If your dog has arthritis, whether in the beginning stages, or advanced, there’s no question he/she should be eating and drinking from elevated dog feeders (likely your vet has already advised of this).
As you can imagine, bending over to eat isn’t comfortable for even the healthiest dog. It’s next to impossible for those with the stiff muscles and sore joints that accompany arthritis. When dogs using traditional dog food bowls bend over to eat, it causes stress on the shoulders and wrists. Since dogs with arthritis generally experience a breakdown in cartilage, resulting in bones that rub against each other, additional stress on the shoulders and wrists is extremely painful – and unnecessary.
For optimum comfort, your dog should be eating with his head no more than 6 inches below his/her withers (front shoulders). So, with your dog in standing position, measure from the ground to the ridge between the shoulder blades. Then, hang your PetPro elevated dog feeder where the feeding tray is level to, or no more than 6 inches below this point. The elevated feeder is specially designed with keyholes in the back to hang from either a wall or a frame – whichever is more convenient for your pet’s environment.
In addition to using an elevated feeder for your arthritic dog, there are other things you can do to make their lives more comfortable, including:
A comfortable place to sleep – Consider making or purchasing a therapeutic dog bed with at least 4” thick foam. You may find it easier for large dogs to get up and down if you raise their bed about a foot off the floor.
Regular exercise – ask your vet about the right amount of daily exercise for your dog. Once around the block a couple of times a day is normally appropriate.
Healthy eating – Since arthritic dogs are normally less active, it is important that they eat a healthy, lower calorie diet. Ask your vet about the best food for your dog to eat out of an elevated dog feeder.
If you have additional questions about positioning PetPro elevated feeders for arthritic dogs, or general questions about automatic pet feeders, please email info@petprofeeders.com.