

Some impatient pooches will try to tip their slow feed bowls over and eat their food off the floor, bypassing those pesky ridges. They tend to have extremely simple ridge patterns, however, so they won't slow your dog's eating down as effectively.īestReviews Features Anti-tip capabilities While we think plastic slow feed bowls are fine for most dogs (except dogs who'll chew anything), you will need to wash them regularly so bacteria doesn't build up and cause problems.Ĭeramic or stainless steel: Both of these materials are less porous, making bacteria buildup less of an issue (though you should still clean them when they get dirty).

Also, it can be fragile if the plastic is too thin, and it can harbor bacteria in its porous surface. Unfortunately, it's also fairly easy for dogs to chew through. Plastic: The most common material for slow feed dog bowls, plastic can be easily molded into a wide range of shapes, so it's the best material for making slow feeders with intricate ridge patterns. It's important to choose a bowl of the right size as a small dog might have trouble eating from a too-large bowl and a too-small bowl might not fit all of a big dog's dinner. Many slow feed dog bowls come in at least two sizes, and you can buy some in as many as five sizes. Many slow feeders list their capacity in cups in the product description, which is handy if you measure your pooch's dinner, rather than simply eyeballing it. Choose a bowl that will suit the size of your dog and how much food they eat. You can buy slow feed dog bowls in a range of sizes and capacities to suit dogs little and large. Some have shallower ridges than others, too, which work best for dogs with short snouts. Slow feed bowls with complicated, narrow-spaced ridge patterns tend to be trickier for dogs to eat from, slowing them down much more than simpler patterns with wider spaces between ridges.

More complex ridge patterns include flower petals, spirals, and concentric circles. The most simple slow feeders feature a single raised bump in the center that your dog must eat around.

In order to slow your canine companion down while eating, slow feed dog bowls feature ridges laid out in a certain pattern or configuration. If your four-legged friend is an avid chewer, we recommend a metal or ceramic slow feed dog bowl over a plastic one.
