Is it bad for my dog to bolt her food?

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NellRosk

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I've just timed her eating her tea and it was 13 seconds.. She's never sick from eating this quickly and seems to suffer no ill effects but surely it can't be good for her?! She's fed on Nutriment and gets the recommended amount, her weight is fine so she's not starving. I just feel a bit mean that her favourite passtime is eating and she only gets to do it for 13 seconds a day!
 
Some dogs are slow fussy eaters - some are super fast.

Depends on the dog, I know that our husky takes her time with some things and not others whilst the labrador we have long ago would bolt anything down he could in seconds.

It shouldn't be a problem so long as the portions are not super large or very hot/cold. Use chewtoys, bones or other similar things to provide some longer chewing fun inbetween meals
 
Potentially could develop a GDV.
There are various things that can cause this, but eating too quickly and potentially gulping air etc could cause this, also exercising soon after a meal etc. Dogs with deeper chests such as german shepherds, labradors etc are more likely to suffer from this. Fatal if not treated ASAP with stomach decompression and surgery.

Saying that she could be absolutely fine! My OH labrador used to inhale his food in seconds and never developed any ill affects, I don't think I would be happy with my dog eating quite that quickly though!

Can you feed her from a Kong instead or those bowls that are designed to slow down eating?
 
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Those bowls designed to slow down eating look really mean to me. Our labs bolt everything, they have been known to throw up a rabbit carcass to re-eat if it really did go down too quick (They aren't fed raw, but gleanings are good round here).
 
Overread said:
Some dogs are slow fussy eaters - some are super fast.

Depends on the dog, I know that our husky takes her time with some things and not others whilst the labrador we have long ago would bolt anything down he could in seconds.

It shouldn't be a problem so long as the portions are not super large or very hot/cold. Use chewtoys, bones or other similar things to provide some longer chewing fun inbetween meals
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Oh good, no she gets a small portion because she's only little and if I give her a bone it'll have to be outside because she buries them as soon as she gets them! Although saying that she has been known to bury them in the house plants.
 
Umbongo said:
Potentially could develop a GDV.
There are various things that can cause this, but eating too quickly and potentially gulping air etc could cause this, also exercising soon after a meal etc. Dogs with deeper chests such as german shepherds, labradors etc are more likely to suffer from this. Fatal if not treated ASAP with stomach decompression and surgery.

Saying that she could be absolutely fine! My OH labrador used to inhale his food in seconds and never developed any ill affects, I don't think I would be happy with my dog eating quite that quickly though!

Can you feed her from a Kong instead or those bowls that are designed to slow down eating?
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She's 5 and hasn't had any signs of bloat yet but she might be more prone as she gets older!! I think I'd be sick if I had to mush the smelly raw food into one of those swirly bowls that slows them down lol! And a kong might frustrate her but I could put a tiny bit of food in on a morning to entertain her? (She only gets one meal on an evening)!
 
Clodagh said:
Those bowls designed to slow down eating look really mean to me. Our labs bolt everything, they have been known to throw up a rabbit carcass to re-eat if it really did go down too quick (They aren't fed raw, but gleanings are good round here).
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Gross! Mine sounds like a mini lab... I caught her crunching on a rabbit carcass the other day on a walk ^boak^
 
one of my BCs used to bolt her food in a normal bowl and make a choking/coughing sound after. I think she was swallowing air.

Bought her a cheap slow feeder bowl and the first two meals she found it frustrating, but now she seems to enjoy her food much more - never makes the horrible noise and actually gets to taste her food. It used to take her max 30 seconds for a meal, now it is usually 2.30- 3 mins.
 
My greyhounds are fed on raw and they eat their food in roughly the same time (apart from Islay, who has no teeth so takes a little longer!) - I used to worry but to be honest I don't worry about it any more
 
Lévrier;13032941 said:
My greyhounds are fed on raw and they eat their food in roughly the same time (apart from Islay, who has no teeth so takes a little longer!) - I used to worry but to be honest I don't worry about it any more
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Oh that's a relief!! I've never seen a dog eat so fast so thought it might be a problem.
 
Because I don't now her breed, I can only give vague advice. I would try stop this as soon as possible as it can lead to bloat (especially in large dogs). I would recommend getting a slow bowl that makes eating a bit harder and that, without causing the dog any problems, slows down their eating. With a large dog, I would also recommend getting a level for the food to help prevent bloat. Finally, any dog of any size, could probably use a puzzle filled with food that will stimulate them and slow them down.
 
No. Dogs naturally feed as a pack. Those that don't bolt their food go hungry. Leave the dog alone to eat it's food and it will be fine. If it thinks someone or something might remove it, it will certainly eat even faster which might cause problems -- but probably not. Far more likely to get killed on the road which is the major cause of fatalities in dogs. I'd worry about teaching them road sense and that the garden gate was shut properly!
 
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