Slow feeder bowls for senior small dogs

A 14-year-old Yorkie who still bolts food is actually a common combination — the urge to eat fast doesn't go away with age, but the jaw strength and dentition often do, which rules out a lot of standard slow feeders with deep ridges or tight maze patterns. Dogs that eat too fast are at real risk of bloat, vomiting, and digestive discomfort, and that risk doesn't decrease as they get older — if anything, a senior dog's gut is less forgiving. A well-matched slow feeder can genuinely cut eating speed in half. Can you tell me a bit more: is your Yorkie on wet food, dry kibble, or a mix? And have you noticed any specific jaw or dental issues — missing teeth, reluctance to chew, that sort of thing?

That post-meal discomfort is worth taking seriously — it's often a sign the gut is having to work harder than it should because food arrived too quickly. The good news is that wet food actually opens up some gentler options that work really well for older dogs. Given her missing teeth and reduced jaw strength, you want something completely flat or very shallow — nothing with raised pegs or narrow channels she'd have to push into. What I'd steer you towards is the LickiMat Splash. It's a flat, flexible silicone mat with a subtle textured surface — not ridges or walls, just enough pattern to slow her down without any physical effort to navigate. She licks across it rather than scooping, which naturally extends mealtimes. It's dishwasher safe and soft enough that there's no hard edge contact with her gums. Does she eat from a raised bowl or off the floor at the moment?

For a small dog like a Yorkie, floor level is generally fine — raised bowls are more relevant for large and giant breeds where they can actually reduce gulping. For a senior Yorkie, keeping it low and stable is the right call. The LickiMat Splash will sit flat on the floor without sliding if you put it on a non-slip mat or a damp tea towel underneath. One practical tip: spread her wet food across the full surface in a thin layer rather than piling it in the middle — that gets you the most benefit from the texture and really draws out the eating time. At 14, the slower and calmer the mealtime, the better for her digestion. The LickiMat Splash is available on Amazon UK, usually under £10, and there's a slightly larger version called the LickiMat Buddy if you'd prefer more surface area.

Yes, genuinely. With wet food spread thinly on a LickiMat, most dogs go from inhaling a meal in 30 seconds to taking three or four minutes — sometimes more if you make the layer quite thin. For a small dog that's a very significant change. The licking motion itself also has a mild calming effect, which is a nice bonus for an older dog. If the post-meal discomfort was being caused by speed, you should notice an improvement within the first few meals.