I Swapped My Picky Pup’s Bowl for This Unique Amazon Find — Now He Finishes Every Bite!
I adopted my dog, Leo, earlier this year, and it’s safe to say that getting to know each other has been a work in progress. Mostly from my end. Leo had already reached adulthood before I brought him home, so there was quite a bit of learning to do on my part to understand his habits and comforts. One challenge I hadn’t been expecting to face was getting Leo to eat on a somewhat-regular basis. It was affected by where his bowl was in the apartment, the type of food, and even how much food I was giving him. Things that had been easy with my previous pups were like solving math problems with Leo, and it only took a few months with his first food bowl to know that I’d eventually have to change it in some way. I just wasn’t sure how. Our biggest struggle aside from him being totally fickle about an eating schedule was making sure he was eating enough. In an effort to make establishing feeding habits a smoother process for both of us, I decided to get a little unconventional by changing his traditional elevated food bowl to a Fluff Trough.
The Fluff Trough is just what it sounds like. It’s a food bowl that’s shaped like a trough that can be used for dogs, cats, and I’d suppose any pet you can train to eat out of it. The bowl was designed for small to medium flat-faced dogs including pugs, bulldogs, and Boston terriers, but can be useful for any breed. It’s especially helpful for senior dogs or pets with mobility issues, depending on their size, because the feeder is raised 7.5 inches and would be closer to their mouths. The Fluff Trough holds two cups of food in a removable silicone insert that’s both dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Its shape helps to prevent spills from messy eaters since it’s higher in the back, which keeps food from being knocked out of it by a snout. Best of all, the bowl comes with four non-slip feet to keep it stable.
I was intrigued by the Fluff Trough’s design because I was having trouble getting Leo to eat enough food. There were even some days he wouldn’t eat at all, even though he was comfortable at home and had a vet-recommended food that he liked. It was causing him to have some stomach issues, so I wondered if presenting the food to him differently would help at all. The Fluff Trough is twice as high as his previous elevated bowl and allows me to spread his food across it rather than dumping it into a circular canister. Leo took to it immediately. I don’t measure the food, but I put enough in the Fluff Trough to be substantial so Leo can choose how much or how little he wants to have — at least up until bedtime. What he doesn’t eat, I store it overnight. I’m sure eating patterns vary by pet, but Leo eats his food right to left from the Fluff Trough, which is kind of funny, but it also helps me to see how much he’s eaten at any time of the day.
In addition to the original Fluff Trough, the brand has a slow feeder option as well as a Fluff Trough XL for larger breeds. It also comes in four colors if you want to mix or match. While the amount of food my dog eats per day is still touch and go, I couldn’t be happier with the Fluff Trough because he’s been more consistent with his eating. As a result, I get a better picture of when he’s having his good food days and his not-so-great ones. I’ll even be grabbing a second Fluff Trough soon for a water bowl. Maybe I’ll get that one in blue?
Buy: Fluff Trough, $44.99
This post originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: I Swapped My Picky Pup’s Bowl for This Unique Amazon Find and Now He Finishes Every Bite