Is it safe for my dog to lay down while eating from a raised bowl?

Generally only dogs with a condition called megaesophagus where the food they eat gets trapped in the dilated esophagus and they vomit frequently after eating, and dogs with neck pain would benefit from elevated bowls. Some studies have shown that eating from raised bowls actually increases the amount of air dogs ingest when eating and increases the risk of bloat. I think the person who told you to raise the bowls was concerned re: bloat in your medium to large breed dogs. My best recommendation is that if your dogs eat very fast/scarf down their food, that definitely does predispose them to developing bloat which can be life threatening, and puzzle feeders available on Amazon for about $10-$15 that are bowls with ridges in them to slow down eating would be more beneficial than raising the bowls. Good luck!

In veterinary school, I was taught as well the the risk of GDV was increased by feeding from raised food bowls. Given that Jasper is a giant breed dog, it's not worth the risk of feeding him from a raised bowl. A GDV is deadly, sometimes even with treatment, and it's best to avoid any risk factors to prevent it from happening. There is a preventative surgery you can do when he's older to keep it from happening. It's called a gastropexy, and it's when the dog's stomach is sutured to his thoracic wall. It does prevent the stomach from rotating on it's axis. You can see if this surgery is an option for Jasper by discussing it with your vet.

There are so many differing opinions on this topic. I feel like they don't help or hurt the average large breed dog. They may be needed in dogs that have megaesophagus or neck or back issues. Some large dogs will decide that laying next to the bowl is more comfortable. The only thing I would watch for is Thor eating too quickly. If he gulps his food, you may want to get a bowl with partitions to make him slow down a bit.

Occasionally this might be a sign of arthritis or a neurologic issue. If she has also been having difficulty walking or her legs seem to be slipping on hard surfaces you may want to have your veterinarian examine her. You could also elevate her food if you think she would be more comfortable, but it's perfectly fine for her to eat lying down as well.

You can have a preventative surgery called a gatropexy to prevent against bloat. This sutures the wall of the stomach to the wall of the thorax to prevent it from twisting. Don't use an elevated bowl to feed Mazikeen. Do not exercise until an hour after eating, and do not feed her for an hour after exercising. Feed her at least twice a day. As for joints, when she is a year old, you can start giving her supplement like Dausquin or Cosequin.

Thanks for using PetCoach! It is definitely common for puppies especially to eat like it’s a race! There isn’t generally any problem with it except that Brixy may be more likely to regurgitate that meal right back up (looking almost the same!) If you’d like to try and slow her down, consider a puzzle bowl like this, or a slow feeding toy like this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-wobbler-food-dispensing-dog-toy Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Brixy!

I agree that is quite bizarre. You may try raising her food and water bowl off the ground to more her level to see if that helps. If not, it wouldn’t hurt to have your vet just take a peak at her to ensure she isn’t stiff or uncomfortable anywhere since this is a new behavior. I hope to resolves the problem!