Is your dog a speed eater? I’m talking about the type who quickly gobbles up his food as if he hasn’t eaten in days … and has no idea when another meal will be served. If so, you’re not alone. I’ve got one of those too! The problem: Scarfing meals too quickly can be dangerous for our dogs. It can lead to choking, vomiting, and bloat. One easy thing you can do is to swap your dog’s traditional bowl for a slow feeder.
What are Slow Feeder Bowls
Slow feeder dog bowls feature 3D patterns and grooves. By spooning your pup’s food between these protrusions, your dog won’t be able to grab and gobble large bites at once, effectively slowing down the eating process.
@prouddogmomblog Putting our slow feeder dog bowls to the speed test! #slowfeeder #dogbowls #dogmomsoftiktok #amazonfindsfordogs ♬ Glamour – Lux-Inspira
1. Rainbow Silicone Slow Feeder
This bowl is paws-down my favorite slow feeder. It’s made of food-grade silicone, comes in several pleasing colors, and features tight grooves that look like a pretty rainbow. But the sleek, modern look goes beyond aesthetics. The nooks and crannies do a great job of slowing dogs down at mealtime. Typically, it takes my Toy Poodle, Gigi, a whopping 20 seconds to scarf down her food. This bowl extends mealtime to over four minutes. That’s a huge improvement! The back of this bowl has a strong suction cup, so it won’t flop around as your dog licks away at his dinner. Plus, it’s easy to clean. Just pop it in the dishwasher!
2. Honeycomb Silicone Slow Feeder
Here’s another silicone option that suction cups to the floor. Featuring a wider honeycomb pattern, this slow feeder is a bit easier for dogs to retrieve food from … making it a good choice for dogs newer to eating from a slow feeder. It takes my Gigi about two minutes to get through her meal when eating from this bowl. This slow feeder option comes in two sizes. I personally have the small one!
3. LickiMat SloMo
I love the LickiMat brand! As the name implies, they make a variety of lick mats for dogs (AKA textured mats designed to spread dog-safe foods onto). I have several mats from LickiMat and find them to be great quality. Plus, my dogs love them since they provide a mentally stimulating and calming activity.
Within the LickiMat line of products, they offer one called the SloMo. For all the fresh food feeders, simply smear your pup’s meal into the two types of grooves and let your furry family member lick away! While this dish is great for all dogs, French Bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds will have an easier time with this option compared to some of the deeper maze-patterned bowls.
It takes my Gigi a little over two minutes to eat her meals from this slow feeder.
4. LickiMat Wobble
Speaking of LickiMat products, they also have a lick bowl called the Wobble. For anyone who feeds their dog “smearable” food, it’s a great choice. Along with featuring grooves that your dog needs to lick through, the wobbling motion offers an extra challenge. Just like the SloMo, this one takes my Gigi a little over two minutes to eat her meals. It’s made from dishwasher-safe natural rubber and comes in a few colors.
5. Ceramic Slow Feeders
LE TAUCI’s slow feeder bowls come in 3 sizes, numerous colors, and offer various 3-D maze patterns. One of my favorite features of these bowls is that they’re made of food-grade ceramic, making them:
- Non-porous (which is a huge step up from plastic)
- Heavy (the weight combined with the non-slip backing means your dog’s bowl won’t slide around the floor as they eat)
- Durable (dogs can’t chew through ceramic bowls like they can with plastic bowls)
- Microwave safe
- Dishwasher safe
6. Outward Hound Slow Feeder Collection
There’s a reason the Outward Hound slow-feeder dog bowl collection has over 112K Amazon reviews (most are 5 stars!).
Much like the LE TAUCI bowls, they come in various colors and 3-D maze patterns. Which pattern is best for you? Well, first, think of your dog’s size. Since I have very small dogs, I have THIS small pink bowl that features a zig-zag maze pattern. When my Gigi eats from this bowl, it takes her over three and a half minutes to finish her meal! For medium and large-size dogs, the spiral shape and flower shape are quite popular.
The one downside about these bowls is they’re plastic. The good news is: They’re free of BPA, PVC, and Phthalate! They have a non-slip backing to prevent the bowls from sliding. Plus, these bowls are also top-rack dishwasher safe.
7. Stainless Steel Slow Feeder
Stainless steel bowls are a great choice for dogs. They’re non-porous, durable, long-lasting, and a breeze to clean/dishwasher-safe. This stainless steel slow feeder from Neater Pet Brands looks much more basic than many of the others on this list. Instead of an intricate maze pattern, it just has one protrusion in the center. While it may look simple, it definitely does the job. This slow feeder comes in four sizes!
