Loving Pets® "GOBBLE STOPPER" Review

Our boys gobble their food down.  Now, I've heard of dogs who gobble/inhale their food so fast that they end up choking on their food, or throwing up; our dogs are not to that extent.  They finish their meals in about 45 seconds, and then spend the next 15 seconds licking up the bowl (so I don't have to clean it... thanks, boys).  It is still fast, and gobbling down food can cause bloating, choking and gagging.  When we heard of "Gobble Stopper" by Loving Pets, from one of our good friends, we decided to give it a try.

There are many slow feeders out there, but this one is unique in that it is a device you can attach to any bowl to make it a slow feeder.  You can choose from 3 different sizes depending on the size of your bowl, and it has a strong suction so it can attach to the bowl and prevent your dogs from taking it off (easily, at least).  It is simply a plastic bone, which acts as a "canopy", attached to a suction.  By having the device in the middle of the bowl, it prevents the dogs from putting their entire face into the bowl, and forces them to take only small amounts of food at a time.  Petco sells the large one for US$7.99, medium for $6.99, and the small for $5.99.  We bought the large one because the boys eat from a large bowl.  (I use a large bowl so that the food will spread out thinner, thus preventing them from taking large portions of their food and wolfing it down.)

The first time we used it, both boys took SIX MINUTES to finish their meals off.  Loving Pets advertises that it slows down their eating by as much as 5 times.  Based on our initial review, they are correct.  It was clear, however, that the boys were not happy with the inedible device in their bowl that prevented them from easy access to their otherwise delicious meal.  Some of the food would get lodged under the bone, and try as they might, they simply could not get at their food.

We also noticed that their stool was VERY LOOSE after their meal, and they were farting... A LOT.  **If you're anything like us, the consistency of your dog's poop is a pretty important topic in your daily conversation:
"Honey, did our boys poop?"
"Yup."
"Was it solid?"
"Yup."
"GREAT." **
So, it was slightly concerning after a day of testing out the Gobble Stopper that our dogs were having loose poop.  When we watched them eat their meals using the Gobble Stopper, we noticed that our boys, in their desperate need to eat their food, were also inhaling quite a lot of air.  While the time it took for them to finish their meal increased, the speed at which they attempted every bite of their food did not.  As a result, they were inhaling air with every food they ate, as well as with every failed attempt to get at the food.

We've had the Gobble Stopper for two nights now (3 meals).  Last night, both boys woke us up twice in the middle of the night with vomiting and the runs.  It is certainly a possibility that they picked up something on their walks, but the major change in their daily activities was the Gobble Stopper.  After doing some research online, diarrhea, flatulence, and vomiting CAN BE caused by inhalation of too much air (USUALLY as a result of wolfing down their food.)  There is no way for us to know exactly what was the cause of their vomiting and the runs, but they woke up in the morning, ate their breakfast happily (without the Gobble Stopper), and are now taking their luxurious post-breakfast nap.

A dog MAY learn to eat more slowly over time as a result of the Gobble Stopper, but for us, it is not worth testing it out any further at the risk of their well-being (and our sleep).  Most of the reviews online, and the reviews I got via social media is that the suction is not strong enough, and that their dog quickly learned how to take it off.  Some others found a new way of eating that didn't entail them to have to struggle with the Gobble Stopper (ie, flip the entire bowl over on the floor... yikes!).

We give it 2 (front) paws up (out of 4).  Our conclusion: It DID slow down their eating, but it was clear they were extremely unhappy.  While vomiting, flatulence and diarrhea may have had NOTHING to do with this device, the unfortunate overlap makes it difficult for us to want to continue testing this out.

We are still on the hunt for a slow-feeding bowl/device.  Please feel free to leave any comments/suggestions/advice below!!