What's the Best Food Bowl for Dogs?

The time has come to buy a food bowl for your pup and you're not quite sure which is the best option, between classic plastic bowls, steel ones, or even ceramic ones. Whether a floor-level bowl or one raised to a certain height.... Well, these are completely normal doubts we've all had at some point. Here are the key points so you can choose the best one.

Types of Dog Food Bowls

Although there are many other options, these are the ones you'll find most easily in most specialty stores.

• Plastic bowls
• Steel bowls
• Ceramic bowls

Stay Away From Plastic Bowls

They're the cheapest, and for good reason — plastic is a super cheap material but not at all safe for feeding. And you might think.... but the dog isn't going to eat the bowl, right? We know.

The dog will eat the food inside the bowl and will lick the bowl. Plastic bowls aren't the best option because they release tiny plastic particles, which are very harmful to health (carcinogenic).

Stainless Steel Bowls

This is without a doubt the best option in terms of materials, since they don't release toxic particles like plastic ones do, and they're very hygienic. If you ask us what the best bowl for a dog is, we'll always say a stainless steel one.

If the bowl also has a rubber base underneath, that's ideal, since it won't slide across the floor and your dog won't end up chasing its bowl around while it eats.

Bowls Made of Ceramic

These are the typical bowls or dishes we can find fully customized for our dogs. Besides being much more fragile than stainless steel ones, they're also much less hygienic.

Ceramic is very porous, which makes it harder to clean properly, causing a lot of bacteria to build up on it.

Recommended Size and Height for a Bowl

It's not just about choosing the right material — we also need to be aware that size matters when choosing a bowl. And so does its height, whether we choose a floor bowl or one on a raised stand.

What Is the Right Size?

It logically all depends on your dog's size — a large dog (the size of a German Shepherd, for example) will need a large bowl at least twenty-five centimeters in diameter.

If we're talking about small dogs (an Andalusian Rat Hunting Dog, for example), remember that the bowl not only needs to be smaller, but also lower, so it doesn't have trouble reaching all its food.

Floor Bowl or Raised?

As you may have already noticed, more and more companies are releasing small platforms so our dogs can eat at a certain height, without having to lower their heads all the way to the floor to eat.

They're marketed with the excuse of preventing bloat (gastric torsion), although the truth is they're only necessary if our dog has some digestive issue such as megaesophagus.

A dog with no issues doesn't need this type of bowl... although if you prefer to buy one for whatever reason, it won't do any harm either.

Tip for Food Gulpers

There are bowls that have small bumps on the inside, which make it harder for the dog to eat everything in one or two bites. They're made so the dog has to eat more slowly, and they're quite effective.

If your dog eats too fast, this option might interest you.