Dangers of Inhaling Food

Does your pooch seem to inhale food?  Did you know that eating too quickly can cause your dog to choke, vomit or regurgitate?  It is also believed that gulping air while they eat can lead to bloat which is life threatening. 

Skittles, like many other dogs, is highly food motivated.  She would definitely be a top contender at any speed eating contest!  Of course, I would rather slow down her eating habits than encourage it.  Here are a few of the things I've tried.  Some worked better than others - if you've got a speed eating demon, I encourage you to try them out for the health of your dog.

• Feeding smaller but more frequent meals.  This is an obvious solution that has 100% success rate.
• Using your dog food as training rewards.  Double bonus here - slow eating and proofing training skills! 
• Using a slow feeder.  It definitely slowed Skittles down a bit but not significantly.  I think a slow feeder might be more effective on a dog with a bigger muzzle.
• Using a treat dispensing toy.  There are lots of toys that make Rover work for the food.  The downside to it is that sometimes treats end up under your furniture - if you have a dog that is super food motivated, this might result in Sparky's nose under the couch or barking/pawing at the entertainment unit.
• Hide kibble in a snuffle mat.  Skittles loves hunting for buried treasure in her snuffle mat. Not only does this slow down her eating, it also harnesses her natural sniffing instinct.