My dog inhales her food

[lifesavacation]

My dog eats her food in under 30 seconds. She inhales it like she's never seen food before! She's an appropriate weight and even a pound or so over according to her vet. I bought a slow feeder bowl, but she won't use it and walks away. Is this when I think if she's hungry enough she'll eat? Or should I try and replace the bowl and get a slow feeder that's a bit easier? Part of it, I think, is her collar tag hits the bowl and I know she doesn't like that, but even when I took that off, she lost interest.

 

[Kitty 34]

My son has to use the "slow" bowl with one of his dogs. Works fine. I look at it this way.....she eventually will eat out of it if that is all you offer. But then I am a cat person so I'm not an expert.

 

[Imzadi]

I'd stick with it for the time being. She's not used to having to work to get the food. You haven't also changed the food she's used to, have you? If so, it could be she doesn't like the food either.

Also, maybe try one of the slow feeder toys and see if she will eat what comes out of it.. This was given out at the American Kennel Club dog expo here a few years ago. I gave the Kongs to my sister to give to her dogs.

https://www.amazon.com/KONG-PW1-Wobbler-Large/dp/B003ALMW0M/

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Is there something you’re concerned about with her eating too fast?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Is there something you’re concerned about with her eating too fast?

A dog has a higher change of developing bloat, which is life threatening if not treated ASAP, if they eat too fast. Certain breeds are also more likely to get bloat.

 

[lifesavacation]

Is there something you’re concerned about with her eating too fast?

She gets herself so worked up that she starts reverse sneezing and choking.

 

[lifesavacation]

I'd stick with it for the time being. She's not used to having to work to get the food. You haven't also changed the food she's used to, have you? If so, it could be she doesn't like the food either.

Also, maybe try one of the slow feeder toys and see if she will eat what comes out of it.. This was given out at the American Kennel Club dog expo here a few years ago. I gave the Kongs to my sister to give to her dogs.

https://www.amazon.com/KONG-PW1-Wobbler-Large/dp/B003ALMW0M/

She absolutely loves her food. That's part of the problem, maybe. I switched her food due to allergies a few months back. I've been able to stop her expensive allergy shots and I love that she loves her food so much. I just wish she'd slow down.

 

[PAsFab5]

Are you a single dog household?

If so I would leave the slow feeder bowl out-she will eat when she gets hungry.

If your a multiple dog household I would feed her with the slow feeder bowl in her crate or a separate room, if she doesn’t use a crate, to allow her time to eat at her own pace without the possibility of resource guarding issues.

I have to say-we are a foster family and I have had over 50 dogs in and out of our home-I have never had a fast eater NOT eat out of a slow feeder bowl! They always just gulp it down as fast as possible out of the slow feeder

 

[lifesavacation]

Are you a single dog household?

If so I would leave the slow feeder bowl out-she will eat when she gets hungry.

If your a multiple dog household I would feed her with the slow feeder bowl in her crate or a separate room, if she doesn’t use a crate, to allow her time to eat at her own pace without the possibility of resource guarding issues.

I have to say-we are a foster family and I have had over 50 dogs in and out of our home-I have never had a fast eater NOT eat out of a slow feeder bowl! They always just gulp it down as fast as possible out of the slow feeder

Yes, only 1 dog. Love her to death, but maybe she's not smart enough

 

[Moliphino]

I have the opposite problem. It's so hard to get my dogs to eat their food at all these days. Leota has been this way for years (we joke that she's a breatharian) and now the puppy is getting picky, too. I make them scrambled eggs on Sundays and half the time Leota even snubs that for hours.

 

[mjkacmom]

My dog eats crazy fast (just kibble) twice a day. Dinner is at 5, she starts crying around 4. She’s 12 and has a few extra pounds. She’s always just loved food (got her as a rescue when she was 3 month old). Back in the day I’d add no salt green beans to her bowl, but it didn’t slow her at all (people are pretty amazed watching her eat). She gets small treats, fruit and vegetables during the day, cleans everyone’s (paper) plates.

 

[unrequited23]

We had this issue with our first dog. We would split her evening meal into two portions, one put into a feeder toy called a buster cube, the other portion would be mixed with some warm broth or peanut butter and stuffed into a kong. This would stretch her meal from under 2 minutes to about 30 minutes.

Our current dog is a grazer at breakfast, but usually will eat his evening meal by the time I'm done cooking ours.

 

[PAsFab5]

Yes, only 1 dog. Love her to death, but maybe she's not smart enough

Hahahaha-I have one of those. I adore her but she’s not the brightest still my precious baby though!

If I were you I would let the slow feeder out with the food and let her pick at it at her own pace. This may have solved your problem entirely with her eating too fast!

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Our dog always scarfed her food down too. My sister-in-law is a vet and she told us there’s nothing wrong with it. Some dogs eat fast, some like to nibble through the day. Don’t give them more food though cause you think they are starving or something. Our 40lb Springer Spaniel got 1 cup of food in the morning and 1 cup at dinner and that was it other then the occasional dog bones.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Our late girl was a rescue dog, found on a farm half-starved. The entire time we had her she would wolf (no pun intended) down her food, we think because of her early experience. She was highly food-motivated. She was the star pupil in training classes, we think largely because treats were involved.

 

[tzolkin]

Love her to death, but maybe she's not smart enough

Is this like a puzzle feeder with compartments that's challenging or just one of the slow feeder bowls where they have to work a little harder to get all the food?

My current dog is very smart, but she also absolutely will not touch anything that she thinks she might not be "allowed" to. We even have to tell her "okay" in a certain tone of voice before she will eat her food out of her regular bowl. If not, she will just sit there waiting.

She absolutely loves the slow feeder ball that she has (pieces of food fall out as she rolls it around). But, with some of the puzzles, she won't eat all the food unless we are sitting with her because I think she believes she's not "allowed" to take it completely apart.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I have a dog that won't eat. Yesterday she ate her food finally that was sitting there from the night before but not without a look of disgust over the fact that I yet again gave her DOG food.....

 

[DisneyOma]

We add water to the dry kibble to make it harder to get out of the bowl.

 

[LSUmiss]

Yes, only 1 dog. Love her to death, but maybe she's not smart enough

What kind of dog?

 

[LSUmiss]

Our dog always scarfed her food down too. My sister-in-law is a vet and she told us there’s nothing wrong with it. Some dogs eat fast, some like to nibble through the day. Don’t give them more food though cause you think they are starving or something. Our 40lb Springer Spaniel got 1 cup of food in the morning and 1 cup at dinner and that was it other than the occasional dog bones.

For some breeds, it can be deadly.
Danes esp, Goldens, labs, etc. It’s most large & deep chested breeds.