Disclosure: This article was sponsored by Simply Pets Online. Kristine and Dave each received a free pet bowl in order to review them, though all opinions are their own. Contest information appears after the review.
A problem for many pets is eating too fast.
My Great Dane, Pinky, wolfs down her food so fast, I sometimes wonder how much food she actually chewed. She usually keeps it down, though, but my other Dane, Bruiser, gets an upset stomach from time to time.
Having giant dog breeds who are susceptible to bloat, I was excited about trying the Slow Feed Dog Bowl from Simply Pets Online.
The bowl has chambers in varying positions and heights to allow the food to fall into the channels. The dog can reach some of the food easily and then digs through the chambers to reach the rest of the food — slowing eating time. I tried the bowl with both of my dogs.
Pros
1. Slower Eating
The bowl definitely slows down eating. Both of my dogs ate what they could easily reach then started digging through the chambers to reach the additional food. They received the same amount of food I normally feed them but didn’t woof it down as quickly.
2. Easy to Use
There is no assembly, and you can start using the bowl right out of the box. I would recommend washing it first in case there’s any dust or debris left over from shipping.
3. Eco-Friendly
The bowl is made from bamboo fiber and rice husk and is 100% recyclable. It’s also strong and durable.
4. Easy to Clean
It’s easy to clean in the sink or with towels or wipes. It’s also safe to use in the dishwasher for a more thorough cleaning.
5. Versatile
The bowl works with wet or dry food (or both), so you’re not limited to one type of use. I used the dogs’ normal dry food to test the bowl.
Here’s my Bruiser giving it a try:
Cons
1. Floor Sliding
The bowl doesn’t have a surface that grips at the bottom, so it may slide around with larger dogs. This wasn’t much of an issue because my dogs eat from an elevated platform (the bowl fit perfectly).
Also, the company tells us they’re working on adding non-slip mats for the bowls to sit on. These mats should be available in a few weeks.
2. Extra Drool
This isn’t likely to be a problem with other breeds, but my Great Danes drool a lot.
By extending feeding time, we found there was a large amount of drool left in the bowl when they finished eating.
I felt the need to sanitize it each time they ate before using it again. I don’t mind that they drool (that’s what you get with giant breeds), but I don’t want them re-eating their drool, either.
3. Giving Up
My dogs ate what they could reach and dug around a little bit for more food, but to be honest — they both gave up every time we used it.
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However, this could be because both dogs are seniors (Bruiser is turning 9 this year, and Pinky will be 10).
Another hurdle for Pinky is that she is a half-blind, half-deaf rescue, so her senses aren’t as proficient as her purebred brother’s abilities. Or it could simply be because they are too old and don’t feel like working for it — and that’s fine. Sometimes they refuse to eat unless I sprinkle something on top of their food so they feel like they’re getting a treat.
If the chambers were all the same height and spaced out more to allow for their giant tongues, I think it would work much better for them. Despite my experience, the bowl seems to work wonders for smaller dogs, according to customer reviews.
2 Paws Up From Our Cat Reviewer
Meanwhile, several states away, Petful editor Dave Baker’s cat, Hillary, was trying out the cat version of Simply Pets Online’s slow feed bowl. She was definitely curious about this new purple thing with a cat-face design — and downright excited when Dave poured some of her favorite dry food into it.
Even though the bowl is rather large for her (she’s a tiny kitty), Hillary seemed to enjoy eating from it.
If you need to put your cat on a diet, this would be a great way to slow down meal times.
Just like the canine version, this bowl is also high-quality, nontoxic, 100 percent recyclable and dishwasher safe. It was designed by veterinarians for daily use in their clinics.
“As veterinarians, we have always said that slow eating is healthy eating,” according to the company. “Think how fast most cats eat nowadays as many diets are too calorie-dense.”
Contest
Sorry, but this promotion has ended. You can still purchase one of these bowls here, though.
