Raised dog bowl and crate bedding and bones?

[Louise Perry]

Hello and sorry for yet more questions! Just wondering how many of you use raised dog bowls for your setters and should I be using one for Reuben? Also I have a blanket and duvet in Reuben's cage, is this enough or should it be more padded to protect his joints etc.  Also I don't leave Reuben with a bone in his crate when I go out as heard they could choke on them but it seems a shame as it would probably be nicer for him than his kong. What are your opinions/experiences?

[Teresa]

Hi!
I do not use raised bowls, but I think about it often! Our dogs are quite tall and it is a long way down to the floor, so it's easier for them to eat on raised bowls. Concerning the blanket, I do have very confortalbe and fluffy beds, I spent some money in some nice sogs beds with nice pillows, and i generally put some blankets on them as well. Plus, my dogs spend the night in my bed :). As far as bones go, I only use the buffalo skins ones, I believe real bones are way too dangerous and do more harm than good, but the buffalo skin ones are really safe, and I havo no problem on leaving my girls with bones when i leave them alone.

[Sue and Cash]

It used to be recommended to use a raise dish and now it is not recommended. So I just got replaced ours with two new bowls that keep his ears out of the food/water. Working very well in fact. In our crate I only have a blanket but mine rarely is in one and if he is it is for short times. I so have to get him used to it. He sleeps at night with us so I hate to invest in a good dog bed. Also puppies tend to tear them up so I would only get one after your dog is grown Louise unless he doesn't like to chew on them. As far as bones go, never when left alone in a crate or out. What if he chokes on a chunk he gets off it? So far Cash only cries and carries on in his crate so he won't go near a toy or a bone in there anyway but hopefully that will get better. Stuffed toys left in crares bother me too, the other day one ripped open and he had a mouthful of stuffing, what if he had been in the crate alone? I try to put mine in when it would be time for a nap after playtime. I know that won't work when I am working more hours in the spring, but by then I hope he is old enough to relax in there. How many hours is Reuben in there for? I am sure washable blankets are the best option.

[Dee Rance]

Hi there the question of raised bowls was brought up in reference to Bloat..years ago it was recommended that you use a off the ground, but now, that a lot more research has been done, they say that you have a lot more chance of getting bloat with a bowl that is off the ground than if you feed food and water on the ground, there is only one person that can choose, it is you. But if it were me, I would save my money and use the floor.
Padding in the crate, I use an old duvet. And never give bones, nylon yes but natural no. It seems that we all have our own opinion on this (the subject of bones)

[ursula wilby]

Nylonbones...I have bought them...but no dog of mine would even LOOK at them. Never mind thinking of chewing!

[Dee Rance]

There are some that have a lovely beefy smell, mine all love them and they last a little bit longer that the real ones, plus they don't try and bury them.....very messy when dug up again maggots and all...yuk

[ursula wilby]

Perhaps your dogs are more easily tricked...or perhaps the nylon-bones I have come across are not up to your standard? :-)

[Sue and Cash]

Not one of my dogs would touch a nylabone either, but perhaps I could find that beef type Dee. Do you know if that is okay for small puppies as well?

[Jo Ottinger]

I have givin nylon bones and have one dog that likes them so the others have chewed them because they did not want to be left out. They do come in different flavors

[Melinda Auld]

Have never used a raised bowl here. All bowls go straight onto the floor and they are fed in their crates.

We have blankets and padded bedding in their crates - but to be honest, it all gets pushed aside and they sleep on the metal instead!

I don't give large bones here - mostly because I am lazy and can't be bothered cleaning up the mess afterwards! They do get raw chicken wings at breakfast, and I have often left them with a turkey neck or turkey wing-tip to chew on if I'm about to go out. The whole thing gets eaten so no mess ;-)

[Jo Ottinger]

I do not use raised bowls for any of my dogs. Read that researched showed that it was not good for dogs brone to bloat. Dogs sleep with me but, I do have beds on the floor for them to use. I do not give any type of bones to my dogs, I have given kongs to them but Hawk has chewed several up so I am afraid he will choke on them. So they are picked up if I am going out.

[Joel Sonnenberg]

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

[ursula wilby]

We have just had a discussion on (amongst other things) bloat...and the negative effect on raised dog-bowls. I have never used them myself as they do seem totally un-natural to me.

I think there is nothing as good as a big marrow-bone for dogs. You may want to remove the marrow as lots of dogs get loose stools from it. But a big marrow bone is the absolutly best and no way to choke on them if they are big enough...