Do slow feeder bowls help fast eaters with digestion & bloat?

Generally only dogs with a condition called megaesophagus where the food they eat gets trapped in the dilated esophagus and they vomit frequently after eating, and dogs with neck pain would benefit from elevated bowls. Some studies have shown that eating from raised bowls actually increases the amount of air dogs ingest when eating and increases the risk of bloat. I think the person who told you to raise the bowls was concerned re: bloat in your medium to large breed dogs. My best recommendation is that if your dogs eat very fast/scarf down their food, that definitely does predispose them to developing bloat which can be life threatening, and puzzle feeders available on Amazon for about $10-$15 that are bowls with ridges in them to slow down eating would be more beneficial than raising the bowls. Good luck!

Eating fast is ok. Gobbling food in 10 seconds flat is not ok. I am being a little silly, but if you think that Hazel is eating too fast, there is nothing wrong with getting a special bowl to slow her down!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. It is pretty typical for puppies abdomens to look distended after eating whether they eat fast or not. It is more to do with the amount they are eating more than than the speed. Puppies abdomens can also be distended due to worms. If he has not been dewormed that should be done as soon as possible. Puppies should be dewormed every 3-4 weeks until they are 4 months old, then once monthly. That being said, eating fast is not good for them for other reasons. They can swallow a bunch of air which can cause bloat. So, I recommend you either feed him smaller, more frequent meals or get him a special bowl that will slow down his eating (see link). ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=slow%20feeder ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Many dogs gulp or bolt their food. It’s a common issue. Continue to use the special feeder. You could also look for kibble that is disc shaped or has a hole in the center as this will slow Zeke down as well as force him to chew more. You could also switch from a bowl to a food ball dispenser. He will have to roll the ball around the get the kibble to come out and this will definitely slow things down. Canned food may help because he has to lick rather than grab. Every dog is different. Some dogs do great on canned food while others don’t. Just make sure to slowly switch the diet and to feed he proper amount. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using PetCoach! It is definitely common for puppies especially to eat like it’s a race! There isn’t generally any problem with it except that Brixy may be more likely to regurgitate that meal right back up (looking almost the same!) If you’d like to try and slow her down, consider a puzzle bowl like this, or a slow feeding toy like this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-wobbler-food-dispensing-dog-toy Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Brixy!

It's good that it's slowed down her eating! That is ok she can only reach one morsel at a time, she will get eat kibble up eventually. This will keep her from gobbling down her food to fast, and lead to her feeling full. I'd keep using it. I hope this helps!

You can feed the fast eater in a bowl designed to slow his eating. These have grooves in them so he has to work his tongue to get the food. Then I would leave him out until the other dog finishes. If the slow eater isn't finished pick up the food anyway. Do this at each feeding and hopefully the slow eater will get quicker and the slow feed bowl will slow down Loki. I recommend not having food down at anytime so they don't fight. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dogs.