DIY slow feeder for dogs with a muffin tin

Key points

• A 6- or 12-cup muffin tin and a few balls that cover the cups are all you need.
• The ball must be clearly bigger than your dog's mouth: one they can swallow can choke them.
• Use it under supervision and put the balls away afterward; take them away if your dog chews them or they break.
• Eating more slowly helps with vomiting and choking, but it doesn't replace the vet if there are symptoms.

A DIY slow feeder for dogs takes two minutes with a muffin tin and a few balls: you spread the food across the cups, cover each one with a ball, and your dog has to push them aside to eat. A meal that used to vanish in twenty seconds now lasts several minutes.

Eating at top speed isn't just a quirk. Dogs that gulp swallow a lot of air and are more likely to bring their food back up undigested or to choke. With this trick they eat more slowly, and mealtime becomes a little scent game too. It works with kibble and with homemade food.

Why it helps if your dog eats more slowly

A dog that empties the bowl in seconds swallows a lot of air along with the food. The most common results are burping, gas, regurgitating whole kibble shortly after eating and, in more serious cases, choking.

In large, deep-chested breeds (German Shepherd, Great Dane, setters, Boxer, Mastiff), eating fast has been linked to gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat), an emergency that can be fatal within hours. A slow feeder doesn't prevent it on its own, because many other factors are involved, but it is one of the sensible measures, along with splitting the daily food into two or three meals and avoiding intense exercise right before and after eating. If your dog tries to vomit without bringing anything up and their belly is swollen, go to an emergency vet right away.

Safety: ball size comes first

• A ball bigger than their mouth. If your dog can fit the whole ball in their mouth, it's too small. Tennis balls are only suitable for small dogs: a medium or large dog can suck one back into the throat and choke. For them, use solid rubber balls that are clearly bigger, 8-10 cm (3-4 in) or more depending on the size of their mouth.
• No soft rubber balls that break into pieces, and no cut tennis balls or ones with the felt torn off.
• Supervised. When they finish eating, pick up the balls. They're not a toy to leave them alone with.
• A tin in good condition: no sharp edges or rust if it's metal; if it's silicone and they chew it, take it away.
• Wash it after every meal, just like their bowl, especially if you use moist homemade food.

In our guide to the treat ball we also explain why tennis ball felt wears down teeth.

With kibble or homemade food

With kibble it's very easy: divide their portion among the cups. For a 15 kg (33 lb) dog, about 20 g (roughly 1/4 cup) per cup in a 12-cup tin.

With homemade food it works too. Spread the portion, already lukewarm, across the cups and press it down a little with a spoon. If it's very moist, a silicone tin is better because it's easier to clean. You can fill the tin the night before and keep it in the fridge with the next day's portion of any recipe, such as the chicken, rice and vegetables. The total amount is the same as always: the portion calculator tells you how many grams your dog needs.

Another option for fast eaters is to serve part of their food on a snuffle mat.

What you need

• A 6- or 12-cup muffin tin, metal or silicone
• Balls that cover the cups and are clearly bigger than your dog's mouth (tennis balls only for small dogs)
• Their portion of food for that meal

Step by step

1. Choose the balls

   Check that your dog can't fit any of the balls fully into their mouth. For medium and large dogs, look for solid rubber balls of 8-10 cm (3-4 in) or more, never tennis balls. They should sit on top of the cups, covering them.

2. Divide the food

   Weigh their portion and divide it among the cups of the tin. With homemade food, press each portion down a little with a spoon.

3. Cover the cups

   Place a ball on each cup. The first time, leave two or three cups uncovered so they figure out how it works.

4. Put it on the floor

   Set it on a non-slip surface, or on top of a rubber mat, so it doesn't slide around the kitchen while they eat.

5. Pick up the balls

   Stay nearby while they eat. When they're done, pick up the balls and the tin and wash them in hot, soapy water.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my dog eat so fast?

It's usually a mix of instinct and habit: dogs that competed for food with littermates or other dogs, that went hungry, or that eat next to another dog learn to gulp. It can also come from portions that are too small or, in some cases, health problems that increase appetite. If the change is recent, mention it to your vet.

Do slow feeders work for dogs?

Yes, they lengthen the time a dog takes to eat and reduce the air they swallow, which usually helps with burping and regurgitation. There's no evidence that they prevent bloat on their own, so in large breeds it's best to combine them with splitting food into several meals and avoiding intense exercise around mealtimes.

What should I do if my dog throws up right after eating?

If they bring food back up whole, effortlessly and soon after eating, it's usually regurgitation from eating too fast: a slow feeder and smaller portions help. If they vomit often, with effort, with blood, or seem lethargic, call your vet. And if they try to vomit without bringing anything up and their belly is swollen, it's an emergency.