Technology has given us a lot of helpful products to aid us in caring for our canine companions. The pet industry has given us everything from trackers to assist us in finding lost dogs to cameras that allow us to watch our dogs around the clock. We also have the ability to feed our pets on a precise schedule thanks to advancements in technology. The PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser is just one of the options available to help with this task.
There are many different models of automatic dog feeders available, and you'll have to decide which is best to meet your needs. Choosing a feeder depends on:
- your dog's size;
- the amount of food he eats for every serving;
- the type of food that you feed him;
- and how many times he eats each day.
There are a few other things you'll need to consider when choosing the right feeder for your pet. The feeder that you pick will need to hold enough food to feed your dog for multiple days. The whole point of a feeder is so that you don't have to fill your dog's bowl at every meal, right? So why would you want a feeder that needs to be refilled every day?
You'll also need to find a feeder that is easy to operate. Some people are more tech savvy than others. If you're not particularly skilled with technological devices, you may just want to choose a simple feeder that you set manually using buttons on the device.
If you prefer, you can find a feeder that works via the WiFi in your home and pairs with an app that you can use to program the feeder when you're away from home. These types of feeders are often equipped with cameras that allow you to record videos and take pictures of your dog, which is a huge draw for many pet parents.
I've had the opportunity to use the PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser with my dogs for the past few months. Like any product, there are benefits and drawbacks to this product. Keep reading to find out what my opinion of this feeder and whether I would recommend it to other dog owners.
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PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser Review
While the PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser won't fit into everyone's budget, it is one of the only feeders available that is suitable for large and extra large dogs. Many similar products are geared toward small and medium breeds, but this product will work for any size dog – from a Shih Tzu to a Saint Bernard.
Not only does it hold more than 10 pounds of food (50+ cups), the bowl is large enough for a dog with a wide head. While some other feeders may hold enough food to feed a large dog for one or two days, this one can hold enough to feed even the biggest dog for almost a week!
Not to mention, most similar product do not offer a bowl that is easily accessible for dogs with a large, wide muzzle.
As you can see in my video review above, you can also connect this feeder to your home's WiFi. It enables you to see a live stream video of your pet while he eats, record a message that will play for him while you're away and hear any noise that he's making.
The only trouble with this is that you need to plug the PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser into your modem initially in order to get it set up on WiFi. This isn't a deal breaker, but it would be much more convenient if it connected automatically like some similar products available on the market.
The other drawback to this is that you have to reconnect it to your modem every time you unplug it or the power goes out. If you have the option to leave it hardwired to the modem at all times or your modem is close enough to the feeder, this may not be an issue for you.
My modem is downstairs in my office, and I feed my dogs upstairs in the kitchen. Lugging the feeder downstairs every time I need to reconnect it to the WiFi is really a pain.
This feeder connects to your smartphone via a free app that is available for Android and iOS devices. While using the app, you can see a video of your pet, listen to what's going on in your home, talk to your dog and take snapshots that you can share on social media.
The PeTreat PetPal Automatic Pet Food Dispenser allows you to set up to 5 different feeding times per day. As you'll see in my video review above, you can also feed your dog manually by the simple press of a button on the top of the feeder.
This feeder offers some unique features as well that you won't find on all other similar products. For example, the camera is equipped with night vision, so you can see your Fido in the dark.
The non-jamming technology that is featured in this product is patent pending, and it works very well! I've been using this feeder for months, and it has not jammed once. This is a really important feature if you want to ensure that your dog is fed on time every time.
The biggest drawback to this feeder is the price. You can purchase it on Amazon for about $329. That's a lot of money for an automatic dog feeder and certainly won't fit into everyone's budget. As I said, it's nearly impossible to find a feeder that holds as much as this one, and it's made with quality materials like stainless steel.
It does offer some unique features, and the patent pending non-jamming technology is a huge benefit. However, I would have a hard time spending more than $300 on an automatic dog feeder, and I'm sure most pet owners feel the same way.
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