Why is my dog inhaling her food? Tips and Tricks

Usual SuspectsLabrador retrievers, Beagles, Bassets, Cocker Spaniels, Corgis, Dachshunds and Pugs (as well as mixes with these breeds) are particularly prone to wolfing. Not coincidentally, these are also the dogs who most often lumber into my veterinary office looking as if they need to lose a pound — or Eating too quickly is a bigger problem than just eating too much: Wolfing can lead to excessive gassiness and may contribute to a life-threatening emergency commonly known as bloat. In that scenario, a dog’s stomach enlarges with air. If the stomach then twists, a fast surgical response is required for survival.

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Causes and Prevention of Gulping Food in Dogs

Competitive Eating

Dogs, by nature, are competitive eaters. Our dogs, like their wild cousins, are pack animals and predators. This means that they are genetically programmed to eat large amounts when food is available, like after a kill, and compete with their pack mates to get their share of the food. This can translate in your dog to getting very excited at feeding time and trying to consume as much food as possible in as short a time as possible before someone else, even if they are imaginary, takes it from them. If a dog came from a large litter, even though littermates are no longer present, they may have developed the habit of eating as much as they can as quickly as they can, in order to get their fair share. There are several things pet owners can do to mitigate this behavior.

If there are multiple pets present in the home, separating them when feeding should reduce competitive behavior.

Commercially available food dishes are available that will slow down your dogs eating. These dishes often have obstacles that your dog must eat around. A homemade version of this is to put a large rock in your dogs dish for them to get around while feeding. You can also spread food out on a cookie sheet or put food in muffin tins so that your dog has to “travel” to access all their food.

Feed your dog many small meals each day so that they do not feel as hungry at the next mealtime. If you are not home to provide this, you can purchase time-release feeders.

Puzzle feeders are also commercially available that require your dog to work the food out of the feeder. This not only slows them down, but also provides valuable mental stimulation to prevent boredom, which can also contribute to food gulping.

Hand feed your dog to slow them down. This can also be used as a training time, with food available as a positive reinforcement. This prevents your dog becoming overfed by getting food treats during training sessions on top of their regular meals.

Dietary Issues

Another cause of aggressive feeding and gulping down food may be that your dog is lacking something in their diet they need, making their feeding behavior desperate and panicky. If your dog is experiencing malnutrition, which may be occurring from the presence of an undiagnosed medical condition or parasites, or is missing a nutrient, vitamin or mineral in their diet, this may need addressing. Start by getting your dog examined by a veterinarian to ensure that a medical condition is not present that is resulting in your pooch not obtaining all the nutrients they need from their food. An endocrine or metabolic disorder could cause this sort of issue. Make sure you are feeding a well-balanced, nutritious, species-appropriate diet, high in protein and low in carbohydrates, that meets your dogs vitamin and mineral requirements.

If your furry companion is suffering from parasites, they may be malnourished because the parasitic invaders are getting the nutrients the dog needs. This may also cause your pup to be overly hungry and rush their mealtime. Regularly address parasites in your dog with oral and topical antiparasitics, and be vigilant for signs of infestation.

Is it bad for dogs to inhale their food?

Some of these terms may be confusing if you’ve never heard of them. But all in all, when you dog inhales his food, he can choke on it and block the air from getting to his lungs. This is a big danger. … If your dog inhales his food without chewing it up first, he can end up getting Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV).

Why does my dog inhale his food?

Dogs have a reputation for their willingness to chew just about anything that comes heir way, whether it is edible or not! Unfortunately, not all food items are safe for your furbaby to get their jaws round. Some might be too small for her to chew on properly, and they may slip down her throat and become lodged in her airway. Other foods might come apart while being chewed, creating smaller pieces that pose a choking hazard.

Choking may be a very common problem affecting our canine companions but knowing what to do and how to react is very important if your pet is to make a full recovery from the incident. The more you know about how you can help your pet, the calmer and more prepared you will be.