Dogs that eat too fast swallow a great deal of air along with the food, and that is where the burping, the retching ten minutes later and the raised risk of bloat come from. Putting an obstacle in the middle of the dish is the simplest fix there is. The food sits in a ring around the centre, so a mouthful has to be taken deliberately rather than a whole bowl inhaled in one go.

Construction is plain moulded plastic with a raised spoke rising from the centre, and some of the colourways have a loose ball sitting in the middle instead, which rolls as your pet eats and keeps shifting the food about. Either way the meal takes several minutes rather than several seconds. Plain plastic also means it fills quickly and rinses out without food lodging in narrow grooves, which is where more elaborate maze feeders tend to disappoint.

• Raised central spoke slows fast eaters down
• Six colourways, some with a loose ball in the centre
• Simple moulded plastic build
• Quick to fill and easy to rinse clean
• Helps reduce gulping, air swallowing and post-meal discomfort
• Encourages calmer, steadier mealtimes

Two things worth knowing. And a slow feeder is not a cure for bloat. If your dog is deep-chested and your vet has raised it with you, treat this as one measure alongside their advice, not instead of it.

Who it's for: Owners of dogs or cats who finish dinner before the bowl has touched the floor, and want mealtimes to take a sensible few minutes.