Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Buyer’s Guide
While many of you may be pretty clear about getting a slow feed dog bowl after seeing your furry buddy throw up almost every time after having a meal, some others might be a bit confused whether it would help.
In that case, let us offer a more detailed explanation about when does a dog need a slow feeder dog bowl. This is mainly because some people believe they don’t need a slow feeder dog bowl as their dog doesn’t vomit despite eating very fast.
Let us tell you though, it’s a mistake to think that way, and your dog might develop a much more significant health issue than throwing up after having a meal.
Bloating
It’s prevalent for dogs eating too fast to suffer from bloating. Now, the problem here is that bloating might not always be noticeable – at least initially – and it might get too late or too expensive to deal with when you do realize it.
There are many cases where bloating costs a dog owner upwards of $10,000.
Other Health Issues
Apart from bloating, eating too fast also leads to other issues like digestion issues, vomiting, obesity and more. It also means a lot of wasted dog food and, of course, your time.
All these issues mean that it’s always a good idea to buy a slow feeder dog bowl for a dog that’s eating abnormally fast. It’s important to note though that some products might work better for some dogs than others.
Be sure to watch out on giving your dog too many treats too, as these might cause them to overeat. There are healthier options that you can consider, such as these healthy dog treats.
Types Of Slow Feeder Dog Bowl
Standalone Slow Feeders
These are the most common type of slow feeders in the market. Essentially, they are new slow feeding dog bowls that you use to replace your current dog bowl. They come with the inbuilt slow feeding mechanism.
Most of these standalone slow feeders should fit comfortably in a dog car crate or an airline approved dog carrier.
Ceramic Slow Feeders
Apart from pure aesthetics, there are no differences between a ceramic slow feeder dog bowl and a standalone slow feeder dog bowl (which is usually made from plastic). The ceramic material has a premium finishing to it, but be careful with any chips or cracks that could hurt your pooch’s mouth.
Slow Feeder Dog Bowl Insert
These are plastic add-ons to your existing dog bowls to turn them into a slow feeding dog bowl. The removable option makes it easier for you to switch back to a standard dog bowl once your pooch no longer has any digestion issues.
However, do take note that usually a slow feeder dog bowl insert is specific to a particular brand & make of dog bowl. Using these inserts on unsupported dog bowl brands/make will lead to a bad fit and this results in an ineffective slow feeding bow.
Features To Consider
While we have already found and reviewed the best slow feeder dog bowls for your dog, you may want to learn about the features to look for as well, as it will allow you to choose the perfect slow feeder dog bowl for your furry buddy.
Effectiveness
If the slow feeder dog bowl you buy does little to slow down your furry beast, then you’re back to square one, aren’t you? So you would want to choose a slow feeder dog bowl that comes in a design that slows them down, and doesn’t have big spaces that they could use to eat large quantities of food instead of taking small bites.
Similarly, the bowl must be designed in a way that it cannot easily be flipped over. A non-skid base will help as well.
Material
It’s easy to overlook this feature, but a bowl made of cheap plastic would do more harm than good. You would always want to go for a food-safe material, ideally a BPA free material, especially for small dogs that are more prone to health issues.
Non-Frustrating
While the design needs to slow down your dog, it shouldn’t frustrate them. Some customers do mention of their dog giving up on a slow feeder dog bowl as they find it too frustrating to get food out of it.
This is especially true for big dogs with a large nose. So if you have a large dog, make sure you choose a bowl that doesn’t have too small spaces, so that they won’t hurt their nose while still not being able to get a lot of food in one bite.
Also, we have compiled a list of dog foods brands that are recommended for a slow feeding dog bowl.
