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Any suggestions for being able to feed the dog easily while hubby out of town?

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  • Any suggestions for being able to feed the dog easily while hubby out of town?

    Hi all,

    Now that I won't be going with my husband to his conference next Friday morning, the dog is no longer going to the kennel. But that means I'll need to give the dog breakfast and dinner for 5 days, which currently means leaning down to scoop out two cups of food from the large seethru plastic container which is about the size of a kitchen trash can. When the food is low, it can mean reaching way far down to scoop up what little bit can be reached. Also the food then has to be placed in the dog's bowl. I know from previous experience that trying to pour dog food into the dog bowl without leaning way down leads to food going all over the kitchen floor.

    I suggested maybe a long-handled scoop, but my husband has checked at least 3 different pet stores (the large ones like PetCo and PetSmart), and has found nothing.

    One thing would be for my husband to pull out enough food to last 5 days and put it up high enough that I wouldn't have to be leaning way over to reach it, but that still won't help with getting the food into the bowl without it going all over the place.

    Any suggestions? I should perhaps mention that the dog in question is a fairly large golden retriever.

    -- Thanks,
    Mary
    -- Mary D. Taffet
    Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
    Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

  • #2
    First, get your husband to put the food up where you can reach it. Then get your "grabber" and pick up the dog dish. Put the food in the dog dish and put it back down with the grabber. This is what I have been doing for the last three weeks. You have to be picking up the dog dish to wash it anyway...

    The water dish is harder, and the only way I get that done is to let it get almost empty before trying to pick it up, wash it put it back down and then pour VERY carefully...if it splashes, that's what towels are for.

    I am assuming here that you have lightweight stainless steel dog dishes that a grabber can hold. I am also assuming your golden doesnt need so much food that the grabber wouldn't be strong enough to hold it when full.

    Your dog would be quite pleased to have some grocery store rotisserie chicken for a few days, too...much lighter in the bowl than kibble...in fact, let's go all out and spoil the dog for five days. Sit down and hold the bowl for him while he eats!
    Last edited by Mojo's Mom; 04-28-2012, 09:41 PM.
    Stephanie, age 56
    Diagnosed age 8
    Milwaukee brace 9 years, no further treatment, symptom free and clueless until my 40s that curves could progress.
    Thoracolumbar curve 39 degrees at age 17
    Now somewhere around 58 degrees thoracic, 70 degrees thoracolumbar
    Surgeon Dr. Michael S. O'Brien, Baylor's Southwest Scoliosis Center, Dallas TX
    Bilateral laminectomies at L3 to L4, L4 to L5 and L5 to S1 on April 4, 2012
    Foramenotomies L3 through S1 in August 2014

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Mojo's Mom View Post
      First, get your husband to put the food up where you can reach it. Then get your "grabber" and pick up the dog dish. Put the food in the dog dish and put it back down with the grabber. This is what I have been doing for the last three weeks. You have to be picking up the dog dish to wash it anyway...

      The water dish is harder, and the only way I get that done is to let it get almost empty before trying to pick it up, wash it put it back down and then pour VERY carefully...if it splashes, that's what towels are for.

      I am assuming here that you have lightweight stainless steel dog dishes that a grabber can hold. I am also assuming your golden doesnt need so much food that the grabber wouldn't be strong enough to hold it when full.

      Your dog would be quite pleased to have some grocery store rotisserie chicken for a few days, too...much lighter in the bowl than kibble...in fact, let's go all out and spoil the dog for five days. Sit down and hold the bowl for him while he eats!
      I've been handling the water dish ever since I came home from the hospital; I just fill up the water pitcher and pour from standing height (we've always used that pitcher to put water in his bowl). It splashes a bit, but only makes a mess if he tries to start drinking before I'm done pouring, because when he does that his ear tends to get in the way...

      The dishes are quite large, so there is no way I could put them back down with the grabber without spilling the whole darn thing. I can't move the dishes easily -- I don't even think they would actually fit in my grabber as there is no easy spot to hold onto -- unless I were to turn them upside down somehow. They are similar to the bowls shown at http://www.petco.com/product/105768/...Tip-Bowls.aspx, and are the largest size available. I'll test that out to see if I would actually be able to do that, but I'm guessing it won't really work too well; I'll let you know.

      I never wash the bowls myself; that's something that my husband does [I've never been domestically inclined.]

      I don't eat rotisserie chicken, and I can't imagine going to buy some just for the dog, though I'm sure he'd be quite pleased if I did that! My husband is the cook in the family [again, I'm not domestically inclined], so when he's gone, I either microwave something from Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones, or heat up leftovers from whatever casserole he made for that purpose (frequently tuna noodle casserole).

      -- Thanks for the suggestions,
      Mary
      -- Mary D. Taffet
      Lumbar curve 27 degrees in 07/2007 > 34 degrees in 03/2009 > 38 degrees in 02/2011 > 42 degrees in 09/2011
      Laminectomy L2-L5, Fusion T9-S1 (sacrum) with pelvic fixation 01/23/2012 w/ Dr. Richard Tallarico, Upstate Orthopedics, Syracuse, NY

      Comment


      • #4
        i probably shouldn't tell you what my little maltese gets to eat...spoiled rotten, he gets
        people chicken, turkey, steak or roast beef...i wish he ate dog food...but since he was a year
        old, he doesn't like it....of course, i realize after a few days he would cave in and eat kibble...
        but he is my first and only puppy....i waited all my life, till i retired, to get him...so i have spoiked
        him like crazy...

        i am thinking that people food for a few days really would weigh less in a dog bowl...
        if you do not have anyone to help you, the only thing i can think of is to use a soup
        ladel (splg?) and put a long handle on it of some kind...you would have to build it...
        then use the soup ladel to put the food, scoop by scoop, into the bowl...
        i know you said they dont sell any long handled scoops so you would have to create one...
        OR...you could have your husband measure out his dog food ahead of time, keep each serving
        fresh in a bag, and try to store it so it will stay fresh til the day he eats it...

        my knees are both bad, so i worry IF i have surgery how i would bend from the knees,...
        someone on forum asked me if Sparky could jump up to me...no, he couldn't...he is too
        little...just 10 pounds and doesn't jump that high...the couch is about as high as he can
        manage...

        i hope you find a solution for a few days for your sweet golden...

        jess...& Sparky
        Last edited by jrnyc; 04-28-2012, 10:35 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          I have several of these all over my house so I am able to sweep .I have one that I use for my cat's food bowl and one for her water bowl .
          http://www.activeforever.com/p-272-l...and-broom.aspx. If it is not big enough for the dog bowl, then get a smaller bowl and feed the dog two bowls of food. If your husband put the food in smaller bags on the counter , then I think you will be fine
          Melissa

          Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

          April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

          Comment


          • #6
            i think the smaller containers is the best of the ideas suggested so far....
            that is what i finally thought of...
            do you have glass jars that would keep the food fresh for puppy....???

            jess...& Sparky

            Comment


            • #7
              Why not just keep the food (just what you will need for the five days)and the bowl on the kitchen counter and sit down and hold it for him while he eats? That seems like the simplest thing to me.

              It did occur to me that you might have a bowl like what you have...mine are straight sided.
              Last edited by Mojo's Mom; 04-29-2012, 09:49 AM.
              Stephanie, age 56
              Diagnosed age 8
              Milwaukee brace 9 years, no further treatment, symptom free and clueless until my 40s that curves could progress.
              Thoracolumbar curve 39 degrees at age 17
              Now somewhere around 58 degrees thoracic, 70 degrees thoracolumbar
              Surgeon Dr. Michael S. O'Brien, Baylor's Southwest Scoliosis Center, Dallas TX
              Bilateral laminectomies at L3 to L4, L4 to L5 and L5 to S1 on April 4, 2012
              Foramenotomies L3 through S1 in August 2014

              Comment


              • #8
                We had a long handled dust pan with a 90 degree angle which worked well for lowering our dogs bowls to the floor when my husband wasn't home. It is probably similar to what Melissa suggested.
                Karen

                Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
                Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
                70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
                Rib Hump-GONE!
                Age-60 at the time of surgery
                Now 66
                Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
                Retired Kdgn. Teacher

                See photobucket link for:
                Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
                Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
                tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
                http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi....

                  At this point, if your thighs are strong, you should be able to do a gentle squat a few times a day. If that's not an option, I agree that a strong grabber will probably do the trick. I also heard of someone who drilled 3 small holes in the rim of the dishes, threaded and tied long strings to the dish, and was able to lift and lower the dishes from a standing position. I envisioned something like putting a small hook on the wall on which you could hang the top of the strings. I always say that, after a big spine surgery, we learn that necessity is the mother of invention.

                  By the way, feeding a dog people food is OK, at least for a short amount of time, as long as they're also getting some dog food. If they're not getting some dog food every day, they will almost certainly end up with a nutritional deficiency which can greatly reduce their lifespan. Though not inexpensive, there are now some fresh dog foods, available at most pet supply stores, that most dogs love.

                  Regards,
                  Linda
                  Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                  Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Linda, can you come out here and have a little talk with Sparky about how
                    good dog food is for him....?

                    would the dog food stay fresh in a smaller container....like a glass jar, left on the counter
                    where you could reach it ???
                    but then, i am not sure how you would get it down to the floor
                    for him after you filled the bowl.....hmmm...didn't think of that...
                    it would be nice if there was a neighbor nearby, willing to help out with feeding....???

                    jess...& Sparky

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Mary,

                      great to hear from so many dog lovers here!

                      Large ziplock bags work great and are cheap for holding food--he could even portion out 5 or 10 portions of food into individual bags which would be easy for you to handle.

                      I would suggest temporarily feeding your dog out of a cheap, lightweight plastic dish of some sort. You could get one at the dollar store or something similar, then discard it after the 5 days are up. A lightweight plastic storage container with a lip would be really easy to handle with a grabber if you can not squat. Your dog will understand if his meals come in divided portions, if necessary.

                      I am sure your dog will survive just fine if you don't wash his bowl every day. My 3 dogs lick their bowls so clean, they do not get washed every day.

                      You and your dog will be just fine home alone. Take care,
                      Gayle, age 50
                      Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
                      Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
                      Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


                      mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
                      2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
                      2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

                      also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        how does that solve the problem of getting the dish down to the floor....???

                        i wish i lived close and could come help you....i love goldens...my nephew has his second golden....
                        sweet sweet dogs....

                        jess....& Sparky

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Could you place the bowls on something a little higher than the floor? We have a bench by our garage door where I've been feeding my cats. Of course it depends on whether you dog would knock them off.
                          age 48
                          80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
                          Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
                          Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
                          Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
                          Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jrnyc View Post
                            how does that solve the problem of getting the dish down to the floor....??

                            I was thinking if the dish was very light and had a lip, it could be filled and lowered down with the grabber.
                            Gayle, age 50
                            Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
                            Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
                            Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


                            mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
                            2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
                            2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

                            also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Again, why does the dog bowl have to go to the floor? Just hold it out to him while you sit and relax. That removes any need to get it on or off the floor. It goes from the kitchen counter to your hands, back to the kitchen counter, end of story.
                              Stephanie, age 56
                              Diagnosed age 8
                              Milwaukee brace 9 years, no further treatment, symptom free and clueless until my 40s that curves could progress.
                              Thoracolumbar curve 39 degrees at age 17
                              Now somewhere around 58 degrees thoracic, 70 degrees thoracolumbar
                              Surgeon Dr. Michael S. O'Brien, Baylor's Southwest Scoliosis Center, Dallas TX
                              Bilateral laminectomies at L3 to L4, L4 to L5 and L5 to S1 on April 4, 2012
                              Foramenotomies L3 through S1 in August 2014

                              Comment

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