The important job of a dog owner is to ensure that their pet is fed nutritious food. But that’s not all! Apart from choosing the best quality and nutritious food for your dog, you need to ensure that it is served in the right bowl. Fortunately, the pet bowl comes in a broad range of sizes, materials, and shapes. Pet owners can pick a bowl or pet weighter according to their individual preferences.
Make sure that the material used to make the bowl can have a great impact on its durability. You may want to consider a silicone bowl if you travel with your pet frequently. Likewise, the elevated bowls are specifically designed for senior dogs. We often focus on the food we feed to our pets but overlook the most important part i.e. the basin or bowl in which the food is served. Your dog is going to eat his favorite meals from the bowl. So, isn’t it important for pet owners to get choosy when it comes to buying the right bowl for your cute pet?
To help you find the best pet bowl for your dog, we have compiled a list of some crucial factors that you must consider while selecting a bowl for your dog. Let’s have a look:
Material – Which Among the Plastic, Ceramic, and Stainless Steel is the Best?
Most pet bowls out on the market are made of stainless steel, plastic, and ceramic. Needless to say, plastic is the worst option. It could affect your pet’s health negatively if you keep feeding your dog in a plastic bowl. Not only is it harmful, but plastic bowls are pretty hard to clean. If ingested, plastic results in unsightly chin acne and irritation in dogs. Even if you consult a vet, they will recommend you throw the plastic bowl and get a new and reliable one instead. So, plastic is a Big No!
Ceramic: Ceramic is considered relatively better than plastic, but it comes with certain drawbacks. It is less durable as compared to the other bowl materials and is super heavy. Once dropped or hit, it will get cracks. A shattered bowl is neither safe nor cool for your pets. Still, if you want a ceramic bowl, make sure to read its manufacturing details to ensure that it isn’t made of lead glaze. Additionally, ceramic works fine as long as it is kept clean and the glaze of the bowl is intact.
Stainless Steel: Now, the third and the best material for dog bowls is stainless steel. Well, stainless steel bowls are the first preference of a majority of pet owners. The material is pretty robust, durable, and easy to maintain. Steel is too strong to break if dropped and banged. Its lightweight properties make it a perfect option for frequent travelers.
Durability
Imagine the dog bowl you had recently purchased breaks and your pet swallows a piece of the broken bowl. As long as the bowl is made of a robust material such as stainless steel, you have nothing to worry about. But, other materials are pretty weak and are prone to cracks.
Here, stainless steel bowls will make a smart decision. Think about it this way: You buy a low-quality and cheap bowl for your pet. However, the bowl breaks and you have to replace it with a new one. So, why pay double and put the life of your pet at stake? You should rather get a robust and durable bowl that last for years and maintain the health of your dog.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The pet bowl is the breeding ground for microscopic contaminants such as yeast, germs, and bacteria, especially if you keep it unclean for long. FDA recommends the pet owners clean the bowl regularly. Clean it with warm water and a cleaning chemical.
Though all types of bowls need cleaning, certain bowls involve less maintenance. If you purchase the bowl made of ceramic, there’s a good chance you will need to put a lot of effort and time into cleaning it. Plastic attracts germs, bacteria, and other contaminants quickly. On the other hand, stainless steel and ceramic bowls are easy to clean.
Final Words
The right bowl for your pet depends on the type of dog you own. For example, a narrow bowl makes a perfect option for pets with long ears. Similarly, you can opt for slow-feeder bowls if your dog has the habit of eating quickly.
Overall, we recommend stainless steel for pet owners, who prioritize the durability and their dog’s health.
https://www.businessinsider.com/best-dog-bowl