Is your dog eating faster than usual?
Some dogs eat excellently fast, so fast that they hardly have time to breathe while they are eating. Eating faster can make mealtime difficult for the dogs and there are detrimental health impacts if your dog is eating too fast.
Why is eating too fast bad for dogs’ health?
If your dog is eating too fast there are chances that it will put on weight faster. Apart from that if your dog is eating fast it can develop a life-threatening condition called bloat (Gastric Dilatation).
The signs of bloat can be heavy breathing, vomiting, drooling and collapsing. If you see these symptoms immediately take your dog to the vet. Another reason for controlling fast eating is that it can lead to gagging and choking because they are not chewing the food properly. So make sure to consult your vet when you can to fix your dog’s fast eating behaviour.
How do dogs develop this behaviour?
Many dogs can have this fast eating behaviour from a very young age. If your dog came from a larger litter there will always be competition among the pups to fill up their tummy before the food runs out. Apart from that, your dog might be eating fast because of some medical condition. Like parasites inside their body, which can take up all the nutrients so the dog feels hungry all the time.
How to resolve the eating disorder of your dog?
Many pet owners use a large ball in their feeding bowl. In that case, the pup has to move around the ball to have food from all the sides and this gives it some time to slow down while avoiding the risk of choking and gagging.
You can also buy feeding bowls which are built to reduce the consumption rate of dogs. These feeding bowls range from basic to advanced level and cost accordingly. You can buy a product that suits your pet’s specific needs.
Apart from that, you can also involve games which distract them for some time so that they can take some time and chew their food properly. No matter what, in the end, you have to control your dog’s eating habits.
If none of the above-mentioned techniques works, then you have to feed your dog in small portions throughout the day. Also, consult a vet to confirm whether there is an underlying medical condition.
Dogs love to eat and after a long playful day, they need a good quantity to feed their hunger. If your dog is eating normally and suddenly it has picked up speed with food, then most probably it’s due to an underlying health issue. In case of unfamiliar unusual behaviour, it is always best to take your dog for a health check-up.
Dogs become inseparable parts of our lives and as dog parents to watch them suffer is the most painful thing in the world. So make sure you get good dog insurance for your pet so that in case of any medical emergency you can put a stop to the unnecessary cash flow.
