{"id":8394,"date":"2022-11-23T09:55:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T14:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/?p=8394"},"modified":"2025-01-14T18:14:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T18:14:47","slug":"why-your-dog-shouldnt-eat-too-fast-and-how-to-slow-them-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stage.tfd.engineering\/digest\/why-your-dog-shouldnt-eat-too-fast-and-how-to-slow-them-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Dog Shouldn\u2019t Eat Too Fast, and How to Slow Them Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some dogs eat so rapidly that the food seems to disappear before you hear their bowl hit the floor. You look down and they’re gazing up at you, tail wagging, wondering what’s next.<\/p>

Why do dogs wolf down food? Every dog is different, and there are a number of possible explanations for feasting too fast. It could be that they think they need to compete for resources. Or maybe they love their dinner so much they can’t wait to eat it all (we hear this a lot from customers who recently switched to fresh food). It’s nice to see your pup enjoying their meals, but there are many good reasons to encourage them to eat at a slower pace.  Here’s why and how to do it, and the risks your dog faces from fast food.<\/p>

Why dogs shouldn’t eat too quickly<\/h4>

Eating too quickly can present serious dangers to a dog. <\/p>

For one thing, like people, dogs can choke. Trying to swallow large pieces of food or treats without adequately chewing them increases the chances that this will happen.<\/p>

Also similarly to humans who don’t pace themselves at mealtimes, wolfing food down with abandon can make a dog vomit.<\/p>

A major health risk to a dog who races through a meal, especially a big meal, is bloat. Bloat—or Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV)—is a medical emergency, and minutes can make the difference between a dog living and dying. Learn the signs of bloat<\/span><\/a>, and get your dog to a veterinarian right away if you suspect that they might have it<\/p>

How to encourage your dog to eat more slowly<\/h4>

Food is commonly used as a reward for dogs who have successfully completed training tasks, so you can see how it might be difficult to “train” a dog to slow down their eating. But you can take advantage of the fact that you control when, where, and how your friend feasts. Here are a few common methods:<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

Use brain games<\/h4>

If you slow your dog’s eating down with a puzzle or another mind-stimulating tool, you’ll get multiple benefits. In addition to taking a longer time to eat, they’ll also exercise their minds—and mental fitness is just as essential<\/span><\/a> to pups as the physical variety.
\n<\/p>

Common brain games that can slow meal time down include:<\/p>