West Paw Zogoflex Toppl Tough Treat Dispensing Dog Chew Toy, Tangerine, Large

I cook a large batch of tasty, protein rich “stinky paste” for my dogs once a month. The basic ingredients are roasted, deboned, skinned chicken, raw white fish (usually flounder or tilapia), steamed carrots, rolled oats, and raw shelled eggs (from my own pasture raised chickens). I purée the ingredients and freeze three cup portions in individual Rubbermaid containers. I thaw one per week in the fridge, and mix at a ratio of 1/4 paste to 3/4 kibble. I scoop portions into large Toppls, and freeze them overnight. This is by far the favorite enrichment for all five of my dogs! They prefer this special meal to any bully stick or other food offering. It takes my Swedish Vallhunds over an hour to eat their meal, usually on a Sunday morning, and they are happy for days afterwards! I wash the Topples in the top rack of my dishwasher after they are empty, and they come out looking brand new. I took three frozen Toppls to a relative’s house while visiting with Celine, my show puppy, and she enjoyed one every evening for dinner after showing.

A full Toppl will last my pup 10-15 minutes at most. The large can easily fit half a can of food or half a pound of raw. You can heap on 3/4 of a pound if you don’t mind a mound on top. The small holds maybe a few heaping spoonfuls and doesn’t click into the large one very securely. These don’t hold up as well as the Kong classic (see the torn up rubber in the pic) and are easier to empty. This would be a good alternative to more difficult feeders for dogs new to working for their food or ones that give up easily. The Toppl is however much easier/faster to fill and clean for daily use. When my pup’s calories got cut when he was on activity restriction, freezing some canned food in the Toppl to give at the end of each meal kept him from begging for more. Those extra few minutes were enough buffer for him to realize he did indeed have food in his stomach!