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Is Your Dog Eating Too Fast?
We all love our dogs. We can’t resist every time we get home and they suddenly pounce out of nowhere because they’re too excited to see us. Dogs are like a part of a family now that we sometimes treat as our sons and daughter. If you’re a dog owner, you are probably aware of your dog’s fast eating habits which is what we are going to tackle about in this article.
Different dogs have different personalities especially when it comes to eating. There are some that like to take their time as if they’re at a fine dining restaurant, and there are others that like to devour their food like there’s no tomorrow. The next thing you’ll see is that the food is gone in just a blink of an eye within seconds. Dogs like to eat food a lot. However, dogs that tend to eat fast is at risk of some serious problems such as choking, gagging, and vomiting. And this is the number one thing that most dog owners worry about.
Another issue is that when dogs eat too fast, they are at a high chance of getting bloated. This is when the stomach or intestines expand and may twist within the abdomen. Dogs who eat too fast swallow an excessive amount of air along with their food and this is the main reason why bloating occurs. And also, when dogs don’t chew their food properly, they will have a case of bad breath.
There is also a condition called “food bloat” where dogs ate huge amounts of food and are digested at a slow pace which causes bloating. If you noticed that bloating happens more often with your dog, then a trip to the veterinarian office is your best bet. However, you can cast your fears away because there are several ways that you can do to prevent your dogs from eating too fast. Let’s discuss some of these methods down below.
Tips to Slow Down Fast-Eating Dogs
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Separate Food Bowls: If you have lots of dogs in your home, it’s like a contest for them especially when it’s eating time. They will think that their fellow partners will outrun them who will chow down the most food first. That’s why they eat fast to get ahead of the competition. A solution to this is to prepare separate bowls of food for each dog. This way, they will get their peace of mind knowing that all of them have an equal share of food for each one of them. And also, having separate food bowls enables you to control their food portions which we are going to tackle later.
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Large Food Bowls: Another way to slow down your dog’s eating pace is to use large food bowls. By using such, you can spread the food in the entire bowl making your dog’s chow slower than before. Having small food bowls lets them devour the entire food in just a single bite within seconds. So if you’re still using small food bowls, have a trip to your local pet store and buy some large food bowls. They come at very affordable prices so there’s no reason that you can’t buy one. There are also what we called “slow feeder bowls” that are specially designed with dogs in mind which we are going to talk about at the end of this article.
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Hand Feeding: This method lets you gain control of the amount of food you give to your dogs. And also, a lot of dogs love to be hand fed. This is because it gives them a connection between themselves and their owner. You can incorporate hand feeding in several ways. Such example is when they have done something good for the day, you can reward them by hand feeding tasty doggy treats. This will make mealtime more enjoyable for your dogs and lets them discipline themselves about eating excessive amounts of food.
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Three Times a Day Meals: Some owners only feed their dogs once a day. That’s why they eat too fast because of the feeling of being hungry. To solve that problem, incorporate a three times a day meal plan just like what we do. When you feed your dog multiple times a day, the more they will feel satiated and full, making them eat at a slower pace. Keep in mind that you have to fill their bowls with the right amount of food at every meal so they will not overeat.
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Portion Control: This method goes well with the three times a day meal method above. Portion control is the key to let your Dogs eat slowly. If you used to fill the bowl up to its brim, try to fill the bowl at half only since you’re going to feed them again for later anyway. When your Dogs see that their bowl is not overloaded with food, they will try to eat slowly to savor the food before the bowl gets empty.
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Using Slow Feeder Bowls: Slow feeder bowls are designed to keep your dog’s eating habits at a slow and steady pace. These food bowls look different than your regular food bowl. They come in various designs that are lovely to look at which also serves with a purpose. These slow feeder bowls trains your dog how to eat slowly and are found to be the most efficient way of disciplining them too. You can get these slow feeder bowls at numerous online shops and they come at reasonable prices that won’t put a dent in your wallet.
Final Thoughts
We can’t deny that dogs love food as much as we do. So there you have it! As long as you follow these simple methods listed above, you can say goodbye to your dog’s fast eating habits. We love our dogs, and making them eat at a slow pace is essential for their health. Not to mention, Finding one from PetClever can also help you save you a few bucks from a regular veterinarian visit as well.
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