Here’s What To Do If Your Dog Eats Too Fast – Best Ways to Slow Down Fast Eaters
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Does your dog eats too fast and act like he has not eaten in days? If so, there are many things you can do to prevent this. The first step is to be aware of this because, there are actually many risks that can occur if your dog eats to fast.
Now many dogs take their time eating, my Jack was just like this. He never really was obsessed with food. He would leave his food in his bowl and graze at it when he was hungry or before we would go out. Others will want to finish their dish as quickly as they can. There are many causes for a dog to eat so quickly, including sickness, intestinal parasites, and an intrinsic competitive drive. These are the same dogs that will eat their food as soon as it touches the ground.
Now don’t worry if you have no idea how to get your dog to stop eating so fast, because in this article we will break down exactly how to get your dog to eat slower. If you’re looking for more dog info related articles, make sure to check out our info hub.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Problems Associated When Your Dog Eats Too Fast
Digestion Problems
Dogs that eat too fasts can suffer from digestive problems, such as choking, gagging, vomiting or regurgitating. Although most of these problems resolve on their own, some can be serious like choking, especially if you are not present in the same room as your dog..
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV)
When dogs eat too fast, the likelihood of bloat, or GDV, a life-threatening condition requiring rapid medical attention, can occur.
Big dog breeds such as Great Danes, Labs, Goldens, German Shepard’s, and many other big dog breeds should always be monitored while eating.
A Few More Issues That Are Important
- Dogs who consume their food too quickly that they hardly chew it will not receive the full nutritional benefits of a healthy meal. For example, they will not be getting the benefits for there oral health (teeth) by simply not using there teeth when they eat.
- food that is eaten too quickly has a lower digitation rate. If your dog has a tendency to eat too quickly, it is crucial that you choose a high-quality, highly digestible food to help battle this.
4 Reasons Why Your Dogs Eat Fast
Habit
Dogs have evolved from being part of the wolves family tree. They are now considered domestic pets. However, they still exhibit some traits from there wolf days.
Your dog might eat anything in sight out of pure instinct. If that cracker hits the floor, they might be right there to gobble it up. Think about it creatures in the wild consume their prey as soon as they can, and your dog is just going off there instinct. If they don’t, other animals may take there food and they run the risk of being hungry until the next hunt.
Animals in the wild are accustomed to swallowing their food quickly in order to survive. Your dog eats quickly because of this trait.
Feels Threatened By Other Animals
Do you live with other dogs, cats or animals? Some dogs, usually smaller breeds, may feel compelled to eat fast before others see or smell it.
Some dogs have this instinct ingrained in them (see above.) Even if there is enough food for everyone and each dog / cat gets its own bowl, some dogs don’t feel comfortable eating slowly in the presence of these other pets or animals.
If it’s possible, try feeding your dog away from the other animals if they feel threatened, nervous or worried by them.
The less threatened the dog feels around food, the less likely it is that it will feel the urge to scarf it down.
Infection or Chronic Disease
Dogs frequently contract parasites such heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and ringworms.
Worms can be acquired by your dog from soil like mulch, food, tainted water, and even from licking there own fur. After being consumed, the larvae stick to the gut walls and develop into adult worms.
Your dog’s appetite will vary as a result of these worm infection. Your dog might not eat much at all, or your dog might be super hungry and may not stop eating.
Your dog may still lose weight daily despite eating like a mad man because of this parasite illness. You should contact your vet if this may be occurring with your dog.
Aside from a parasite infection, another cause of your dog’s excessive eating may be a condition like diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease, or any other illness that could result in an increase in hunger.
Diabetes and these syndromes are highly serious conditions for which you should consult your veterinarian for medical advice. If you don’t start treating your dog right away, your dog may be in danger.
5 Tips to Slow Down a Dog Who’s Eating Too Fast
Using Special Food Bowls
Slow feeder bowls and food puzzle bowls have been a new industry that was created to help slow down these fast eaters. There are special bowls and there are also inserts that can be inserted within a your own dog bowl. These force your dog to eat slower as the food is usually separated and it makes your dog work for the food.
While the majority of these items are best used with kibble, some are suitable for diets that include canned or raw foods. Some bowls are designed for tiny breeds while others are suited for any size.
Our Recommendation:
Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo Bowl
- Promotes slow, healthy eating.
- Helps prevent bloat, regurgitation & canine obesity.
- Features non-slip base to hold bowl in place that is dishwasher safe.
- Made with high-quality, food-safe material, BPA, PVC & phthalate free.
Dog Feeder Slow Eating Pet Bowl
This slow feeder bowl is carefully designed to slow down feeding that encourages a slower pace preventing indigestion, vomiting and bloating. Help your dog eat slower with a maze in a bowl to force them to slow down.
These puzzle feeder perform essentially the same function as a slow feeder. However, puzzle feeders can provide a little more interest to dinner time.
Food puzzles serve as both feeding utensils and toys. They have little compartments where you can put the food, and you can let your dog investigate each one.
It’s possible that puzzle feeders will be a little messier than usual. However, these toys can reduce choking risks, thus their advantages exceed their drawbacks.
Hand Feeding
You can hand feed your dog over the course of several minutes, which is time-consuming but beneficial for bonding, training, and slowing down the speed eater.
Multiple Small Meals
Consider feeding your dog more frequently than just once or twice a day. Add a few more meals throughout the day so you’re feeding your dog 4-5 times a day (with smaller meals – so the food amount is still the same.) Even though your dog might still eat quickly, you reduce the chance of bloat.
Spread the Kibble Out On a Cooking Sheet
Your dog won’t take gulp-sized bites since the dog food will slide around and will be all spread out. All of your dog’s kibble should be placed on a baking sheet that has been placed on the ground in a single layer. Your dog will only be able to grab a small amount of kibble with each bite as it will have to push the pieces away with its nose while it eats.
On a yoga mat, you might alternatively create a food trail. Your dog will enjoy searching for the next morsel of food.
Hide Dog Food In A Mat
Mats force your dog to hunt and look for the food. The food for your dog can be concealed on long felt strips that are attached to a rubber mat in a mat. Push the kibble towards the direction of the rubber at the bottom of the mat after spreading it out all over. Your dog won’t be able to take big gulps; instead, they will search to find and eat every piece.
Dog Eating to Fast FAQ
What happens if a dog eats too fast?
Unfortunately, our dogs might become pretty sick from eating so quickly. First, they run the risk of choking, which is obviously fatal. Vomiting and pain are frequently brought on by those who gag on their food. Second, consuming food quickly raises the danger of bloat, a hazardous medical condition.
Why does my dog eat so fast and so much?
Simply because they have a wolf like traits, most dogs tend to carry a competitive mentality. This ensures that other dogs won’t eat too much of it when they get the chance to take it and that they have a better chance of surviving the longer they consume the meal.
Can dogs eat kibble without chewing?
Most dogs simply consume their food without chewing it. Given that dogs eat quickly, this behavior is not unusual. Dogs do not enjoy their meals as much as humans do. A dog’s natural impulse is to eat without even tasting the food.
Conclusion
Try splitting your dogs food up into more meals and use a special dog feeding bowl. By doing these two things, your dog will be forced to eat slower and even if they still manage to eat fast, they will only be consuming a small portion.
It is also important to try all of these things listed, some may work better than others. Start slow, and make progress. Remember to stay patient and reward the good behavior your dog performs.
We hope our guide has given you a straightforward path to making sure your dog eats slower.
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