Is your dog a fast eater? Does he eat too quickly for his own good? That’s a possibility, for sure. Any size dog can eat too fast, and any size dog can suffer some consequences. What can happen to a fast eater?
▪ Choking
▪ Vomiting
▪ Gastrointestinal discomfort
Those consequences can be unpleasant for the animals and also for the humans who care for them. Like physicians, veterinarians advise that eating too fast is not good. It’s no better for our pets than it is for us.
Like humans, pets who gulp their food might also not feel their satiety and thus, have an increased desire for more food, at least in the short term. This could lead to increased begging or those sad faces that make you want to give them more food or treats.—Petnet
One solution for a dog who eats too fast is a slow-feed bowl. Unlike food-dispensing toys, the slow-feed bowl allows for the use of soaked kibble (food-dispensing toys can use only dry kibble). I suggest that you consider soaking kibble before feeding, regardless of the size of your dog, if the dog eats too fast. Ask your veterinarian for an opinion first, of course.
How does a slow-feed bowl work?
Slow-feed bowls are designed to prevent gulping. They typically have ridges or other barriers that break up the bowl’s surface area, which prevents the pet from being able to inhale their food in one or two gulps. These types of bowls can help reduce the likelihood that your pet will gulp down their meals and thus, they are meant to alleviate the issues associated with fast eating.—Petnet
I recently fed a very enthusiastic eater, a yellow Labrador retriever, first with soaked kibble in a regular stainless bowl, then for the next meal with soaked kibble in a slow-feed bowl. I’m happy to say that the slow-feeder slowed down the dog’s eating considerably; he took longer to eat a meal out of his slow-feeder than his brother dog took to eat a meal out of a regular bowl. This retriever is a very active young dog who needs a lot of food to keep from being underweight, so slowing down his eating is imperative.
Photo by Tami Rotchford
Why should big dogs not eat too fast?
Larger breeds susceptible to bloat may benefit most from slowing down their meals. Canine bloat or twisted stomach occurs when a dog eats too quickly and gulps down a lot of air. The air turns into gas in the stomach and causes the abdomen to swell, putting pressure on the heart, lungs, and other organs. In serious cases, the stomach rotates and blood vessels and nerves get pinched. The condition can be fatal. Slow-feeders can’t guarantee to prevent bloat but they can help modify the eating behavior that often leads to it.—Muzzlebump
You may not realize it, but allowing your large or giant breed dog to eat too quickly could be very dangerous. When large and deep-chested dogs eat too much at once, or if they drink a lot of water or exercise strenuously within an hour of eating, they have a risk for developing gastric torsion, or bloat. This is a condition in which the abdomen fills with gas, causing the stomach to twist on its axis, cutting off blood flow to the stomach and other vital organs. This dangerous condition can quickly turn fatal if not treated promptly. The best way to protect your large or giant dog from this condition is to limit his food intake and a slow-feed bowl can help you to accomplish that goal.—Dog.Reviews
I am especially aware of the possibility of bloat and torsion not only because friends have lost dogs to it, but also because I had a bloat dog myself. She was hardly typical—a 45-pound (that’s small) golden retriever, bred by a veterinarian, with no known bloaters in her family tree. She lived a long and otherwise relatively healthy life but even after the first incidence, when I knew she would be prone to bloat forever and I put in place all possible precautions, she continued to bloat. Not often, but even once can be terrifying and expensive, as immediate veterinary care is the only way to save the bloating dog’s life. She lived to be 12 1/2 years (my oldest golden ever at the time), but in the end, it was bloat that got her. The surgery was very risky at her age and nothing could guarantee she would not bloat again.
Could your dog be prone to bloat or torsion?
Do your research, preferably before you choose a dog. Some breeds are especially likely to develop bloat or torsion. Consider before you pick a dog from a bloat- or torsion-prone breed: are you in a position to get your dog to a veterinarian, day or night, within the few minutes you have to save that dog’s life?
Even if you know your dog is unlikely ever to bloat, you may decide there are other good reasons to slow his eating down. Should you decide that a slow-feed bowl might help, take a little time to look at the various types of bowls available. Not all slow-feed bowls work equally well, and some seem to come with design problems that may make them a poor investment.
Petnet points out several of these issues:
[T]hese bowls can also potentially cause some health and other problems related to their construction.
Chipped teeth. Pets can chip their teeth from biting around the barriers.
Ingested plastic or other non-edible materials that are used to construct the bowl. This can lead to gastrointestinal distress among other things.
Food mess. If the bowl is not adequately sturdy, some pets could end up flipping the bowl as they work to get their food. This could defeat the purpose of the bowl plus leave a residual food mess for the owner to clean up.
Bowl mess. Some of the slow-feed bowls can also be harder to clean properly than regular bowls.
To make your research easier, check first on the bowls that rated highest in this recent review of slow-feed bowls for both small and large dogs by Dog.Reviews:
https://dog.reviews/best-slow-feed-dog-bowls/
