Dog Slow Feeders: Preventing Canine Food Gulping

When it comes to canine mealtime, there are two different scenarios possible. On the one hand, you’ll find dogs that settle down to enjoy their food in a leisurely manner. But on the other hand, you can’t get your fingers away fast enough. Those pups dive into their meals as if they’re starving. You hear frantic gulping (maybe a cough as kibble goes down the wrong tube), and you fear they’re going to choke. Those dogs? They’re the perfect candidate for dog slow feeders. Because they need training in SLOWING DOWN mealtime.

Speed Eating

At least once in your life, you’ve probably bolted down a meal. Maybe you needed to rush to a meeting. Or you could work in a field where mealtime consists of five minutes crammed in where you can find them. When you rush through eating, you don’t taste much. And how do you feel afterward?

Pretty terrible. Because the stomach doesn’t appreciate getting treated that way.

Dogs aren’t any different. They’re not trying to rush away to work, though. So why do they race through meals? It could be due to a variety of reasons:

• Bullying: When you have multiple dogs in a household, one may decide to eat EVERYONE’S food. And whoever doesn’t finish first loses their dinner.
• Competition: If they came from a large litter or a living situation where they needed to fight for food, that behavior’s engrained. Their brain tells them, “If you don’t eat everything as quick as possible, you’ll starve.”
• Malnutrition: Dogs that aren’t getting all of the nutrients they need feel like they’re starving. This drives them to cram as much food into their bellies as possible.
• Parasites: Intestinal parasites steal nutrition from your pup. And that leaves them frantically hungry.

Health Consequences

Obviously, you don’t want your favorite canine to feel miserable and driven to clean their bowl in record time. But there are serious health risks that come with that behavior. And those safety hazards are the biggest reason to look into dog slow feeders.

GDV

Dogs that gulp down their food increase their risk for bloat or gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). GDV results when a pup bolts a meal and then engages in a frantic burst of activity.

The stomach flips around in the abdominal cavity. This causes the valves AND blood vessels to close off. GDV is ALWAYS an emergency. It’s most common in deep-chested dogs, such as Dachshunds and Great Danes, but it can happen in ANY breed.

Vomiting

The stomach doesn’t handle abuse well. And without a dog slow feeder, your pup swallows unchewed chunks of food. Not to mention plenty of air. All of that dumps into the stomach at one time. And a lot of the time, the belly rebels.

This causes your dog to vomit the entire meal they just consumed. It makes them feel better (since the gulping process leaves them nauseous). However, now they’re hungry again. This can cause them to eat the vomit (I know, disgusting). And it means YOU get to deal with the mess, either way.

Gas

Wolfing down food at top speed means sucking in air. This normally happens in brachycephalic breeds, even if they DON’T eat fast. The smushed faces you see in Bulldogs and Pugs mean they can’t breathe and eat well at the same time. The GI tract doesn’t need air any more than the lungs need food. So that air needs to go SOMEWHERE.

Odds are, you’re going to hear a “delicate” canine belch or cope with doggie farts. And, unlike cats, you’re going to notice them.

Other Uses for Dog Slow Feeders

Dog slow feeders appeal to other owners, though. Health issues are important, of course, but sometimes you want to tackle other issues.

For instance, that bullying problem. You CAN set up barriers to keep the dominant pup away from everyone else. However, that may continue to create a chasm between everyone. But if you give a dog slow feeder to that dog, they’ll start eating as slow as everyone else. Suddenly, there’s no food to steal. Everyone gets to eat at the same time, in the same place. So you don’t have to worry about further behavior problems.

And dog slow feeders act as a kind of puzzle toy. They’re not the most difficult puzzle, though. But for some dogs, they’re enough. (Not every canine out there is a genius) You can offer stimulation without causing frustration. And your furry friend still gets rewarded in the process.

Choosing a Dog Slow Feeder

You’ll find dozens of varieties of dog slow feeders on the market. They come in every configuration and style you can think of. But you want to make sure you’re keeping your dog and their needs in mind when you pick one out. Not every slow feeder works for every dog. Think through these features as you make your selection:

• Your Dog’s Face: What kind of facial structure does your dog have? Do they have a long nose? A flat face? You want to slow their eating pace, not stop it completely. Look for dog slow feeders that will allow their face to reach the food.
• Material: You can find everything from ceramic to stainless steel to plastic. You want to stick to safe materials. That means skipping BPA, phthalate, or PVC products.
• Cleaning: Due to their design, dog slow feeders are trickier to clean than standard bowls. If you can find something dishwasher safe, you’ll do yourself a favor.
• Capacity: You still want to offer your dog their usual amount of food. So you need to make sure the slow feeder can hold their meal.
• Base: One of the first things dogs do is try to manipulate the dog slow feeder. You want to look for non-slip bases or the ability to place them in an elevated feeder.
• Puzzle Difficulty: You know your dog’s capability. Look for something that will prevent that gulping behavior without frustrating them so much they refuse to eat (or destroy the slow feeder).

Cautions with Dog Slow Feeders

As fantastic as dog slow feeders are, you need to keep a few precautions in mind, especially in the beginning. Your dog’s used to wolfing down their food. And as they encounter obstacles, that may cause problems.

For instance, if you choose a hard material, such as ceramic or steel, they CAN chip a tooth. But, at the other end of the spectrum, plastic can end up broken. And if your dog’s determined to reach their food, they may ingest the pieces of plastic. This may lead to a foreign body.

If the dog slow feeder isn’t anchored or heavy enough to remain in place, your clever canine may figure out how to flip it over. Then they’ll return to speed-eating off the floor. (Not to mention YOU get to cope with the mess)

And if you can’t put the slow feeder in the dishwasher, you may struggle to get it clean. You don’t want leftover pieces of food to remain and rot.

Alternatives to Dog Slow Feeders

Some dogs see a dog slow feeder and back away. They either can’t figure out how it works, or they want their old bowl. (Or they may figure out how to flip the feeder over, no matter what you try) You still want to curb that habit of gulping their food, though. If you want to try some alternatives, you can. However, they may not work as effectively.

• The Yard: Picking kibble out of the lawn WILL slow your dog down. You scatter it over the yard. Then your pup goes on a hunt. However, there ARE some problems with this idea:
  • You can’t use canned food.
  • Your dog may get some dirt with their meal.
  • If your pup misses any kibble? You’re going to end up with pests invading the yard.
• Muffin Tins: The average muffin tin works nicely as a slow feeder. And you can use a standard or mini-size pan. Unhappily, they’re a cinch to flip over.
• The Tennis Ball: One of the earliest tricks to stop dogs from bolting their food was to add a tennis ball to the bowl. It causes pups to slow down as they eat around it. And it works well – unless your dog figures out how to remove the ball. (Or they attempt to eat the ball)

The Best Dog Slow Feeders

Having a dog that inhales their food is dangerous. The behavior can lead to health complications that may result in steep vet bills. And you don’t want your beloved pup thinking they may not get another meal (or all of their meal). Dog slow feeders don’t restrict the amount of food. But they DO calm down the feeding frenzy. And while they put more of a cleaning burden on you, they ease the stress you’re probably feeling.

Our Greyhound is a retired racer. She came from a kennel situation where she needed to compete for her meals. And she tries to swallow her bowl in one bite. A dog slow feeder is mandatory for her. (After all, she’s a deep-chested breed) And having one has worked. Instead of eating in two seconds, now she takes a few minutes. It gives us peace of mind.