What You Need to Know
Understanding how a free standing pet water bottle or a food bowl stand works and how your pet will use it will allow you to make the most informed purchase decision.
Please view our various website pages as they contain a lot of information that will be helpful to you also.
Please click on a topic to view the information or just scroll down.
Also visit our FAQ’s page for more information.
Pet Water Bottles ~ How They Work
Pet water bottles have been in use for over 40 years by various associations, organizations, dog and cat clubs and pet breeders. They work, it’s a proven fact.
PAWS Creations uses the pet water bottles manufacturer by Lixit that are *BPA free and with the largest diameter drinking tube created for cats, dogs, rabbits, fennec foxes, etc. The drinking tube has two stainless steel balls in the tube. When your pet **licks on the drinking tube the balls are pushed back releasing the water directly into your pet’s mouth. When the pet stops licking, the balls reseat themselves stopping the water’s flow.
As your pet licks on the tube tip in the correct drinking position its tongue will be able to apply the most pressure to the balls releasing the most amount of water directly into your pet’s mouth.
* http://www.lixit.com/
**Note: Your pet does not suck or nurse on the drinking tube; it licks on the end of the tube to obtain the water.
Pet Water Bottle Stands
A water bottle stand basically just holds a water bottle but proper height adjustment of the water bottle and the proper angle of that bottle in the stand are very important. You need the ability to adjust the water bottle on the stand to fit the height of your pet’s drinking level.
For this reason PAWS Creations stands are made in two pieces, the stand and the water bottle support unit. You have the ability to easily adjust the height of the water bottle on your stand either up or down to reach the most comfortable and beneficial drinking level position for your pet. This is a bonus for owners of immature pets as the drinking level can be adjusted up as the pet matures.
After reading the Correct, Too Low, Too High and Proper Angle information below I hope you will better understand how the water bottle, the stand and your pet work together.
See How to Measure to determine which size stand has the right height for your pet.
Correct Drinking Level
Ideally you want your pet to be able to walk straight up to the water bottle with its head level (Picture A) and lick on the tube tip to get the water. The water is then transferred from the pet’s tongue down its throat when it swallows.
As your pet licks on the tube tip in the Correct position its tongue will be able to apply the most pressure to the balls inside the tip, pushing them back further and releasing the most water directly into your pet’s mouth.
But keep in mind the pet’s physical condition and their drinking preference. I have one *dog (Patti) that prefers to sit down when she drinks or eats because one of her front legs is shorter than the other.
Correct adjustment height of the pet water bottle.
Booboo is standing to drink.  *Patti is sitting to drink.
Pet Adjustable Water Stand™
(Patent Pending)
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Picture A
Drinking Level too Low
If the water bottle is adjusted too low (Picture B) the pet will have to twist its neck down and to the side in order to try to reach the tube tip.
Because the pet’s head is twisted to the side it cannot properly push against the balls when it licks to release the water flow correctly. Some water will flow out of the drinking tube but not as much as it could if the pet’s head/mouth was at a level angle to access the tube tip. Also with the pet’s head twisted to the side some of the water might run out of the side of the pet’s mouth (gravity) before it has a chance to swallow.
It will get some water but your pet may have to drink for a longer time to satisfy its thirst or it could grow tired and give up and not get the liquid its body needs in order to function properly which could lead to medical problems.
Cat’s head is twisted to the side.
This water bottle is adjusted to low.
Pet Adjustable Water Stand™
(Patent Pending) |
Picture B
Drinking Level too High
This water bottle is adjusted to high and the puppy has to stretch to try and reach the tip of the drinking tube (Picture C).
Again this is a problem as your pet might not be able to lick hard enough against the balls to release the water flow correctly and may only get a few drops of water at a time. Also by having to stretch up to reach the drinking tube tip the water could flow down the pet’s windpipe before it has a chance to swallow.
Again, your pet would have to drink for a longer time to satisfy its thirst or it might grow tired and give up and not get the liquid its body needs in order to function properly which could lead to medical problems.
Puppy’s head is stretched up trying to reach the drinking tube tip.
This water bottle is adjusted to high.
Pet Adjustable Water Stand™
(Patent Pending) |
Picture C
Proper Angle of the Pet Water Bottle Within the Stand
Lixit designed their water bottles to be attached flush to the side of a cage sitting at a 90 degree angle.
This way the weight of the water inside the bottle applies constant pressure against the stainless steel balls within the drinking tube pushing against the balls to give a tighter seal preventing drips once the water has stabilized (see our FAQ's section). It also allows more water to be released when your pet licks on the end of the tube and the stainless steel balls are pushed back.
PAWS Creations followed their design pattern when we designed our stands. Our bottles sit straight within their bottle retaining rings. The bottle sitting at a straight angle within the stand allows for the maximum benefit for you and your pet.
Diameter of Drinking Tube
PAWS Creations uses the water bottles manufactured by Lixit (*BPA free) with their large diameter drinking tube. It will deliver more water to your pet in less time than the thinner more narrow drinking tubes do. We feel that with the large tube your pet (and ours) gets the same amount of water (or even more) than the pet would normally get from lapping up water from a water bowl. The water goes directly into the pet’s mouth and is swallowed not lapped, splattered, splashed around, nor soaking the faces of long haired pets or leaving a water trail on the floor as the pet walks off.
* http://www.lixit.com/
Pet Water Bottles and the Weather
Your water bottle comes with instructions from the water bottle manufacturer and they advise you to keep the bottle out of direct sunlight.
Placing the bottle in direct sunlight, especially in the summer months will cause the water in the bottle to heat up. Also the steel drinking tube may heat up so much from the sun that it could burn and injure your pet’s tongue as it tries to drink causing your pet to associate pain with the bottle. Your pet might then refuse to use the bottle and get dehydrated.
On the other hand if you live in a cold climate and the weather is freezing, the water in the bottle will freeze which could crack the bottle and destroy it. And more importantly when your pet licks on the steel tube in an effort to get water its tongue could freeze to the tube inflicting serious pain and injure your pet as it tries to free its tongue.
Please Note: All products created and made by PAWS Creations are for Indoor Use Only.
Adjustment of Elevated Food Stand
(Pet Eating Table Stands and Dogs Only Gourmet Stands)
The food bowls need to be adjusted to where the pet can easily reach the bottom of its food bowl (Picture D) without its throat rubbing or touching against anything as this might cause the pet to have difficulty in swallowing.
Keep in mind the pet’s physical and medical condition and its eating position preference. Is the pet handicapped? Is it a senior pet? Does the pet prefer to sit when eating?
Just like our water bottle stands our food stands are made in two pieces, the stand and the bowl support unit. You have the ability to easily adjust the level of the bowl on your stand either up or down to reach the most comfortable eating position for your pet. For pet owners with immature pets the bowl level can be adjusted up as they mature.
Please see How to Measure to determine which size stand is the right height for your pet.
Correct adjustment height of the pet food bowl.
Pet Eating Table Stand™
(Patent Pending) |
Dogs Only Gourmet Stand™
(Patent Pending) |
Picture D
Bloat in Dogs and Elevated or Raised Food Stands
Understanding how a product works and how your pet will use it will allow you to make the most informed purchase decision.
With that said there is some debate over whether raised or elevated food/diners are beneficial or even healthy (bloat discussion) for large dogs and there are many websites that discuss this issue other than the two listed below.
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/on_my_soap_box_purdue_bloat_study.htm
http://www.dogforums.com/5-dog-food-forum/34186-purdue-bloat-study.html
You will have to decide for yourself.
For myself, I use elevated feeders for all six of my dogs. My four small pets use the Small Pet Dinettes and my two large dogs use the Pet Eating Table Stands (see picture D of Serena, my largest dog above). I do not think that elevated feeders will harm a dog.
What I do think is important is how fast the dog eats, what it eats, the activity level before and after it eats and the environment (stressed or calm) it eats in.
PAWS Creations recommends that all pets have their very own food bowl. Not because we are trying to sell you more products but to ensure that each pet gets its share of food and nourishment to be healthy. Having one food bowl per pet allows you to monitor that pet’s food intake also giving you a head’s up on a possible medical problem if they are not eating.
Some pets just naturally eat slower than others or they may be selective eaters or they could feel intimidated by another pet. My Serena was severely abused and if one of my other pets should go near her while she is eating, she will walk off. Either way, providing each pet with its own food dish helps to solve this problem, helping to ensure that each pet gets its needed amount of food and nourishment.
Animals, especially dogs have an inbred instinct not to share in order to survive so they either chase the other animals off or they wolf (no pun intended) as much food down as fast as possible which is not healthy and may lead to bloat as indicated by some websites. Others, such as my Serena may be more submissive and simply walk off.
Tips for Pets That Eat too Fast
For those pets that tend to gulp their food down rather than eat it there are several things you can do to slow them down. Two of my dogs tend to inhale their food, Sugar one of my Shih Tzus and Tali a Chow mix. I choose to add several non-edible items to their food bowls that are appropriate for each dog’s size such as the Bounzer Balls and/or the Classic Kong rubber toys made by Kong (http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html). (Note: I don’t add so many toys that it becomes frustrating for them to eat, just enough to slow them down).
These toys come in several sizes and I use ones that are big enough that no way could they accidentally swallow or choke on it while eating. I also choose odd shaped Kongs, never round; as this makes it even more unlikely they could choke on it and the toys always have more than one hole in it or no holes. *PLEASE READ the URGENT WARNING below.
My dogs have to push these toys around and out of the way trying to find the food which makes them eat their food slower and I believe aids in the digestion of their food. I also put some of the food inside these toys so that they have to work to get the food out again slowing down the eating of their food. They are made of rubber and clean easily.
Some experts even recommend placing each pet’s food dish in separate rooms which will help each pet feel more relaxed and less stressed and prevents one pet from eating the other pet’s food. My Serena choose the master bedroom walk-in-closet as the place she likes best and I have her Pet Eating Table Stand in there, away from the other dogs and I don’t allow any of my other dogs to go in there until she has finished eating and walks out.
*A word of URGENT WARNING: In case you have not heard about the pimple ball manufactured by Four Paws please Google it or click on this link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/pet_food_recalls101.html. If you have this ball don’t just throw it away, DESTROY IT so no other animal can be hurt and please warn others about it. “Because of the construction of this toy ball, a dog can have its tongue sucked into the ball and cannot get it out. This has led to tongue amputation”.
Food Bowl Types
There are hundreds of thousands of food bowl styles to choose from but only three main types; glass (including ceramics), plastic or stainless steel. I choose to offer stainless steel with my products because I believe they are the healthiest.
Plastic Food Bowls are viewed as a poor choice for food because they are porous, can be easily scratched and can trap bacteria and they are hard to keep sanitary. The bacteria can contaminate the food you put into the bowl and make your pet sick. The bacteria can also be transferred to a cat’s chin leading to *feline acne. Plastic can also be chewed and ingested, especially by dogs which could pose a health problem as it could be sharp and pointed and could puncture internal organs.
Glass or Ceramic Food Bowls can be easily cleaned and sanitized but they can also be chipped, cracked or broken especially ceramic. Those cracked or chipped areas could attract and hold germs which could pose problems for your pet not to mention if somehow the chips fell into your pet’s food and the pet ate them posing a health problem. Also beware that some ceramic bowls may contain a lead based glaze or lead crystals so verify before purchase that they are lead free.
Stainless Steel is easily cleaned, sanitized, disinfected and dishwasher safe. They are resistant to scratches and can’t be chipped or broken. They can withstand the high temperature in dishwashers that kills any bacteria or germs and washes away grease.
*Feline Acne: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2023&aid=2517
Food Bowl Depth
For the small pets (cats, small dogs, rabbits, etc.,) I offer the one-pint food bowl in two types; either shallow and wide or deep and narrow so that you can choose which bowl suits your pet the best.
Breeds that have flat faces or pug-noses may enjoy a shallow food dish more than a deep dish in order to avoid the food getting into their noses.
Cats with their highly sensitive whiskers may also enjoy the shallow bowls more as they don’t like to have their whiskers mucked-up with food or smashed as they are trying to eat. Shallow bowls may also help keep the fur of long haired pets such as the Persians, Himalayans and Norwegian Forest Cat cleaner.
Pets that are aggressive or messy eaters (like Sugar one of my Shih Tzus) may need the narrower deeper bowl in order to keep the food inside the bowl as they eat. As I mentioned above I add non-edible items to Sugar’s food bowl to slow her down.
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