Dogs that eat so fast are a cause of concern for many pet parents. While some dog owners are open to trying out using a slow-feeder dog bowl, there are still those who are hesitant and would much rather try out first if these bowls would be effective.
For some, these bowls are an extravagance that they do not want to splurge on. That would be understandable, considering that these special dog bowls don’t come cheap.
Well, here’s the good news! You can easily make your own slow-feeder dog bowl with materials you can easily find at home.
The Need for DIY Slow Feeder Dog Bowl
Dogs are notorious for eating as quickly as possible, and this can be quite concerning. This can put them at risk for health issues, such as Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) and other digestion problems.
Slow-feeder dog bowls are designed to slow down your pup’s eating time, allowing them to savor their meals, avoid overeating, and exercise their minds by having to actively “hunt” the food in the bowl.
While one can easily buy one online, those who are creative or simply want to save money have the option to make their own homemade slow-feeder bowls.
Nine DIY Slow-Feeder Dog Bowls
Making your own DIY homemade dog feeder can be easy for any pet parent.
Here is a list of 9 DIY Slow Feeder Dog Bowls you can make at home.
#1 – Wet and Dry Dog Food on the Bowl
Encourage your dog to eat slowly by preparing your dog dish with a mix of wet and dry dog food.
But for this to work as a slow feeding method, it is important to stick the dry kibbles on the wet food at the bottom of your dog’s feeder.
Get your dog’s bowl and spread some wet food on the bottom of the bowl. One by one, stick some doggy kibble on the wet food. The wet food will work as glue, which would provide your dog with a challenge in picking his food.
#2 – Frozen Bowls
You may also want to freeze the dog dish with the dry dog food sticking out of the wet food to harden it up a bit, which would prevent your dog from eating too fast. It would offer the best chance for your pup to slow down eating.
Some dog owners use peanut butter spread on the bottom of a freeze or cooling bowl. Frozen peanut butter works better in securing every doggy kibble in place.
Your pup would have to lick his stuck food before he can chew them. It gives him time to rest in between chews and prevents too much air gulping.
You could also use this trick when sharing dog treats. Use your imagination here on what works best for your dog. Just make sure it’s healthy and safe for your pups!
#3 – Around the Ball Challenge
Challenge your dog with your own DIY slow-feeder dog bowls. Stimulate your dog mentally and, at the same time, encourage better slow eating habits.
During mealtime, place a large rock, a tennis ball, or other things that serve the purpose at the center of your dog’s bowl to turn it into a slow feeder dog bowl. Make sure that these things you use are large enough not to be a choking hazard for your dog or puppy.
Place dog treats or food around the ball and feed your dog. The ball rolling and moving around the bowl would surely keep your dog from easily gobbling his food in just 30 seconds.
#4 – Use Muffin Tins
Muffin tins make a good DIY slow-feeder dog bowl, too!
When you have some muffin tins lying around, now is your chance to slow feed your dog.
Use these muffin tins as a dog dish for your pups. Just place small amounts of food on each muffin trough. This way, your dog would eat one part of his food at a time and not all the way through.
To enhance slow feeding more, place a ball or other large dog toys on top of the troughs. Each time your dog moves to eat more, he needs to knock the ball or dog toys out to reach his food.
To challenge your dog more, place the muffin tin upside down. Put dog treats or food on the creases between the back of the troughs. Your dog would need to get to his food with his paws and tongue to actually get a chew.
Take note, though, that dogs with shorter snouts may really have a hard time eating when you choose to feed them this way.
#5 – Use Cardboard Tube
Used cardboard tubes also work as DIY slow feeders for your pooch. Just tie off or fold one end of the tube and place your dog’s food inside the tube. Tie off or fold the other end to close the tube.
When you give your pup his food this way, it takes him more time to grab his food. Your dog would have to tear off the cardboard first or open one end before getting food.
Some people put holes in the tubes where dry dog food can pass through. When your dog rolls the tube around on the ground, these kibbles come out one by one.
Since it takes a lot of time for everything to come out, this method slowly feeds your dog without the use of a dog bowl. This works to mentally stimulate your pets, too, to think about how to get food out of the tube. It works as a DIY dog treat dispenser, too!
# 6 – Empty Tin Cans
Prevent fast eating with the use of empty tin cans. They make perfect DIY slow feeders as well!
So, how do you make a DIY slow feeder with tin cans?
Empty and clean a tin can and allow it to dry. Create holes on the sides of the can where dog food can come out. Place your dog’s food inside the can and close off the lid.
Just like with cardboard tubes, your pets need to roll the can to get their food. It is a DIY dog treat dispenser you can use during mental stimulation or training.
#7 – Two Becomes One
Most likely, when your dog was once a puppy, you might have a small-sized stainless steel dog bowl for him. As your puppy grew older, you transitioned into a bigger stainless steel dog dish for him, too.
Now that you have small and big stainless steel dog dishes, you can use these two to make a slow feeder for your dogs.
Turn the smaller food bowl upside down and place it in the middle of the bigger dog bowl. This will create a dome at the center. Place your pup’s food around the dome and be surprised to see your dog eating slowly.
#8 – Snuffle Mat
Did you know that snuffle mats can serve the same purpose as slow-feed dog bowls?
Snuffle mats are generally used for foraging training (training your dogs to develop their smelling skills), to keep them preoccupied, and to spend off energy, which encourages them to lose weight.
But when you have a dog who eats so fast, use your snuffle mat most of the time to feed your dog, and it will serve the same purpose as slow-feed dog bowls. The time spent looking for dog treats and kibbles within the mat would encourage your dog to eat slowly.
#9 – Puzzle Toys
When you have dog puzzle toys lying around, turn these into a puzzle feeder by putting dog treats or food in them.
This specific puzzle toy allows you to hide kibbles and treats so your dogs take time before taking hold of their food.
Dog toys like this serve the same purpose as any DIY slow-feeder dog bowls.
When you use dog toys to feed your dogs, they not only get to eat their meals slowly but also get to enjoy life with a bit of diversion by playing with their toys.
Worth Sharing
These are just but a few ways you can create DIY dog feeder bowls at home. Make your dog eat from these DIY dog dishes, and get them to develop healthy eating habits.
When you don’t have the time to make your own (or you don’t have the above materials at home), you can also turn your dog’s regular dog bowl into one. Just buy a dog bowl insert or accessory that would turn any dog bowl into a slow feeder.
Now that you have these ideas on how to turn any dog bowl into a slow feeder in a DIY way, you can now make one for your dog.
With these DIY slow-feed dog bowls, your dog is sure to get the best in life.
There may be other ways that can help your dog eat slowly. Share them with us!