Several times a month I share this tip with people, so it seems like one I should write down and distribute more widely, like on my blog.
If you know a cat or dog who frequently vomits clumps of freshly eaten, undigested food it could be that raising their food dishes off the floor will help. I’ve seen it help many dozens of animals. There are several theories about why this helps. The most likely is that some animals swallow too much air as they gulp down their food.
Just how high to elevate the dishes depends on the animal. Most do best when their heads don’t bend down below their bellies. My cat did best with elevations of 3-4 inches, while others are fine with 2 or 5 inches. Of course bigger dogs will probably require higher elevations.
Most pet supply stores carry raised dishes and feeding stations, but I made my own. I got a little box and put Andy’s dishes on top of it. The first two boxes I tried didn’t work very well – they were either too low or too high for him. But the third one has worked like a charm for years now. He used to vomit as he ate several times a week, but he hasn’t done that in years. To keep the dishes from sliding around on top of the box, I put some anti-skid padding (the kind used to line drawers, shelves, and to go under rugs) on top of the box under the dish. Voila, problem solved.
Other things you might already have around the house create more attractive do-it-yourself raised dishes: plastic storage bins, decorative boxes from import stores, shoe boxes, wire rack shelving, wall-mounted shelving, upside down baskets, upside down flower pots, and upside down tissue boxes.
Of course, your mileage may vary. But this is a very easy, harmless thing to try in an effort to end the frequent vomiting of undigested food.
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