I don’t know if you have noticed that many dogs, because of their anxious nature, just swallow their food in big gulps. A few days ago, a parent came to Dou Ni for help and said that his dog not only eats dog food, but also swallows large pieces of...
I don’t know if you have noticed that many dogs, because of their anxious nature, just swallow their food in big gulps.
A few days ago, a parent came to Dou Ni for help and said that his dog not only eats dog food, but also swallows large pieces of meat without chewing it! Will it cause indigestion in the long run? More than that!
There are many such dogs. They become extremely excited when it is feeding time, causing them to eat too much and cause food swallowing problems. In fact, this kind of behavior is very dangerous. They may choke them because they do not chew enough, which will cause the dog to vomit while eating.
Swallowing food can cause dogs to vomit when full, burp when eating, and fart when inhaling air. It may cause a feeling of fullness when the abdomen is distended and gastrointestinal diseases. And dogs may become aggressive after gobbling up food, so in a multi-pet household, it may cause resistance from other animals.
When swallowing is severe, the dog will choke on the food, causing gastric dilation volvulus, which is what we often call abdominal bloating. This condition occurs when the stomach becomes blocked and then gas builds up.
For dogs, blocking the only passage to the intestines and stomach is a very serious situation. It is not only life-threatening, but if not sent to the hospital in time, it may cause irreparable consequences!
This starts with puppies. For them, competing for milk when they are young is like a competition. They must get enough food before their breast milk is snatched away. Therefore, this kind of behavioral competition during lactation will be carried over to them when they grow up. Even if there are no competitors, this behavior may still exist.
Some dogs also feel hungry because the food is not nutritious and cannot meet their daily energy needs, leading to wolfing behavior. In addition to behavioral problems, this phenomenon can also be caused by parasite infections that affect their ability to absorb nutrients from food, causing the same results as above.
If it is a multi-pet household, you should try to separate them while they are eating, such as placing them in different rooms, because dogs eat very quickly, especially when there are other dogs nearby. They will worry about being robbed of food, so try to feed them separately, or at least keep a few meters away.
Dogs, like humans, have no problem eating less at each meal. If they eat their staple food quickly, you can try eating smaller meals more often to prevent them from swallowing too much food at one time.
Food can be used as a reward during training time, which can not only slow down their eating speed, but also prevent their excessive eating behavior.
