What is the best material for a pet bowl?
When we choose food and water bowls for pets. The pet tableware of various materials on the market is always dazzling. Plastic, stainless steel, or ceramic? How safe is each material? What is the best material for a pet bowl? What problems should we pay attention to when choosing?
1. Plastic pet bowl
The most common pet bowl material
Plastic material has become the choice of many pet owners because of its relatively low price, light and wear-resistant material, and richer color and pattern options. Every dog or cat must have owned a plastic bowl. It can be seen how common the plastic bowl is. But at the same time, the plastic material is also controversial, mainly because of BPA.
What is BPA?
BPA (bisphenol A) is an organic compound that is often used in the production of PC plastics together with other materials, and it will be released when it meets water and heat. It acts like estrogen and can trigger a hormonal response in the body that can cause neurological damage to the baby in the long run. The US, EU, Canada, and Norway have explicitly banned the use of BPA.
We often see the “BPA-free” mark on baby products, but we rarely see it on plastic tableware for pets. Because BPA-free products need high technical requirements and raw material costs, so many pet supplies manufacturers stay away. In addition, some low-quality pet tableware also uses excessively recycled plastic materials, and the impurities and harmful substances in it also pose a huge potential risk to the health of pets.
2. Stainless steel pet bowl
Veterinarian’s Preferred Recommendation
Stainless steel has always been the first choice recommend by veterinarians, experts, and pet owners. Its tight and non-porous structure can prevent bacteria from growing to the greatest extent, prevent rust, and is easier to clean. Therefore, it is consider the most hygienic pet tableware material. Similarly, not all kinds of stainless steel can use as raw materials for cat bowls and water bowls, only high-quality food-grade stainless steel can meet the requirements for pet safety. At present, the common food-grade stainless steel is 304 stainless steel.
What is food-grade 304?
The rust resistance of 304 stainless steel is stronger than that of ordinary stainless steel. And it is also better in high-temperature resistance. The general use temperature limit is 650°C, and it has excellent stainless corrosion resistance, so stainless steel is widely used in medical equipment and tableware. Food-grade 304 stainless steel not only has the above properties, but also complies with EC, FDA, and ASTM regulations, and its lead content is much lower than that of ordinary stainless steel.
Some businesses use unqualified stainless steel to make pet tableware out of cost considerations. Such tableware will dissolve various heavy metal elements. Long-term consumption of pets will cause accumulation of heavy metals in the body, ranging from physical discomfort to liver and kidney failure. Therefore, although stainless steel pet tableware is good, you must look for food-grade 304 stainless steel dog bowls~
3. Ceramic pet bowl
The perfect combination of aesthetics and durability
Compared with the previous two materials, the advantages of ceramic materials are obvious, and of course, the disadvantages are also relatively clear. The advantage is that while it is more beautiful than stainless steel, it can still be clean and hygienic, and easy to clean. Pet tableware made of ceramics is more beautiful and round in shape, and its delicate luster and texture can highlight the quality and blend into the home environment. The disadvantage is that it is easy to damaged or broken, so you must be careful when using it, and it is not suitable for strong and naughty dogs, but for naughty cats, ceramic cat bowls are relatively heavy and not easy to knock over. Good choice!
How to choose ceramic pet tableware?
Whether the ceramic tableware is safe depends on whether the glaze and painting materials are safe. And whether the firing temperature is up to standard. Ceramics are calcined at a temperature of 1280 degrees Celsius to 1350 degrees Celsius. Through an oxidation and reduction atmosphere, harmful substances can basically disappear or transform, reaching the level of tableware. Bowls with underglaze patterns are safer than overglaze patterned bowls if decorated with paint.
Using unqualified ceramic products, harmful substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium will dissolve, and long-term use will lead to chronic poisoning of pets, and liver and kidney failure. Be careful when choosing ceramic pet bowls. The patterns of ceramic tableware also have overglaze colors and underglaze colors. With a responsible attitude towards pets, you can choose underglaze colors and never choose overglaze. Underglaze colors are fired at high temperatures. After making the pattern, glaze it and then fire it at a high temperature. The touch is smooth without unevenness. On-glaze color is to fire the glaze and then apply the pattern at a low temperature. The surface has obvious unevenness.
