Eating habits in dogs may vary, some like to take their time and enjoy every bite, while others love to swallow their food in a blink of an eye. It may seem like they’re eating so fast that they don’t even consider what it is they’re eating. Regardless of your dogs breed this can happen to any dog. It is very dangerous for dogs to eat fast so we must understand why, and help them eat slower. In some cases, our customers have mentioned that CBD oil has helped calm their dog down and enjoy their meal.

The main issue caused by eating fast is that your dog can start choking. Choking can be considered life-threatening for dogs and you must be aware of these at all times. When dogs are choking or gagging on their food it will more often than not result in vomiting and discomfort.Chr

If you notice your dog is gagging on their food this will often result in vomiting and discomfort.

You’ll also notice that eating quickly raises the risk of a serious medical condition which is called bloat. Bloat used to be referred to as gastric dilatation-volvulus (AKA “GDV”). This occurs when the stomach expands and may cause twisting within the abdomen. This is extremely life threatening and your dog may go into shock rapidly. This is typically caused by swallowing air and when dogs are eating very quickly, they risk swallowing an excessive amount of air along with food.

Your dog may also experiencing “Food Bloat” which is not exactly the same as GDV, but happens with huge amount of food have ingested and are sitting in the stomach. This condition is not as deadly, but if you notice any kind of bloating without reason you’ll want to see a veterinarian immediately.

So lies the question, how can we help our dogs eat at a slower pace? Some of our customers experience this issue and recommend CBD oil to calm their dogs down before eating. However, our team here at Paws Elite has come up with some creative ways to help encourage healthy consumption habits. You’ll find these below!

Four Things You Can Do To Help Your Dog Eat Slower

Slow-Feeder Bowl

You may find many different brands that offer slow-feeder bowls, but we’ve come up with a creative way where you can make your own slow-feeder bowl! Take a bowl one or two sizes larger than your dog’s regular dish and set it down flat, then take your dog’s regular dish and place it upside down into the large bowl. This will create a gap between the two bowls that you can fill with your dog’s food. Since the gap is big enough for your dog to reach the food, but not so big that he can take gulps, he’ll be forced to eat more slowly.

Food Puzzles

They are similar to slow-feeders, as they are generally comprised of different nooks and crannies for your dog’s food to fit into, therefore making it impossible for your dog to take large gulps of food.

Cookie Sheet or Muffin Pan

Spreading your dog’s food across a cookie sheet makes it very difficult for your dog to gulp down large amounts, especially if you feed kibble. Your dog will be forced to take tiny bites and pick up a lot of pieces with his tongue (which takes quite a bit of time), and therefore will eat much more slowly. The same goes for using a muffin pan.

Hand Feed

Some dogs love being hand fed. While many owners don’t necessarily have time to sit there and hand feed their dogs, you can use training time as mealtime. Use your dog’s regular food as rewards during obedience training or any other training.