PetSafe Smart Feed 2nd Gen Review: Does Slow Feed Stop a Gulping Dog?

A dog that gulps its dinner in eight seconds is a common problem, and an automatic feeder with a "Slow Feed" setting sounds like a neat answer. We went through what PetSafe says the setting does, and what owners and reviewers say about it, before putting a number on how much it helps. The short version: it helps in one particular way, and not the way the name suggests.

What Slow Feed actually does

PetSafe's support page describes it plainly. Slow Feed slows the rate at which the feeder's conveyor moves food into the bowl. The feeder divides the meal up and lets the conveyor dispense it over a 15-minute period.

Two limits follow from that wording. The smallest dispensed amount is 1/8 cup, and PetSafe says Slow Feed cannot break a 1/8 cup meal into smaller portions. A small dog on a single 1/8 cup serving gets no benefit at all. And the mode changes how fast food arrives, not how fast your dog eats it. A dog that swallows each portion whole as it lands will still gulp. It just gulps several smaller piles.

That is still useful. Bigger meals arriving in stages mean fewer minutes of a stomach packed with kibble, which is what makes some dogs bring dinner back up. Independent reviewers describe the mode as helping pets that eat too fast and get sick. But for a dog that really inhales food, a bowl with ridges or a puzzle feeder attacks the habit directly, and costs a fraction of $134.99.

One owner complaint we came across says the mode delivered two or three portions' worth over 15 minutes. We could not confirm it, and PetSafe's wording says nothing like that. Test it yourself the first week: weigh what comes out of a 1-cup meal in Slow Feed against a normal feed.

The plain feeder underneath

Set Slow Feed aside and this is a competent scheduled feeder. The hopper holds 24 cups, the feeder runs up to 12 meals a day, and each meal can be anywhere from 1/8 to 4 cups. It takes dry and semi-moist food. The unit is 20.3 by 9.4 by 12.6 inches, which is big, so plan a spot for it.

Power is better thought through than most. An AC adaptor is included, and the feeder also takes four D-cell alkaline batteries as backup, which are not included. A tester said the backup batteries kept pets from missing a meal during a power outage. For a pet that eats on a schedule, that matters more than any app feature.

The stainless steel bowl, bowl holder, lid and hopper are dishwasher safe, and low and empty food sensors send phone notifications. A "Feed Now" button works from the device or the app.

Where it goes wrong

The feeder needs a 2.4 GHz network, with iOS 12 or Android 9 or later. A tester described the app as functional but at times slow to connect, with occasional notification delays. Alexa support exists, if you care for voice commands.

Jams are the recurring complaint. An independent review says certain kibble sizes can cause minor jams, and a customer says a mixed-size brand was hard for the machine to dispense. Oddly shaped pieces are the risk. If your dog eats a large, flat or irregular kibble, this is not the feeder for it.

PetSafe's own troubleshooting list for wrong portions is a fair map of the weak spots. It tells you to keep the hopper from running low, to prime the feeder with Feed Now after refilling, and to clean debris out of the conveyor, which can also be misaligned. That is routine upkeep, and it means you cannot refill and forget it for a month.

Noise is the last item. Owners report the mechanism and the metal bowl are loud enough to wake a light sleeper on the same floor. One review noted that some units failed after about a year, so keep the 45-day guarantee in mind and register the purchase.

Who should buy it

Buy it for a household with fixed meal times, a dog or cat that bolts food a little, and a place to put a large machine. The 24-cup hopper, the battery backup and the dishwasher-safe parts are practical, and Slow Feed gives you a mild improvement.

Skip it if your dog is a true gulper (try a slow-feed bowl first), if you feed a big or odd-shaped kibble, or if the feeder must live in a bedroom. We rate it a 6.8: a solid feeder, and a slightly oversold feature.