Have a dog that eats to fast for it's own good?

[Slowpoke Slim]

I put a golfball in our fast eaters bowl and it slowed him down for a few bites then he promptly removed the ball and set it to the side of the bowl. After downing his food, took the ball out his dog door to the backyard and left it there.

Ours would have swallowed the ball.

Lol.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Please don't try this. Especially with a Lab. They are predispositioned to always be hungry. Most dogs will only eat until they are "full". Labs will eat until they founder.

We rescue labs. We currently have 3, having just lost our oldest one to kidney failure. You can quite easily over feed a Lab to the point of a serious medical emergency.

thanks for the input, thanks good to know ... to be clear I wasnt panning on trying it ...

Note: I believe the term founder is only for hoof animals, the proper term for dogs would be arthritis.

 

[dougtrr2]

I hate to think of it, but are there more strays in the South for the same reason there are more homeless people in warm climates? The sad fact could very well be that there are just as many dogs turned loose in the north, but they cannot survive the winters.

My hat is off to you for caring for these strays.

Doug in SW IA

 

[JJT]

We had a rescue Newf that would literally inhale his food. We used a ceramic softball to slow him down. After a few weeks we removed the ceramic ball and he would eat at normal speed. When I say inhale, he would finish his meal in 10 seconds or less, 50% of the time he would puke it back up. The ceramic ball worked wonders, too big to pick up and too big to swallow.

 

[GeneV]

If for whatever reason you have a dog that eats too fast for it's own good, see attached.

My wife found it, and it has been amazing with one puppy we found on our property.

We've had this issue from time to time with other dogs in our lives, but this is actually a pretty simply solution to slower their eating habits. They have no choice LOL

Funny thing, do a web search for dog bowls for dogs who eat to fast, and you'll find likewise products. Just so happens my wife stumbled across it at a pet store.
View attachment 775189

Sigarms, yessir, that's the type of bowl we have for our great pyrenees, which also makes meal time a game for her (so a double win). Otherwise, she gorges and then pukes it up.

 

[stuckmotor]

If for whatever reason you have a dog that eats too fast for it's own good, see attached.

My wife found it, and it has been amazing with one puppy we found on our property.

We've had this issue from time to time with other dogs in our lives, but this is actually a pretty simply solution to slower their eating habits. They have no choice LOL

Funny thing, do a web search for dog bowls for dogs who eat to fast, and you'll find likewise products. Just so happens my wife stumbled across it at a pet store.
View attachment 775189

Is it difficult to wash?

 

[stuckmotor]

Sigarms, yessir, that's the type of bowl we have for our great pyrenees, which also makes meal time a game for her (so a double win). Otherwise, she gorges and then pukes it up.

I was feeding my cat small helpings to keep her from throwing up. When I took her to the vet it turned out she had potential kidney problems and hypothyroidism one or both of which can cause nausia. The vet gave me some meds for her and the throwing up ceased temporarily.

 

[MossRoad]

yes these are pretty handy ... We have to do the same for our little lab (the runt of the litter) she is a real vacuum... some people suggest flooding her with food and always keep her bole full to break that habit, and show her she would never run out and can take her time... I don't have the heart to do it to her... what is your thought about this method? ...I think it can work or cause issue to the dog, it be one or the other in my opinion....

Keeping the bowl full all the time might end up with a fat dog. I know a lot of old ladies with little fat dogs that constantly feed the mutts. It's not good for them. It's also difficult to keep bowls full with multiple animals in the house.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Keeping the bowl full all the time might end up with a fat dog. I know a lot of old ladies with little fat dogs that constantly feed the mutts. It's not good for them. It's also difficult to keep bowls full with multiple animals in the house.

I agree... as a kid we had two mut labs and their bowl always had food in it, never had a problem with them getting fat since we lived on a big property, and they spend all day outside chasing muskrats, mice's, ground hog and us on the three-wheeler. When I had my first dog as an adult, I was against rationing their food, but it got rejected at the meeting since my wife had compelling argument against it, some of which you are bringing forward now.

 

[MossRoad]

I agree... as a kid we had two mut labs and their bowl always had food in it, never had a problem with them getting fat since we lived on a big property, and they spend all day outside chasing muskrats, mice's, ground hog and us on the three-wheeler. When I had my first dog as an adult, I was against rationing their food, but it got rejected at the meeting since my wife had compelling argument against it, some of which you are bringing forward now.

Similar thing applies to cats. Our two cats do very well regulating their eating volume on an always-full bowl. They are normal, healthy cats. We babysat for one of our grandcats for a month. The pig gained 2 pounds! Kid came home and first thing she said was "What did you do to my cat?!"