Slow feeder for Coton de Tulear with loose stools

Chronic loose stools paired with fast eating is a really common but underappreciated problem — when dogs gulp food quickly they swallow a lot of air, which disrupts digestion and can cause everything from gas and bloating to consistently soft or loose stools. Dogs that eat too fast are also at higher risk of bloat, which in larger breeds can be life-threatening, though even small dogs suffer real digestive consequences. A well-chosen slow feeder can genuinely halve eating speed and make a noticeable difference to gut health within days. To point you to the right one: what breed and size is your dog, how fast are they eating, and have you noticed any other symptoms alongside the loose stools?

That makes a lot of sense — Cotons are small but they can be surprisingly competitive eaters, and at 5kg she really doesn't need to be swallowing that much air with every meal. The good news is this is very fixable. Can I ask: is she eating dry kibble, wet food, or a mix? And does she eat from a standard flat bowl at the moment?

Perfect — dry kibble works brilliantly with a maze-style slow feeder, which is exactly what I'd recommend here. For a 5kg dog with an active digestive issue, I'd go with the Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo-Bowl in the small size. It has a series of ridges and channels that force her to work around the kibble rather than scoop it up in one go — most dogs go from under a minute to four or five minutes, which dramatically reduces air swallowing. It's BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and the small size is well-proportioned for a Coton. It's widely available on Amazon UK for around £10–12 and has a strong track record with small breeds specifically. Given her history of loose stools, I'd also suggest feeding her two smaller meals a day rather than one if you aren't already — the slow feeder plus smaller portions together tend to resolve this kind of air-swallowing digestive issue faster than either change alone.

Most owners notice firmer stools within five to ten days once the air swallowing is properly reduced — the gut settles down fairly quickly once the root cause is removed. If after two weeks you're still seeing loose stools despite her eating more slowly, it's worth going back to the vet to rule out anything else, but in cases like your Coton's where fast eating is the identified trigger, the slow feeder alone usually does the job. Start her on it from the very first meal — there's no need to transition gradually.

That's the right call. The small size is the one to get — the mini version can be a bit too shallow for some kibble shapes, so stick with small. You should notice her slowing down from day one, and hopefully her stomach will follow within the week. Hope she's feeling much more settled soon.