Automatic Pet Food Feeder

Feeds Your Pet While You Are Away!

 

 

 

Introduction

The automatic pet food feeder will help pet owners feed their dogs or cats their meals in a timely fashion. The feeder controls the amount of food to dispense. If your pet normally gulps his food or eats too fast, a feeder can help slow him down. This means you will no longer be bothered by your pet during the day. As you can program the amount of food or meals to be dispensed every day.

Some of the pet feeder models will allow you to synchronize with your iPhone with the releasing of food and they are known as smart pet feeders.

Pets associate food with their owners and if you don’t want to be bothered during the day or night, an automatic feeder will come to your rescue. You can even be at work and the feeder will dispense the kibble for your pet into the bowl.

Benefits of Pet Food Feeders

We will now share some benefits these food feeders will provide.

• Schedule meals in advance. The feeders allow owners to schedule the times the food should be dispensed. Depending upon the model, you can program meals or food to be dispensed at specific times. So, you don’t have to be at home to feed your furry friend which gives you some flexibility or an evening out. You can match food dispense times with his normal eating times when you are at home, away or have company over.
• Helps in weight management. You may not know it, but 55% of pets are overweight today. If your pet is overweight, these feeders can help control his weight by portion control of the food it dispenses throughout the day. This can help him loose those excess pounds which is not good for any pet. The same is true for dogs that are underweight, you can set the feeder to dispense more food throughout the day. The bottom line here is it makes for good weight management and control of his caloric intake.
• The food is dispensed regularly. Often dogs get anxious when left alone or not being fed when you have some company over. The automatic feeder has a timing control to dispense the right amount of food regardless if you are at home, away or busy. You will be able to feed your pet at the same time every day.
• Battery-powered or electrical. Many of these dog feeders operate on battery power. Which means that the batteries can fail at any time. The benefit of using battery power is you don’t have to worry about the unit falling over or biting the cord. You will need to keep extra batteries on hand when they fail. However, some feeders operate on both battery and electrical power. If you use the electric mode, be sure that the cord is out of the way. Also, if your pet is accustomed to chewing, keep a close eye on the cord. Any exposed wire can cause a shock and injury to the pet.
• Dispense food by app. Some feeders come with an app so you can actually control the amount of food to dispense via your iPhone or Pad. Some feeders use Alexa to dispense the food. Some of these feeders have voice control where you can talk to your pet and has a high-definition camera so you can see what your pet is doing and interact with him. This will help your dog if he has some anxieties when you are away.
• Disassociates the owner with food. If you have manually fed your pet in the past, they will over time, associate their food given to them by you. What a feeder does here will disassociate you with feeding your dog. Now, you won’t be bothered during the night or any other time of the day as the feeder controls the food being dispensed with the proper portion for your dog during the day.

Why Eating Food Fast Is Bad

You may have noticed that your dog during mealtime just gulps down his food as fast as he can. This is not good because it can be an easy way for him to gain weight. The reason is they don’t recognize that they are full and always want more.

Eating too fast can also lead to a life-threatening condition known as bloat. You should be able to notice some early warning signs of bloat by: excessive breathing, lots of drooling, and vomiting. If you should see any of these signs, contact your vet immediately.

Eating too fast can also lead to choking, gagging, and not taking the time to chew the food. Some dogs can become aggressively possessive over their food which can lead to bad behavior. This can be true if you have any young children and other pets in the house.

A feeder can help control his gulping of food during the day as the feeder will dispense the portion over several hours which helps him slow down.

Reasons Why Dogs Eat Fast

There may be some reasons why your dog eats his food quickly. Here are some possible reasons:

• Some dogs learn this behavior at an early age. They could have been in a large litter so mealtime became a completion to eat as much as possible and quickly as possible.
• They could have had a medical condition like parasites, which affected the dog’s ability to absorb nutrients causing the dog to feel excessively hungry. If you notice this contact your vet.
• Irregular meal timing can cause your pet to eat fast. If you have an adopted pet the previous owner may not have fed the dog on a regular schedule. So, they eat not knowing when they will get their next meal.
• Poor nutrition can be another reason for your pet eating fast. Some foods are not well-balanced for them and may be undernourished. Be sure to feed your dog with food that is well-balanced for them.

Solutions

1. Use a special slow feeding bowl that is designed for dogs to slow down their eating pace.
2. Place a ball big enough so it is not swallowed in the middle of his feeding bowl. This will cause your pet to move it around which will slow him down as he eats.
3. Make mealtime fun by using puzzle bowls or toys to help challenge your pet during feeding time.
4. You can feed your dog in small amounts during the day, instead of using big portions.
5. Use a dog feeder to control the portion and the amount of food to dispense. You also control the time and frequency how often the feeder dispenses the food.

We provided some home solutions that are not expensive as well as using a dog feeder which can be costly. Getting a feeder will impact your budget if you have limited income.

Pros & Cons of Automatic Pet Feeders

In this section we will share the pros and cons of a pet feeder. This will help you decide if one is for you. If you dog is overweight or gulps down his food, you may need to consider the information shared below.

PROS

• Storing of food in the additional reservoir or container.
• Allows for scheduled mealtimes even when you are away.
• Allows for smaller portion meals to help pets that may be overweight.
• Large size structure helps keep food containers from tipping over.
• Some feeders allow owners to control feeding through an app on their iPhone or Tablet.
• Some models work on both electrical power and batteries. So, if the power should go out, the unit will still function and dispense meals as programmed.

CONS

• Will continue to dispense programmed meals even if there is leftover or uneaten food in the bowl.
• If you own multiple pets it is difficult to monitor which pet is eating which meal or if one is eating the other pet’s leftovers.
• The dispensing action can be noisy and may be disruptive to sensitive pets which may prevent them from eating.
• These feeders may be restricted to use only a certain size of dry kibble.
• Feeders will not function when the batteries wear down or the power is lost. This can lead to missed meals when you are away.
• Be careful of the cord as some dogs may chew on it and could cause a shock and injure them.
• The bowl sizes can be too small for large dogs and difficult to eat from.

The bottom line here is before buying an automatic feeder, check out all the features and know the good and bad of the model feeder you are considering. Go to the pet store to check it out first before committing on buying it.

Conclusion

There you have it the pros and cons of automatic pet feeders as will as some of the benefits. As with any product there are always some good and bad when using these feeders.

Now, you know what these feeders can do especially if the pet is overweight. The feeders can limit the amount of food it dispenses over the course of the day to control the amount of food your pet eats. In time, help him loose those extra pounds.

Some units allow you to record your voice so when it’s time to feed your pet, he can hear your voice. Some also have built-in cameras where you can actually interact with your pet. This is an excellent feature if your dog suffers from any anxieties.

You should know ahead of time which features you want in a feeder. Also, beware that most of the bowls these feeders use may be too small for larger dogs. Be sure to check the bowl size before committing to purchase.

If you are interested in a certain model, go to the store to check it out before buying it. This is true if you should have any questions. You can ask the clerk at the store to answer them. Or, you can contact the manufacture to answer any questions you have about the product.

Some feeders work using batteries or electric power or both. Decide on which type is best for you. If you decide on battery power models, be sure to have extra batteries on hand.

Shop Automatic Pet Feeders

You can shop for the four stars and above automatic pet feeders by clicking on the image below. You will be taken to Amazon to place the order. You can also check out the reviews and answered questions.

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