Slow feeder bowl for Mastiff cross — vet recommended

A vet actually timing your dog's eating and flagging it as a problem is about as clear a signal as you can get — under 20 seconds for a large Mastiff cross is genuinely dangerous territory. Dogs that eat that fast face a significantly elevated risk of bloat, which can be life-threatening in big breeds, as well as chronic vomiting and poor nutrient absorption. The good news is that a well-matched slow feeder can realistically halve eating speed or better. To point you to the right one: how much does your dog weigh roughly, and what are you feeding — wet food, dry kibble, or a mix?

That post-meal vomiting is your early warning sign — at 55kg he's exactly the size where bloat becomes a serious risk, so acting now is the right call. For a dog his size with dry kibble, I'd want a bowl with deep, wide ridges that he physically can't scoop around, a large enough capacity that you're not restricting his portion, and something stable enough that he can't shove it across the floor and get underneath it. One more quick question: does he eat from the floor or a raised stand, and has the vet said anything about raised feeders?

Good — floor feeding is actually fine and slightly preferable for bloat-prone breeds, so no changes needed there. My recommendation for him is the Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo-Bowl in XL. It holds enough kibble for a large dog's meal, the maze pattern of ridges is deep and irregular enough to meaningfully slow a strong-eating Mastiff cross rather than just adding minor friction, and it sits low and wide so it's stable on the floor. It's also dishwasher safe, which matters when you're washing a bowl this size daily. Most owners of large, very fast eaters report eating times going from under 30 seconds up to 3–5 minutes with this bowl — which is exactly the kind of change your vet is looking for. It's widely available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced for the size.

It's a fair concern — some very determined dogs do figure out shallow puzzle feeders over time. The XL Fun Feeder holds up well because the ridges are tall relative to a dog's muzzle width, meaning he has to work into the gaps rather than sweep across the surface. That said, if after a couple of weeks you find he's adapted and speeding up again, the next step would be a licki mat or a snuffle mat for dry kibble, which adds a completely different mechanical challenge. But for the vast majority of large-breed fast eaters, the Fun Feeder XL is sufficient long-term — and given your vet's urgency, it's the right first move.

Really glad — at his age and size, getting this sorted quickly is genuinely important. One small tip: introduce it gradually for the first few meals if he seems frustrated, and keep monitoring for vomiting. If that continues even after his eating slows down, it's worth a follow-up with your vet as there may be something else going on alongside the speed. Hope he takes to it well.