free or not? Should I avoid dishes made in China? I am currently using dishes I bought from Big Lots for my cats....
I bought lead test kits at the hardware store. Kind of a cotton swab thing. Consumer Reports recommends the brands Lead Check and Lead Inspector.
Our metal dogs water bowl is covered in a hard white coating and looks awful. I have tried scrubbing i with many things but cant get it off - any ideas?
Souffle dishes are perfect pet food bowls. They come in varying sizes, are glazed ceramic, are obviously intended for food, and are nice looking to boot. You can buy them very inexpensively at restaurant supply outlets, or you can get them anyplace that sells cookware.
A number of years ago I bought food and water bowls for my dogs that were made of those small "river rocks" in some sort of clear material that allowed them to be molded into bowl shapes. I still use them, but often wonder if I should not. Could they be dangerous? I got them at a pet store.
Carter, it depends on what the material is. Do you happen to remember what's it made out of, or could you find a link to an example product? It might be worth checking with the manufacturer if it doesn't tell you what it is on the package label.
I bought a stainless steel bowl that has rubber on the bottom to keep it from being pushed around on the floor. However, after I bought it I noticed that it has a metallic coating on the inside. I'm guessing it's chrome plated but maybe it's nickel. Are either of those OK for my kitties?
I just want to interject here. You have to watch what ceramic bowl you use. Many have lead glazes. There are even lead glazes in bowls and dishes for people, beware.
Argo eats from a stainless steel bowl on an old step ladder. The rubber skids on the step keep his bowl from going everywhere, and it makes it so much easier for him to eat! Plus, we just used what we had, which is always my first choice.
I read recently that elevated dishes increase a dog's risk of bloat (particularly for large breeds and food-gulpers). We stil use an elevated dish in the house, but our labrador seems to prefer his food dish when it's on the floor in the garage. Any thoughts?
Also, are plastic food containers (e.g. Rubbermaid that holds 40 pounds of kibble) safe?
Re the white stains on the water dish, try soaking the bowl with vinegar for a while and then cleaning. This works on hard water stains.
re: plastic food containers
I recommend keeping the food in its original packaging whenever possible (provided your food comes in appropriate packaging). Even slipping the bag inside the container is better than pouring it in and having the food making direct contact with the plastic.
There are still tests being done on the chemicals that leach from plastic and what degree of harmful they are (like water bottles, etc.). Also, the smell of these containers is pretty unnatural, so why risk it?
re: elevated dishes increase a dog's risk of bloat
I have worked with several veterinarians and they all agree that rapid eating is one main cause of Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV) or Bloat. By raising the bowls it allows your dog to eat easier, and may allow them to eat faster, which is where the concern has come about raised feeders. The veterinarians I have talked to recommend the following to prevent bloat:
- Do not permit rapid eating
- Feed 2 or 3 meals daily, instead of just one
- Do not exercise for 2 to 3 hours before and especially after eating
I have also known people to put a rock or large object in the center of the bowl to prevent their dog eating too quickly (they are forced to eat smaller mouthfuls around the object).
I've done this before and it can work if you don't have too much food piled on your plate. I've also used the inevitable grocery bag that somehow ends up in our house despite religiously taking cloth bags to the store. Another good item is the Wrap n Mat for sandwiches.
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