Best Slow Feeder Dog Bowls: a Slow Meal is a Healthy Meal!

You have just filled the bowl with the food, and the dog immediately pounces on it, eats it in half a minute, and already asks for more! Sounds familiar? Quick eating is very common for canines as their wild ancestors had to eat the prey as quickly as possible, as long as no one took it away.

But for modern domestic dogs, fast meals are very harmful to health. During quick devouring of food, a pet also swallows air. This causes bloating and nausea. Also, in a rush, an animal doesn’t have time to chew the feed well. Large pieces are poorly digested, and this provokes abdominal pain, feeling unwell, apathy, and vomiting.

In addition, the pet doesn’t perceive that he is full if he swallows the entire portion in half a minute. So he asks for more, and you are, of course, too kind to refuse. But with time, you face the problem of pet obesity.

To avoid all these problems, slow down dog eating with the help of a special bowl! How to choose the best slow feeder dog bowl? Read our guide and meet the best items with their detailed descriptions!

Top 5 dog bowls for slow eating

• Has a specially designed shape for having meals at a healthy pace. Thanks to this slow feed dog bowl, it will take your pet 10 times longer to consume one usual portion of food! Thus, the pet chews food perfectly and not a single air bubble gets into the stomach. This is the most reliable prevention of vomiting and poor well-being because of stomach problems.
• Absolutely safe. The plastic this product is made of doesn’t contain any toxic components. So, the food doesn’t lose its useful properties.
• Very comfortable to use. There are two variants with different capacities: a standard one for middle-sized and large dogs, or mini for tiny breeds. So, you can choose the needed option depending on the size of the portion that your dog needs for a healthy meal. Besides, the base of the item is covered with anti-slip material. So, the bowl stays at the same place during the whole meal for calm and comfy eating.
• Easy to take care of. When this dog slow feeder gets dirty you can just put it into a dishwasher.

• Effective extending of meals duration. Use this dog food bowl to slow down eating! The container for feed is divided into smaller parts. So a pet can’t eat the whole portion at a time. It needs to make pauses for passing from one part of the bowl to the next one.
• Meals free of any discomfort. The bottom of the item has an anti-slip cover. So, it will not fidget and move while eating.
• 100% safety. The product is made of food-grade plastic that doesn’t emit any harmful substances.
• High quality. The item is manufactured in Belgium and stands out of the crowd of Chinese bowls of questionable quality.
• Less effort for keeping in order. For keeping this puzzle dog bowl clean, feel free to use a dishwasher.

• The inexpensive but high-quality option. Despite the low price, this slow feeder dog bowl is nice and combines all the needed features for safe, comfy, and healthy eating.
• Cares about your pet’s health. The product is made of a special material with antibacterial treatment. So, it is resistant to microorganisms.
• Stays at the same place during the whole meal. It doesn’t slip from side to side due to the special cover of the bottom.
• Easy to clean. The material is resistant to dirt. And it is compatible with a dishwasher.
• Durable. The material is extremely wearable, so the item will last for years.

There are situations in which it is necessary to switch the dog’s attention to something else. For example, your dog doesn’t like to bathe, but you need to rinse the dirt off. Or the pet doesn’t like to be brushed and tries to escape or bite your hand. Or a vet needs to give an injection, but your dog breaks out violently. What to do?

Distract the pet’s attention with his favorite treat! And for the furry friend not to swallow it in a second, but give you time for the procedure, use a lick mat. This device will slow down the eating of the treat and keep the dog busy during the entire washing or brushing procedure. Here is the best slow dog feeder for distracting the pet’s attention:

• It can be easily attached to any surface. No matter what your wall is covered with, this product is compatible with any type of surface.
• It doesn’t come off the surface because of humidity. This is a great solution for making bathing more pleasant for a dog. He will be kept busy by licking his favorite yummy. The device is reliably attached to the wall. So, you may not worry that it falls off and the procedure is interrupted.
• It simply gets out of the wall when it’s needed. The shape has special tabs for convenient taking the device off the surface when the procedure is over.
• It is easy to clean. Just put it into a dishwasher after usage.
• It is safe for health. The item is made of silicone which is absolutely free of toxic components like leads or BPA.

• Two-in-one solution. Use two parts of this slow feed dog bowl: stainless steel container for water and silicone bowl with special slowing down shape for healthy meals!
• No mess after meals. The edges of both two bowls are raised for feed and liquid not to spill from them to the floor. You won’t have to clean the kitchen after each meal of your pet.
• Easy care. It is allowed to clean this item in the washing machine.
• Absolutely safe for health. Both silicone and stainless steel this slow feed dog bowl is made of are free of harmful substances.

Features to consider when buying slow feeder dog bowls

How to choose the perfect dog bowl to slow eating? Take into account the following criteria.

Volume

It should be equal to the recommended portion for a certain age and breed.

If the size is smaller, you will have to refill the bowl several times. This teaches the dog the bad habit of asking for more after it has eaten everything.

If the volume is too large, it will be uncomfortable for the dog to eat. He will also see that the bowl is not completely full and may ask for more food than the recommended portion is.

Material

First of all, it should be safe. Appropriate variants are:

• steel;
• food-grade silicone;
• food-grade plastic.

The material should compulsorily be free of toxic components: leads, phthalates, BPA. If they are present in the compound, they can get into food and accumulate in the animal’s body, provoking health problems. Therefore, make sure that there is a note that the material is free of the listed substances.

Guide (Frequently Asked Questions)

Are slow feeder bowls good for dogs?

Yes, they are. Slow eating prevents digestive problems, such as:

• stomach pains;
• bloating;
• vomiting.

Besides, it helps to avoid obesity. When the dog eats slowly, he feels how he is becoming full better. So, he will not ask for larger portions than he really needs.

Should dogs eat slowly?

Yes, they should.

If a dog eats too quickly, he chews food poorly. Also, during the fast swallowing of food, air enters the pet’s stomach. All this leads to problems with digestion: nausea, bloating, abdominal pain.

If the dog consumes a very large amount of poorly chewed food, this can even cause a twisted bowel. This is a very dangerous disease. If you don’t take your pet to a vet immediately this illness can be fatal. Symptoms of a twisted bowel are:

• pain in the stomach;
• weakness;
• unwillingness to move;
• bent posture while walking;
• vomiting.

If you notice these signs in your pet take it to a vet right away!

Besides, if a dog hurries while eating he doesn’t feel how he is becoming full. And after eating a whole bowl of food in two seconds, a pet will ask for more and more. As a result, larger portions lead to obesity.

As you can see, eating food quickly is very harmful to the health of a fluffy buddy. If you don’t want your tailed friend to suffer from digestive problems, prevent him from hastening while having meals. The best solution for this is using a slow eating dog bowl!

What is the best slow feeder dog bowl?

The perfect option combines the following features:

• Effectiveness.
• Comfort.
• Safety.
• Easiness of care.

The products from our top 5 meet all these criteria. So, choose the one you like the most among the items we recommend!

Why does my dog eat like he’s starving?

It is a natural instinct. Your pet’s wild ancestors live in packs. And, the individual must manage to eat the food as quickly as possible so that other members of the group don’t take it away.

Also, the wild canines are used to eating the maximal volume of nutrition before the animal runs out of it. They eat as much as possible as they can’t predict when there will be the next time of successful hunting.

All these habits are inherited by domestic dogs. That’s why they are in a hurry to eat, and also ask for more, no matter how much they have eaten, if they see that you have more food.

Can you put wet food in a slow feeder bowl?

Yes, you can. Plain slow feed dog bowls are compatible both with dry and wet feeds. Lick mates hold such kinds of treats as wet feed, peanut butter, thick yogurt, and other foods with a sticky and thick consistency.

Other slow feeder dog bowls

Dog food bowl in the form of a maze is not only a fun game but also a guarantee of eating at a healthy pace. Meet the best maze dog bowl:

• Highly effective. This dog bowl slows eating by 10 times.
• Recommended by vets. The maze shape of this dog bowl for slow eat is approved by experts.
• Available in two different sizes. Choose the most appropriate variant for your breed: mini size (capacity is two cups) for tiny pets and regular one (capacity is four cups) for middle and large doggies.
• 100% safe. Plastic doesn’t contain any toxic substances, such as Phthalate, PVC, BPA.

Unlike many plastic and silicone items, this one is designed from durable and safe stainless steel. Some more advantages of this dog food bowl for slow eating are:

• It is extremely wear-resistant. It is resistant to mechanical damage (falls, chewing, etc.). Also, the material doesn’t get dirty. It is easy to wipe clean. Can be also safely cleaned in the dishwasher.
• Two sizes for choosing the best option. The capacity of the first variant is two cups, the second one holds a maximum of four cups. Choose the needed size in accordance with your pet’s usual portion.

• Adjustable height. Change it as your puppy grows. You can set up the height convenient for your cuddly pal between 2 and 4,5 inches.
• Extra small cells to slow down. Dog bowl consists of 17 little cells (the first size) or 25 small cells (the second size). This ensures unhurried meals, which will only bring benefit and pleasure. And no digestive problems for sure!

• Easily and reliably sticks to any surface. The only required condition is that it should be flat. The ideal materials for attaching are glass, porcelain, tile.
• No additional tools are needed for attaching. You don’t need any glue or other things for sticking the item to the wall or anywhere you need.
• Leaves no marks on the surface. As it is attached without glue and there are no suction cups, the surface doesn’t get dirty after using this item.
• Two different colors are available. Choose the one you like the most.

A great option for miniature breeds:

• Ideal size for tiny pets that need small portions. The capacity is 0,75 of a cup.
• Maze structure approved by vets. The effectiveness of it at slowing down meals has been proven.
• Safe material. It is free of phthalates, leads, and other toxic substances.