Does your dog eat every meal as if it hasn’t been fed in months? it’s quite common for our four legged friends to literally inhale their food, without one chew being taken and with none enjoyment of the flavours or textures.
There are ways in which you’ll stop your dog from eating too quickly, which can be highly beneficial for his or her health. we’ve taken a glance at what can cause a dog to eat fast, the problems it can bring and a few recommendations on the way to slow them down.
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Why Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast?
- Is there an underlying condition? — It are often easy to assume that our dogs are simply greedy and need to eat the maximum amount as they will within the shortest time possible. There could also be a component of truth during this for a few cases, but there’s often an underlying reason on why your dog may eat so quickly. Some medical conditions, like Cushings disease, can increase the appetite greatly, caused by a drag with the hormones. If your dog is already having treatment for an illness, it might be caused by the medication that they’re on. Internal parasites also can be liable for an increased hunger and an unnatural eating pace. If you think any of those to be a problem for your dog, you ought to seek help from your vet.
- Are they competing with other dogs? — Fast eating can often be right down to competition with other dogs within the household, or from a home that they were previously in. Your dog may feel that it must wolf its meal to stop another from coming to steel it, or if they’re all fed from an equivalent bowl at an equivalent time, that they have to require the maximum amount as possible before other dogs eat quite their share.
- Is it in their genes? — The act of eating quickly also can be right down to your dogs ancestry, back when animals had to defend themselves. If they didn’t eat quickly, they ran the danger of not eating in the least , therefore the natural instinct has stayed within generations of dogs who find it perfectly normal to eat the maximum amount as they will within the shortest amount of your time .
Dangers Of Eating Too Fast For Dogs
- Choking hazard — If your dog eats too quickly at every meal it can cause many problems and in some cases are often very dangerous. it’s unlikely that your dog are going to be chewing each mouthful, which suggests they’re in danger of choking, which in fact might be fatal if you’re unable to clear the airway. Eating abnormally fast also can cause your dog to vomit , meaning they’re going to be hungry again soon then begins a vicious circle .
- Painful digestion — If not chewed thoroughly, food can find it hard to travel down the alimentary canal , becoming lodged and causing great discomfort. Bloating also can be caused by eating too quickly, with the act of sucking in an excessive amount of air along side the food. this will be very painful and cause long-term issues if allowed to continue. It can cause your dog affected by terrible wind, which can be unpleasant for both them and you.
- It can harm oral health — Eating without chewing also can have an unfortunate impact on the oral health of your dog. the straightforward act of chewing food like kibble often helps to stop the build-up of plaque and tartar, keeping the teeth healthy and therefore the jaw strong. Without this, your dog can suffer from toothache and gum disease, resulting in a painful mouth and a few very expensive vet bills.
How You Can Stop Your Dog From Eating Too Fast
- Supervision is vital — It is important to supervise your dog if they’re repeatedly eating too quickly. Monitoring them can often offer you clues on why they’re speed feeding, like noticing that another dog is moving closer to their bowl in an effort to steal food. it’ll also allow you to intervene if they’re struggling to swallow properly in their frenzied state, supplying you with a chance to get rid of their bowl and replace it once they have calmed down. Also separate dogs who seem to distract one another or who cause competition for food. it’s often best to offer them space in order that they will decide their own speed and have time to chew properly.
- Reduce your dogs food — You could attempt to reduce the quantity of food that you simply give your dog during a single feeding. This might allow them to start out savouring it a touch more and teach them to not panic that it all has got to be eaten immediately .
- Try a slow feeder bowl — An excellent way of preventing your dog from eating too quickly is to feed them from a slow feeder bowl. this will help to encourage better eating habits over time, forcing your dog to erode a more natural pace, without gulping extra air. Slow feeder bowls (also referred to as slow release or anti-gulping bowls) are made with food safe materials and are designed with a mixture of creative and interactive shapes which will make mealtimes more engaging as they slowly work their way round the edges to end their meal.
