Is your furry friend devouring that bowl of food too quickly? This guzzling is not good for them, and is potentially dangerous.
By eating too fast, the food is not chewed correctly and could cause choking, gagging and vomiting; it also causes a lot of air to be swallowed which can lead to complications like gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV) also known as bloat, which is a potentially serious condition. When the stomach expands quickly with gas, too much food or fluid it leads to pressure being put on other organs which could minimise the blood flow and cause breathing difficulties and possibly cause the stomach to twist preventing gasses from escaping.
Let’s look at what we can do to help our doggo’s improve their ‘table manners’.
We don’t want the reason for this gluttonous behaviour to be the result of a poor diet. So the first important thing we must look at is what we are feeding them. Make sure that a nutritional and well balanced meal plan is in place.
Is there a regular de-worming routine in place? Intestinal Parasites deprive our pets of all the nutrients contained in their food, which could lead to increased hunger.
Are there any underlying medical conditions that may be in play? Could the ravenous appetite be related to diabetes?
Meals are best served routinely twice a day; when our dogs feel secure that they will receive consistent meals they perhaps won’t feel the need to wolf down everything quite so quickly.
Ensure that there is no competition for the food; especially if you have pups around. Let the doggo’s have their own eating space.
There is definitely a breed or two that just can’t seem to stop eating; the gluttonous Labrador for example just never seems to know when enough is enough. Beagles seem to be forever on the hunt for that next mouthful too.
Consider changing the feeding apparatus to a slow feeding bowl or puzzle feeder. These should definitely prevent the large gulps and keep them busy for a while longer. You can also try putting their food into a muffin pan.
Here at Pooch Palate we are all about finding what works best for your pets, after all, they all have their own unique little personalities. Let us know if you have any questions about how to feed a raw diet and/or how to improve your pets eating habits.
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