Hey Mighty Paw Fam, Barbara here to introduce you to our spiral slow feeder lick mat, our latest addition to our dog slow feeder collection!
So yes, it's a dog slow feeder, but it's not just ANY slow feeder because it comes with a unique twist...
Our particular design offers 2-in-1 fun that solves multiple problems you may be having with your dog(s), and it even features an additional cherry on top...
Keeping that in mind, here's what you'll learn in this blog post:
- What's a spiral slow feeder lick mat?
- How do I stop my dog from eating too fast?
- Can you put wet food in a slow feeder bowl?
- How do slow feeders provide mental stimulation?
Challenge Your Hyper Dog With Our Spiral Slow Feeder Lick Mat!
What's a Spiral Slow Feeder Lick Mat?
It's a combination of two of our products: the slow feeder insert and our dog lick mat!
But, what are slow feeders for dogs in the first place?
Well, as the name suggests, they slow down your dog's eating. They do that because they make it harder to eat large amounts of food at once by spreading out the food.
That's huge in helping to prevent bloat in (deep chested) dogs!
Our particular spiral slow feed dog bowl insert secures to most dog food bowls, and fits best into bowls with a 7" diameter.
That said, it helps tackle multiple problems:
- Your dog inhales his food
- Your dog has noise phobias
- Your dog displays boredom-related problem behaviors (excessive barking, chewing on furniture, etc)
How Do I Stop My Dog From Eating Too Fast?
If you're wondering "what can I put in my dog's bowl to slow them down?", this is it!
All you need to slow your dog's gulping down is our new spiral slow feeder insert!
This also works great to stop puppies from eating too fast and can help establish a healthy, slow eating routine right from the get go.
Tip: On a related note of how you can stop your dog or puppy from eating too MUCH, the answer is not to free-feed them!
So rather than keeping their bowls full at all times, measure out the food amount your dog eats per meal and offer just that.
This will help keep your pup(py) at a healthy weight and help prevent obesity-related issues such as hurting joints and arthritis.
Feeding your dog too much in one sitting can also contribute to bloat, so that's something to keep in mind as well!
Can You Put Wet Food in a Slow Feeder for Dogs?
Yes, you sure can! As a matter of fact, you can put all sorts of dog food into a slow feeder dog bowl, for example:
- Kibble
- Canned dog food
- Cooked dog food
- Raw dog food
Since our spiral slow feeder is top rack dishwasher-safe, clean up is easy too if you use it to separate your dog's wet dog food.
Bonus: Your hands won't get terribly dirty either thanks to our paw pull tab!
How Do Slow Feeders Provide Mental Stimulation?
Dogs are hunters by nature who work for their food, so they appreciate a little challenge at meal time.
Since slow feeders invite your dog to forage for their food, they help provide a mental workout.
Unfortunately, that's often overlooked in pet dogs, but just as important as your dog's daily need for physical exercise.
As a matter of fact, dogs who aren't mentally stimulated are bored!
That's what contributes to behaviors we consider problematic. For example:
- excessive barking
- nipping at your heels
- eating your furniture, etc.
If you feed your pup two daily meals, that's a great opportunity to use a slow feeder as it helps provide that mental stimulation dogs crave.
Multiple daily meals are also easier on your dog's digestive system and can help prevent bloat!
Additionally, you can also use our spiral slow feeder outside of mealtime for some extra mental engagement.
All you need to do is smear some of your pup's favorite soft food onto the floppy dividers, attach the base to a flat surface and then watch your pup figure out how to get to the food.
Foods you can use are:
- plain yogurt
- mashed banana
- canned fish (sardines, salmon, oysters)
- pumpkin purée
- peanut butter
- baby food.
Now, do you recall that I mentioned an additional cherry on top?
That's where our design really differs from any others - we included two different textures on the floppy fins.
Why?
Because it offers your dog multiple levels of difficulty in getting to the soft foods. We took that design element from our best selling Dog Lick Pad and Dog Lick Bowl.
The ridges are easier to lick food off of, and the nubs make it more challenging.
Did you know? Licking is a soothing, natural dog behavior that helps with anxiety!
So next time there's a t-storm, construction noise, your baby cries or fireworks are going off, set your pup up in a quiet area with our slow feeder lick mat and allow them to lick!
Your laundry room or bathroom may work as it's easy to stick the slow feeder to your washer, dryer and bathtub or shower enclosure.
Tip: Get two spiral slow feeders!
That way, you can use one for mealtime, and keep one in the freezer.
Why the freezer?
Because if you smear soft food onto the wings and then freeze, your pup will be entertained for longer as it's not that easy to lick frozen food off.
If you always have a prepared one in the freezer, you can easily pull it out as needed for your dog's distraction!
Bottom Line
As you've seen, the purpose of slow feeders is twofold - to slow your dog's eating down and to mentally engage them.
Beneficial side effects are that they help avoid bloat in dogs and that they serve as boredom busters for hyper pups.
Our Mighty Paw spiral slow feeder fits into most bowls and easily attaches to flat surfaces such as the floor, appliance doors (dishwasher, oven, fridge, etc.) and bathtubs or shower wall enclosures.
Here's a quick summary of what you get with our slow feeder insert:
- 6 Interactive Floppy Fins
- 2 Unique Textures
- Quick pull paw tab
- Slows down gulpers and over eater
- May help reduce bloating, choking and vomiting
- Recommended by vets
- BPA-free, food-grade silicone
- Dishwasher-safe
- Available in green and orange
Did you know? We’re offering free U.S. shipping on ALL orders!
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Barbara Rivers writes regularly for Mighty Paw. She is a blogger, raw feeder, former dog walker and maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.
