The 10 Best Slow Feeding Bowls For Dogs

Editor's Notes

October 08, 2020:

Many dogs choose to devour their dinners as fast as they can, which sometimes leads to digestion problems such as vomiting and excess wind. In more extreme cases, rapid eating can lead to bloat (gastric dilatation volvulus), where your dog's stomach becomes overstretched and rotated. Not only are slow-feeding bowls are a good way to ensure that they can't wolf down their dinners, they also provide some mental stimulation as well. Some owners even recommend slow-feeding bowls as a good transition to snuffle mats and activity mats.

Choosing the right bowl for your pet will depend on a number of factors such as its size, breed, age, and intelligence. Items like the JW Skid Stop and the Dogit Go Slow still give big snouts a bit of room to rummage but make life difficult as they get to the bottom. The Mr Peanut's Interactive and Durapet Premium employ the simple but effective Bundt cake-pan shape that forces your pooch around in circles as they push food through the trough.

If you have a small or medium-sized breed that requires a good bit of slowing down, or perhaps just craves some mental stimulation as they eat, models like the Siensync Puzzle and the Jasgood Feeder work well due to their complex labyrinthine designs. Larger dogs may enjoy figuring out how to get their food out through the edges of the difficult Green Interactive Feeder's maze or trying to solve one of the many versions of the Outward Hound Fun Feeder.

The Outward Hound 3-in-1 and the Neater Pet Raised combine slow-feeding with elevated eating, because dogs with arthritis or spinal issues are usually just as capable of scoffing their chow. These items both have adjustable legs that offer two height levels, or if you have multiple pets with different needs, can be laid flat on the floor like regular bowls as well.