Eating too fast can be unhealthy, and even dangerous for your pup
Does your dog turn into a vacuum at dinner time or seem to skip the chewing part and scrape the bowl clean in under a minute? This behavior is not only unhealthy but can also be dangerous. No matter the size, gender or breed, some dogs will consume food in the blink of an eye if you let them. The most obvious risk associated with lighting fast eating is choking, followed by indigestion, vomiting, discomfort, and bloat. Unfortunately due to a bit of a language barrier, we can't give our dogs a talk on table manners, but luckily for us, there are a variety of slow-feed bowls and toys on the market to help slow down our dogs eating.
What is a Slow-Feed Bowl?
A slow-feed bowl is a dog bowl designed to slow down your dog while it is eating and provide mental stimulation during the process. As shown below, the bowl has grooves and patterns that force your dog to figure out a plan of action to get the food out while it is eating. Dogs are naturally inclined to work for their food, so it only makes sense that we make them work just a little for their breakfast. There are a wide variety of these bowls on the market today, and even if your dog doesn't seem to eat too fast, they are still a good idea to consider. We use them every day for our own dogs and it has done wonders in slowing them down to chew their food, take pauses in their eating, and call us crazy but they even look like they are having fun while they eat!
The bowls we use for our dogs
If you are looking for a place to start, here are the bowls we use for our dogs and for dogs whos owners request them here at Summit Pet Resort.
These bowls come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and on top of that, they're extremely inexpensive so you can mix and match without a high cost. Just make sure you get a bowl that can hold the amount of food your pup needs. We also did see a review that stated one of the bowls had a ridge in the plastic that rubbed their dog's nose, so check the bowl upon receiving it to make sure it is nice and smooth. At Summit, we suggest that you leave your bowls at home, but if you want us to give your dog a slow feed bowl during they're boarding (and daycare) stay we will happily do so.