Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Bowls or no bowls? THAT is the question.

Everyone has an opinion on everything, have you noticed? I have seen raw feeders say that if you feed in a bowl, you are doing it wrong. How does a device designed to hold food change a diet? That is like saying if you eat from a plate, your diet is completely wrong. I mean, primates do not eat from a bowl so we, as their closest relative, should also eat off the ground.

Ridiculous.


I feed from bowls. Usually.







I do this so I can carry their food outside where they eat it. Also, since I have three dogs, it is easier for me this way. I know who is eating what. I messed up and two of my dogs, like me, are not their ideal weight (a nice way to say FAT) so I weigh all their food. Some people can eyeball it, I can not. In fact, when I used to eyeball it, I was really overfeeding. So this way, I can easily feed Hunter his 2 pound meal knowing there will be no chicken in it (he is allergic to chicken). Easy.

Sometimes, what I am feeding does not fit in a bowl. Some days they end up getting a little more than their rations (we make up for this by feeding a little less the next day).

Like this:





Both of those pictures are of deer legs. No need for a bowl when it is just one piece that can be happily enjoyed on grass. Being a nerd, I often weigh these animal body parts first just so I know how much they are consuming.

Some dogs are afraid of bowls. Sounds silly doesn't it? I think the sound they make when it moves around scares some dogs. My small dog will not always remove his food from his bowl so I have to tip the food out for him. I suppose I could force him to do it himself and starve him until he overcomes his fears. I could also lock you in a room with clowns/spiders/politicians and make you find the key in 40 stratigically placed jello molds throughout said room. But I am not going to do that. I am not cruel. Anyways, I don't really care if they eat from the bowl or not, it is more for my benefit than for theirs. And yet, for some reason, in the raw feeding community, this is an issue.

So my opinion, since we all have one, is that you do what works for you. A bowl will not change the nutritional makeup of what you are feeding.