![]() When Should I Use a Slow Feeder Dog Bowl?.OurPets DuraPet Dog Bowl Slow Feed Bowl.Frisco Bone Shaped Ridges Slow Feed Bowl.The Best Slow Feeder Dog Bowls Reviewed. ![]() Compare pet health insurance plans to save more than $270 a year on vet care. Digestive problems and food allergies can be expensive to treat. However, if your dog is a truly fussy eater and not food-motivated, just be sure they don't starve - an old-fashioned bowl wins out for these guys.Ī high-quality diet is essential for keeping your dog happy and healthy. Just be sure to work with your dog to get them used to this new way of eating. To Slow Feed or Not to Slow Feedīoth the mental stimulation and positive health benefits of slow feeders make them a winner for all but the fussiest of eaters (But for these guys swallowing air isn't a problem anyway). However, it's easy enough to improvise with muffin tins or plastic bottles, and have the satisfaction of making your own. One consideration is the cost of a slow feeder, with some of them being quite pricey. A large dog with a powerful appetite may damage a delicate feeder beyond repair! Some are more robust than others, so match the sturdiness of the feeder to the size and enthusiasm of your dog. ![]() Get the dog used to the idea of eating from the small trays, then close one flap and show him how to open it.Ĭhoose your feeder carefully. For example, if a feeder has flaps the dog has to lift up, but they can't work out what to do, then start with the flaps open. If this happens, take things in easy stages. Some dogs are slow on the uptake and struggle to master a complex feeder. There are some drawbacks, albeit minor ones. An interesting sign of the importance of this mental stimulation is that dogs are a lot less likely to overeat when fed this way, as if their brain better recognizes this is a meal rather than a treat or snack. It reduces boredom, which in turn alleviates frustration, and reduces problem behaviors such as excessive barking or chewing. Thinking problems through is extremely beneficial to the dog. Problem-solving in order to eat also mimics natural behaviors, where in the wild a dog has to work to get a meal. A dog figuring out how to get those biscuits out of the puzzle feeder gets valuable mental stimulation. Unlike the dog that plants their face in a bowl of food and chows down, slow feeders require some thought as to how to get at the food. Which makes anything that makes eating safer seem a good idea.Ī slow feeder does what it says on the label: Slows up the ingestion of food so the dog swallows less air. The life-threatening condition requires emergency surgery, and even then lives are lost. ![]() If that dog then runs around or plays, they are at greater risk of the stomach flipping over to cause a GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus). On the other paw, air in the stomach can cause it to swell up and bloat. This isn't too much of a health problem (for the dog) but can make a nose peg for the owner seem a good idea. The best case scenario is the air travels along the gut and is released as flatulence. ![]() Better for the Bodyĭoes your Lab inhale food? Is the bowl empty before you've straightened up from putting it on the floor?Įager eaters like these often ingest air (aerophagia) as well as food. In respect of reducing a risk factor for bloat, slow feeders have the potential to be life-saving.īut slow feeders have other benefits, such as reducing flatulence in greedy dogs! If you'd like to clear the air and bone up on slow feeders, let's look at the pros and cons. But slow feeders are anything but a gimmick and are beneficial to your dog's health for a number of reasons.įor example, pet parents of deep-chested breeds, which are at increased risk of bloat, are recommended to switch to slow feeder or puzzle feeders to reduce the amount of air the dog wolfs down. To the uninitiated, slow feeders may seem like a fad, another way of manufacturers getting money out of beleaguered pet parents. There are different designs, from plastic nobbles to whirly maze-like patterns, so the dog has to push food with their paw or tongue to get access and stop a chow hound in their tracks. Walk into any pet store and you see a variety of brightly colored plastic feeders designed to slow the speedy eater. Could your best buddy benefit from a slow feeder? ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |