How to Slow a Dog’s Eating: Tips & Tricks
The health of the dog depends on the owner’s ability to slow the dog’s eating.
Most dogs enjoy eating. Some dogs seem to devour their meal faster than we can blink since they adore it so much! Dogs who consume food too quickly may get sick, especially if they also take in a lot of air and develop the potentially lethal illness known as bloat. Anyone who has had their dog go through this disease understands how crucial it is to train them to eat more slowly.
Some dogs consume food so quickly that their systems can’t keep up with it; the food never even reaches the point of digestion. The end consequence is food regurgitation, which happens when food is ingested and then immediately comes back out of the mouth as a result of the esophagus’ muscles contracting backward. Food was never even consumed by the stomach. In these situations, it is advised to reduce the dog’s food intake.
There are various effective methods you may use to simply get a dog or puppy to eat more slowly:
- Feed more regularly throughout the day with smaller meals. An owner or a timed automatic food dispenser can dispense the food as needed.
- The bottom of slow feeding bowls is built with upward protrusions to deter dogs from scooping up big mouthfuls of food at once. Only a limited amount of kibble can be picked up at once using these particular plates. Separating the kibble in a bigger dish, such as a cafeteria tray, or placing the food in the wells of a muffin pan, can be a strategy akin to slow eating. You can give the kibble some water to make it float, or you can put clean, substantial things in the food bowl that are too big for the dog to swallow or even put in his mouth, such tennis balls or rocks, so he has to maneuver them to get to the food.
- There are various food-dispensing toys available, and the majority of them work with the kibble you typically serve at meals. These gadgets also have the advantage of consuming some energy simultaneously. Some toys that dispense food can handle dry food, wet food, or both. Naturally, keep them clean.
- Consider getting a lick mat if your dog eats canned food. These silicone mats have ridges or nubs in a raised design. As opposed to gulping down mouthfuls at a time, your dog will have to suck the moist food out of the mat’s crevices and nooks.
- You can extend mealtime even longer by freezing a wet food-dispensing toy or lick mat.
Consult your dog’s veterinarian if you’ve tried these remedies and your dog is still vomiting or regurgitating food to rule out a more serious problem.
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