You’ve probably heard of a maze bowl or puzzle bowl for dogs. They’re designed to slow feed and decrease stomach upset and other health problems.
The purpose of a maze bowl is to slow your dog while they eat. This can decrease the chances of things like bloat, stomach upset and vomiting.
They come in many different shapes, sizes, and even materials so you can find what works best for you and your dog.
The Fenrir Puzzle Bowl is a great example.
The Design of a Maze Bowl and How it Works
Puzzle bowls are created by raising ridges inside of the dish that cause the kibble to fall between them. The ridges often resemble a maze and your dog has to pick their kibble from between the ridges.
This action of picking up only a few pieces of kibble at once is what causes your dog to slow down while eating. They’ll get only a small amount of food, stop to chew and swallow, then dig in for some more food.
Maze Bowls Come in Different Materials
You’re probably most familiar with plastic puzzle bowls. They’re the most common option and generally the cheapest to manufacture and sell.
However, plastic isn’t the only option.
If you need something heavier that isn’t as easy to flip over, because you have a particularly large or intelligent dog, you can look for something made out of ceramic. Ceramic dishes tend to be the heaviest and are the hardest to knock over.
Stainless steel is another good option. It’s not as flimsy as plastic or as heavy as ceramic, but it’s very easy to clean and also dishwasher safe.
Maze Bowls Come in Different Shapes
We know dogs can be picky or stubborn sometimes. If the first puzzle bowl you try doesn’t work, you can always try again.
These specially designed bowls come in so many different shapes and sizes. You’re bound to find one that works eventually.
You’ll find some with very tall ridges that may be best suited to large breeds or dogs that find shallow bowls not much of a challenge.
Though, those shallow bowls may be better suited to small breeds. A dish too large could be difficult to use and they may refuse to eat.
You may also find some puzzle bowls that exchange the maze shape for other options.
The ridges can be shaped like paw prints, swirls, and waves. You may even find puzzle bowls that have multiple small compartments instead of one large one that’s divided.
They also may come in a design that features several posts in the bowl that prevent your dog from taking a big bite, but make it easy to scoop some of the kibble out of the dish.
When it comes to design, the possibilities are endless.
