By Daniela Caride Publisher

"Oh man, I hate this ball!" (Daniela Caride photo of Geppetto)

Geppetto could easily win the Guinness world record for the fastest-eating dog ever. Sometimes he eats so fast he throws up his food.

And there are only reasons to be worried about a dog eating so fast. Gulping the food may increase the chances of bloat, a very serious condition and one of the leading causes of death in dogs.

So, my routine at home was to block Geppetto’s dish with my hand two or three times while he eats. He, of course, didn’t like my barricade one bit, so he nudged my hand, which sank in his food and got all dirty every time he ate.

I thought soggy hands would be my fate for the remaining of our lives together, and I gladly accepted it, since I would make any sacrifices to protect Geppetto. But two weeks ago I found out I had an option. I saw the Omega Paw Portion Pacer at PetSmart and decided Geppetto should give it a try.

The Portion Pacer is a heavy ball that you put inside your dog’s food bowl. It comes in two sizes (small and large) and in two materials (stainless steel and porcelain). It is dishwasher safe and very easy to clean. I recommend the stainless steel. If your dog grabs the porcelain ball and drops it, it will shatter. That’s what happened to our first Portion Pacer.

Without the ball, Geppetto used to gulp down a dish full of kibble, wet food and baby carrots in 40 seconds. With the ball, his meals last 2:40 minutes – four times longer. He has to move the ball inside the plate to get it out of the way so he can eat his food.

I thought it to be impossible, but I found the only ball in the world Geppetto hates.

Well, too bad for him. I love it.

Diameter: 2.8 or 3.5 inches
Price: $9.99 or $14.99 + shipping at PetSmart
$9.99 or $14.99 + shipping at Amazon.com (free shipping for Amazon Prime clients)

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