The Best Dog Slow Feeder Bowls in 2024
This may be the answer to your dog’s feeding frenzy! A slow feeder distributes your dog’s food into separate compartments, making it more difficult for him to gulp his food all in one swallow.
Eating fast can increase bloat. Larger dogs are especially prone to this and can potentially tear their stomach lining or add pressure to other organs, including the heart. Vomiting after eating too fast is very common in puppies because they swallow so much air that it creates enough gas that the food comes back up.
Also, this make meal time more interesting! Most dogs like to work. Even playing fetch is a form of work to them. Making your pup work for their meal is really in their wheelhouse. It also helps your dog to drop weight.
Our Top 10 List
Last update on 2024-10-05 at 16:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. FlyingColors Steel Feeder with Water Bowl
FlyingColors’ design has an overflow pan plus a slow feeder bowl and a regular pet bowl. The pet bowl is made of durable food grade silicone and the feeder is made from stainless steel. It’s certified FDA non-toxic and odorless. The steel bowl is removable for easy cleaning and refilling.
The mat has a nice design so the food doesn’t get tracked everywhere. The stainless steel bowl can function as a simple water bowl or as a food bowl. All of the pieces of this feeding system are dishwasher safe. It can send black blue pink and green.
As a food bowl, it holds just over three cups of food. This combination definitely slows down your dog’s chewing speed. It can be used with both kibble and canned dog food.
We like that the silicone mat doesn’t fade after several rounds through the dishwasher you won’t see a lot of water on the floor or food on the floor.
Pros
- Mat is easy to clean.
- Pieces are eco-friendly
- High quality materials
- Great look & design
- All pieces can be cleaned in the dishwasher
Cons
- Only one size available
2. Outward Hound Fun Feeder
The puzzle design of this bowl is challenging enough to slow down voracious eaters from thirty seconds to four or five minutes. This is great for improving digestion and avoid long-term issues with pressure on the organs.
Outward Hound feeders offer a great selection of sizes, puzzles and colors. Even though not all colors or puzzles are available in all sizes, there’s still enough variety that you should be able to find a combination that’s both challenging for your pup and matches your home’s décor. All of the bowls are dishwasher safe when cleaned on the top rack.
After a few uses, you’ll want to check your dog’s snout and look for injury. The bowl’s ridges may be too deep for flat-nosed dogs and they can hurt themselves trying to get into the deeper crevasses. It’s BPA, PVC and PVA free so you can be sure your dog won’t have those chemicals seeping into their food.
Be sure and check the reviews on Amazon. Some of them are quite funny.
Ideal for medium to large dogs.
Pros
- Variety of colors and puzzles to choose from.
- Can be used with dry, wet or raw food.
- The larger size will make the puzzle harder.
Cons
- Large sized bowls aren’t suitable for dogs with short noses.
3. IAMUQ Slow Feeders
This bowl is made of heavy, food grade plastic. You won’t have to worry about your dog ingesting broken pieces. It’s also non-toxic which means there’s no threat of toxins leeching into the food.
The IAMUQ slow feeder can hold one to two cups of food, making this dog bowl suitable for small to medium dogs and even cats. Yes, even cats can eat too fast, making them susceptible to the same gastrointestinal problems as dogs. You can clean this slow feeder bowl by placing it on the top rack of your dishwasher. If you’d rather clean it by hand, use a vinegar solution diluted with water.
Puzzle designs slow down your pet’s ability to eat the food quickly. This is great for avoiding indigestion and bloating. It also helps prevent food bandits from gorging down one dinner and then going after the food in another pet’s bowl.
There are three patterns available. You can buy more than one and see which one your dog seems to engage with the most.
Pros
- Multiple styles a variety of challenges.
- Also suitable for cats.
- Very durable construction.
Cons
- It only comes in one size which may make it too large or too small for some breeds.
4. Pinjum Dog Bowls
The Pinjum slow feeder dog bowl is good for small to medium dogs. Cats will find this bowl a challenge, too. The pattern in the bowl will definitely slow down feeding time, helping to avoid bloat and digestion issues like vomiting.
It measures 7.5 inches corner to corner and stands 1.8 inches high. As it only weighs 0.5 pounds, it needs a point of stabilization or food will go everywhere. That’s where the anti-skid pads attached to the bottom come into play. The slip resistant base ensures that the bowl stays put, leaving your pet to solve the food eating puzzle without dragging a mess across the kitchen floor.
The bowl holds 1.5 to 2 cups of dry food and can be used for wet, dry and raw foods. The bowl is not microwave safe and Pinjum also recommends not leaving food in the bowl for an extended period of time.
The Pinjum feeder comes in three colors: sky blue, green, and rose red.
Pros
- We like the anti-skid pads.
- Very easy to clean.
Cons
- With a maximum dry food capacity of 2 cups, this bowl is not suitable for very large dogs.
5. OurPets DuraPet Slow Feed Premium
This DuraPet stainless steel bowl comes in three different sizes. You should be able to find a size suitable for your dog. The bowls are dishwasher safe, making cleanups a breeze.
While the puzzle isn’t as challenging as other slow feeder dog bowls, it’s actually a good fit for dogs with wide and/or short snouts that may find getting food out of bowls with more intricate patterns nearly impossible.
There is a rubber ring glued to the bottom of these bowls. This lessens the chance of the bowl skidding and spilling food. The bowls hold generous portions of dry food.
- The small bowl holds 3 cups of food.
- The medium bowl holds 4 cups of food.
- The large bowl holds a whopping 8 cups of food.
Pros
- Premium heavyweight stainless steel.
- Great choice for dogs with wide short, snouts.
Cons
- Not as challenging as many plastic feeders.
6. Outward Hound Raised Feeder
With its adjustable legs, this raised bowl is a great idea for large dogs. You don’t need a stand for the larger breeds. Dogs can still get a mental challenge from the puzzle built into the bowl.
The bowl sits on a stand that be adjusted from the ground level to either 6 or 10 inches high. This is perfect for larger dogs who may struggle with indigestion from leaning over too much and gulping their food. It comes in one size which is 11 inches in diameter. The bowl can be removed from the legs for easy cleaning. Just put it in the top rack of the dishwasher.
We did note that it feels a little top-heavy when the bowl is at the top notch and full of food. This can pose a problem if your dog is aggressive when it comes to trying to get those first bites of kibble. We like to see a little more stability built into this design.
The bowl can hold up to 4 cups of food.
Pros
- The adjustable legs are a great idea.
- Ideal slow feeder bowl for larger breeds.
Cons
- When fully loaded with food, it may tip over.
7. Neater Feeder Express Elevated Bowls
The Neater Feeder Express is made of stainless steel. It’s a raised pet dish that’s available in sizes that would be perfect from a cat to large breeds of dogs. The bowl is available is three different sizes. It should be noted that the Neater Feeder Express is not compatible with the leg extensions found on the Deluxe model.
The Cat Express bowl holds one cup of food and has a feeding height of 2 inches. The medium bowl holds four cups of dry food and is for dogs that are over have a shoulder height over nine inches and weigh over 18 pounds. The feed bowl holds up to four cups of food.
We like how the food is contained in the top portion while water drains into a catch basin. You can throw all of the parts of this feeder into your dishwasher.
The Small Express bowl holds 1.5 cups of food, making it great for dogs up to 18 pounds. A feeding height of two inches makes it ideal for small dogs like Yorkies and Chihuahuas.
Large Express is for pets over 18 pounds. Labs and bulldogs will be comfortable with this setup. It has a feeding height of 5.5 inches. Both the food and water bowls hold seven cups each.
Pros
- Splash guard works well.
- Elevated feeding height makes mealtime even easier on your pet.
Cons
- We’d like to see a way to attach the bowls to the tray.
8. Magisso Happy Pet Ceramic Feeder
This ceramic feeder is absolutely beautiful. It holds nearly three cups of food but is really suited to smaller dogs. There are only two patterns: dog bone and a heart shape. You can tell from the lack of intricacy that this will slow down your dog’s natural tendency to gulp their food but it really can’t be considered a difficult mental challenge.
One thing to note is that ceramic and dogs don’t always mix. Ceramic can chip and dogs who eat aggressively could crack a tooth on the bowl. The Magisso is dishwasher safe. They are priced a little higher than many of the other slow feed bowls but the elegance is worth the extra expense in many kitchens.
It comes in three diameters: five, six and eight inches. You can choose from black, orange or blue bowls.
Pros
- Self-cooling.
- Beautiful design.
- High quality ceramic
Cons
- Ceramic bowls aren’t dishwasher safe.
9. DotPet Ceramic Slow Bowl
This slow feeder bowl was designed with cats in mind. It measures 8.7 inches in diameter and 1.6 inches deep. It’s also certainly a good choice for smaller dogs that need a slow feeder dog bowl. The beauty of using a ceramic bowl is that you never need to worry about whether the materials used in making them are safe. Ceramic is certainly non-toxic.
Ridges make it challenging for your pet to get at their food which aids in digestion as recommended by veterinarians. It’s a good choice when a true puzzle bowl is just too much but something is definitely needed to help your pet avoid problems like vomiting after eating too quickly.
Ceramic bowls are also known for being odor-free and this model lives up to the reputation. We’ve never known ceramic bowls to hold odors.
This ceramic bowl isn’t dishwasher safe. While this should make cleaning it a little more time consuming, the smooth surface is very convenient for removing food. You can easily clean off food and germs by rinsing the bowl with a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts water.
Pros
- Ridges are challenging.
- Beautiful design fits in any décor.
- High quality ceramic
Cons
- Ceramic bowls aren’t dishwasher safe.
10. Siensync Bowl
This is a great bowl for dogs that need a challenge to keep dinner time interesting. These bowls are meant to be challenging, not frustrating and Siensync delivers a winner.
This slow feeder is an eco friendly dog bowl. Siensync ensured that the bowl was made from food safe, high strength ABS materials. It’s free of BPAs, PVCs, and pthalates.
Five rubberized feet keep the bowl from skidding around the floor.
Clean up is easily accomplished since this bowl is safe to put on the top rack of your dishwasher. This is a great bowl for fast eaters. Slowing down the ability to consume their food can help a dog or cat feel full on less food.
Siensync does something not often seen with slow dog feeders. They have put a 100% guarantee on this dog bowl. You get a sixty day money back guarantee and a twelve month warranty with your purchase.
This is presented as a one size fits all bowl but it may be too small for larger dogs. The bowl measures 8 inches across and the well is 1.6 inches deep but only holds two cups of food.
Pros
- Eco-Friendly materials
- Dishwasher safe.
Cons
- We weren’t really happy with a one size fits all idea.
Verdict & Review
FlyingColors Dog Slow Feeder
Pros
- Quality material
- Effective slow feeder
- Water bowl integrated
- Mat is easy to clean
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Only one size available
While there are several standouts in this list, we absolutely love the FlyingColors feeder. It’s a smart set that will challenge your dog while keeping the mess contained to an area that’s easily cleaned up.
Buying Guide
Veterinarians recommend slow feeder bowls for a variety of reasons. Here’s a closer look at what to look for when buying one!
Things you need to consider when choosing a slow feeder dog bowl are the material used to manufacture the bowl, cleaning the bowl, problem solving difficulty and the size of the pattern design. Slow feeder bowls are usually manufactured using one of three basic materials.
Silicone
These are usually referred to as plastics and the strength can vary greatly. Whatever types of plastics or silicone the bowl is made of, make sure they are non-toxic and eco friendly. They should be free of BPAs, PVAs and Pthalates as any of these chemicals can leech into your pet’s food and water. These chemical compounds can be the culprit behind many mysterious illnesses in dogs.
Stainless Steel
These should feel sturdy. Those that feel light are usually not strong enough to stay upright when a dog is feeding from it. Avoid any bowls that have a powdered coating on them.
If your dog doesn’t like steel bowls, don’t push it. Given their superb hearing, some dogs just don’t like the noise created by the bowls.
Ceramic
Ceramic bowls are certainly beautiful but they do have their share of drawbacks. Most true ceramic bowls are not dishwasher safe. They can also chip so we check our ceramic bowls carefully after cleaning them. Larger dogs can also crack their teeth trying to gulp food out of a ceramic dog bowl. Ceramic bowls should probably be avoided if your dog takes an aggressive approach to eating.
Cleaning the bowls
If you don’t have a lot of time to deal with cleaning, look for a bowl that’s safe to put in the dishwasher. You’ll find that most of the silicone and steel bowls are fine if placed on the top rack.
If the bowl can’t be put in the dishwasher, vinegar diluted in water is an effective alternative. Use about one cup of vinegar to three cups of water. This is usually strong enough to kill most germs that can be found in a bowl.
Puzzle Design
A good design should be just challenging enough to trigger your dog’s foraging instincts. If it’s too simplistic, the bowl will still slow down the rate your dog eats, but it won’t be a mental challenge. A design that’s too complicated will frustrate your pet and they may abandon the bowl altogether.
Size
Besides the bowl being matched to the size of the dog like any standard bowl, the design pattern needs to be taken into consideration. Dogs with wide noses and snouts may need a bowl with crevasses that are shallow. Patterns that run too deep will make the food unavailable to the dog, no matter how hard they try.
We are the Pet Dog Pals, a group of avid pet owners, bloggers, product testers, and writers for all your canine needs! We own a collective 16 dogs and 21 cats to help us test and review pet products. Our top lists and tips come from experience to help you be the best dog owner you can be!