- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
It’s dinner time, and your dog is acting like they’re starving. Various factors, from natural instinct to health issues, can cause your dog to eat too fast. However, scarfing down food can quickly become problematic.
“The consequences of gobbling food without hesitation can vary, but they include choking, regurgitation, and flatulence,” says Siôn Rowlands, veterinarian and author of Letting the Cat Out of the Bag: The Secret Life of a Vet. It can also lead to a life-threatening condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV).
Fortunately, training approaches and handy tools (such as food puzzles) can encourage your dog to eat more slowly. Below, we’ll explore the consequences of your dog’s fast eating, why it gobbles down its food, and how to stop it.
What Happens If Your Dog Eats Too Quickly?
Any dog can become a speedy eater, although Rowlands notes these tendencies often develop during puppyhood. Unfortunately, this mealtime habit can lead to serious consequences, including the following.
1. Vomiting and choking
Vomiting shortly after eating too fast isn’t uncommon. Rowlands explains that when dogs gulp food, they take in a lot of air, competing for stomach space alongside liquid and food.
Vomiting can also cause further issues. For instance, Rowland says frequent vomiting can deprive your dog of much-needed nutrients and lead to inflammation of the food pipe and pneumonia.
Dogs can expel food and liquid through regurgitation or vomiting. It is important to recognize the difference when discussing this with your vet.
Regurgitation: Rowlands says regurgitated food will be similar to what was eaten and is usually passive (little effort).
Vomiting: Meanwhile, vomiting is an active process, and the material is partially digested. Rowlands says pet parents are less likely to recognize the content in vomit.
It is possible for dogs to choke on vomit. Additionally, dogs eating too fast are less likely to chew their food, and large pieces can get stuck in their throat. Signs of choking in dogs include:
2. Bloat and gastric dilatation-volvulus
GDV requires immediate attention. “With GDV, the stomach first swells with air (bloat) and begins to twist,” Rowlands explains. “After twisting, gas continues to fill the stomach, which becomes extremely dangerous for the dog.”
Signs of GDV include:
- Vomiting white foam
- Retching but not bringing up food or liquid
- A hard or swollen stomach
- Excess drooling
- Pale gums
- Restlessness or distress
- Lethargy
- Indications of pain (such as bending in the pray position)
GDV can quickly become life-threatening, and the condition is “a genuine medical emergency,” says Dave Leicester, an emergency vet at Vets Now.
Additionally, Leicester explains that large, deep-chested breeds are more susceptible to GDV. Any dog who eats fast is at an even greater risk.
Certain foods may also increase GDV risk. Leicester reveals that high-fat diets can increase a dog’s risk of GDV since fat slows down digestion.
3. Food bloat
Whereas GDV involves twisting the stomach, run-of-the-mill food bloat does not. Food bloat occurs due to excess food and air intake, whereas GDV doesn’t always involve food. Like in humans, too much gas and food sitting in the stomach can lead to issues such as flatulence. Leicester says if your dog eats dry food too fast or gains access to the food bag, it can swell their stomach.
Why Do Some Dogs Eat So Fast?
Various factors can cause dogs to chow down quickly. Identifying a potential trigger can help you determine the best approach to overcome the issue.
Natural instincts
Dogs’ innate instincts—stemming back to their wolf days in the wild—are a key contributor to speedy eating. “Dogs are classed as ‘opportunistic scavengers,’ which means they have evolved to search for food and take the opportunity to eat whenever they can,” explains Claire Stallard, an animal behaviorist at Blue Cross.
So what about your dog who gets a full bowl of food at dinner? Stallard says natural instincts can’t be switched off, and “that urge to seek out food remains strong.”
Individual genetics and experiences
Some dogs may be genetically more inclined to scoff down food. Stallard reveals that certain breeds, such as Labradors, have a reputation for always being hungry. In fact, new evidence suggests their genes influence their appetite and metabolism.
Stallard also says that past experiences can lead a pup to develop fast eating habits. For instance, if they’ve previously lived with lots of dogs and had to compete for food, this may cause them to eat quickly for fear of missing a meal. Or, your dog might have previously experienced food-based punishment where they were deprived because of unwanted behaviors.
Health concerns
An underlying health concern may be driving your dog’s mealtime behaviors. Rowlands reveals dogs with a large amount of internal parasites are more food-driven. Additionally, certain hormonal conditions like Cushing’s can increase an interest in food.
IStock/Snizhana Galytska
8 Ways To Slow Your Dog’s Eating
Sean Prichard, a dog trainer, president, and head canine fitness coach at Pant & Wag, says hand feeding effectively teaches a dog to eat slower. “This is a great way to control a dog’s eating pace and build a stronger bond between dog parents and their pup,” he explains. However, he cautions that this method should only be used if your dog isn’t food-aggressive.
Prichard outlines how to hand-feed your dog in eight steps:
- Present a fistful of kibble at your dog’s nose level.
- Using your fingers to control the flow of food, offer just one or two pieces of kibble at a time. Allow your dog to chew and entirely swallow the bite before offering the next piece.
- Introduce a verbal command, such as ‘easy,’ ‘gentle,’ or ‘slow,’ and say it each time your dog appropriately takes food from you.
- Heavily praise, pet, and offer the next bite of food each time the dog takes the food at the pace you set.
- Over time, your dog will associate the verbal command and the positive reinforcement with the action of eating at a controlled pace.
- Start reintroducing the food bowl, but only put a small amount of kibble in at a time, and continue using your verbal command.
- Begin adding more food to the bowl. If your dog’s pace gets too fast, remove the food immediately and return to just a few pieces at a time.
- Your dog only gets the full bowl if they can eat it at the same slow pace you set during the hand feeding.
Your dog won’t learn to eat slower after a single hand-feeding session. In fact, Prichard says this method requires an abundance of patience from pup and pet parent. Remember, setbacks are not failures, and over time, hand-feeding can make it better.
If a dog eats fast due to previous trauma, like food scarcity, professional training can help resolve these emotional drivers and build up their confidence.
What Tools Can Help Dogs Eat Slower?
Looking for an alternative and more immediate way to get your dog to stop eating so fast? Toys and tools can physically encourage your dog to engage in healthier eating habits.
1. Slow feeding bowls
Slow feeding bowls incorporate indentations to create smaller ‘sections’. These divisions make it trickier for your dog’s tongue to swoop in and scoop everything up all at once.
Prichard says choosing the correct size bowl is crucial. For example, a giant slow-feeder bowl for a small dog won’t work because the obstacles will be spaced too far apart, and the dog’s small mouth will be able to get straight to the food without any restrictions.
2. Food puzzles
Toys aren’t just for playtime! Puzzle feeders release a small portion of food each time your dog tries to unlock a particular piece of the toy. Prichard says dog parents should be mindful when selecting a food-based toy or puzzle.
Another consideration is hygiene. Slow-feeding bowls and puzzle toys are challenging to clean, especially if you feed your dog wet food. If you don’t clean them properly, harmful bacteria and fungi can build up and harm your dog.
3. Baking sheets and muffin pans
Similarly to slow-feeding bowls, muffin pan indentations ensure your dog can only access a smaller portion of food each time they dive in. Meanwhile, spreading food over a bigger surface, like a baking tray, makes it trickier for your pup to grab all the food in a couple of bites.
4. Go bowl-less
Entirely ditching any bowl-like container at mealtimes could help slow your dog’s eating. Stallard recommends tapping into your dog’s sense of smell and letting them scavenge safely.
“Bowls are convenient for us but not very interesting for dogs,” she continues. “[Scavenging] is a perfect way to keep them safely occupied and enables them to carry out important parts of their natural behavior—sniffing and searching for food.”
What If Nothing Can Slow Your Dog’s Eating Down?
If efforts to slow your dog’s eating don’t work, call your vet clinic or a qualified dog behaviorist. Rowlands shares that veterinarians are best suited to guide pet parents on the next steps. To get the best advice from a vet, try keeping a diary of your dog’s eating habits or capture their speedy eating on video.
Once your dog gets the help they need, they’ll be back to normal eating habits in no time.
