Eats Too Fast
When a Poodle Eats Too Fast
Overview
It’s always a good thing if a Poodle likes their food so much that they’re enthusiasm about meal times. But, gulping down food very quickly can lead to issues including bloat which is a serious and sometimes fatal twisting of the stomach. For this reason, super-fast eating should always be addressed and resolved as soon as possible.
This article will cover problems linked to rapid ingestion of food and offer some very effective methods to help your Poodle puppy or dog slow down when eating.
Issues That Can Result From Rapid Eating
Though you may be dismayed that your Poodle barely tastes the meal that you carefully chose or prepared, there are issues linked to this behavior, including some serious ones.
Excess gas.
Usually, as food is quickly gulped down, air is as well. This commonly leads to burping (gas bubbles up from the stomach and up through the esophagus) and/or flatulence (gas moves along with food into the large intestine).
Regurgitation or vomiting.
Eating quickly can cause a Poodle to regurgitate (food is expelled from the esophagus before it reaches the stomach for digestion) or vomit (food is expelled from the stomach).
Gagging.
When food is barely chewed, large pieces may become stuck in a Poodle’s throat, causing gagging, hacking, or retching to work the pieces out.
Bloat.
This is also referred to as Killer Bloat and is medically known as Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV). While this can have other causes, one highly suspected link is rapid ingestion of food or water. As it’s gulped down, lots of air is as well which can cause the stomach to bloat and then twist or rotate. This is considered a very serious issue that requires immediately emergency intervention and nevertheless can still be fatal.
Top Reasons a Poodle Eats Fast
Note that more than one reason may apply to a Poodle.
1. Feeling vulnerable while eating.
If a Poodle feels insecure, or even threatened, that their food could be taken away, they may eat as fast as possible to ensure that they consume it before anyone else can touch it. This may happen even with no history of such a thing happening.
This is most often seen in multiple-pet households or if humans stand too close to a dog’s eating area, especially if there is lots of noise or commotion. In addition, this is very common with rescued Poodles that have a history of abuse or neglect.
2. Competition.
Though this is also linked to multi-pet households, this differs in the fact that there are no feelings of insecurity. Rather, two dogs eating side-by-side may automatically and instinctively enter a ‘food eating contest’.
3. Hunger.
A food-related reason behind a voracious appetite include inferior dog food that contains fillers, meals being given too infrequently, and/or snacks being omitted from the diet.
4. Canine instinct.
Some animal behaviorists theorize that dogs demolishing their meals is due to a lingering competitive instinct passed down from their far ancestors. Taking down prey and eating it quickly before others could get to it was a behavior often needed to survive in the wild.
5. Certain health issues.
Though rare, there are some health issues that are linked to increased appetite, and in turn rapid ingestion of food, including canine diabetes (especially at onset of the disease), Cushing’s Disease, as a side effect of medications (most often seen with senior dogs), inflammatory bowel problems, and intestinal cancer.
How to Stop Help a Poodle Eat Slower
Whether you highly suspect why your Poodle is munching down their food at lightning speed or you are unsure what’s causing the behavior, these tips will help a Poodle slow down at meal time. The more you implement, the better your chances of success.
#1 Create a peaceful dining area for your Poodle.
- Designate one corner of the kitchen specifically for your Poodle’s food and water bowls, preferably where there will be the least amount of foot traffic and noise.
- If needed, change your Poodle’s feeding schedule so that meals do not coincide with noisy times. For example, when kids are doing homework at the kitchen table.
- Everyone in the household, especially children, should be on board that your Poodle should be completely left alone at meal time.
- Keep music, the TV, and other sources of noise that may interrupt a quiet meal to a minimum (or at least not blasted).
- If your Poodle has line of sight into the yard where there may be wildlife, block off this view by closing the curtains.
#2 Have pets eat separately.
It’s definitely cute when two beloved pets are eating a meal together. But, if one or both are guzzling their food down, it’s just not worth it. You can still have them eat at the same time, but give each their own private space by setting up their dining areas (see tip #1) in opposite corners of a room.
# 3 Provide filler-free food.
Fillers are cheap ingredients with little to no nutritional value that are added to subpar dog food in order to bulk it up. Ingesting fillers will make a Poodle feel full but since these pass right through the body, hunger often returns soon afterward.
Common fillers include corn, rice bran, peanut hulls, oat hulls, cereal by-products, wheat mil run, wheat middlings, and citrus pulp.
To avoid fillers, and the many other detrimental ingredients that may be in certain dog foods, choose your Poodle’s kibble with care. Stick with a 4 to 5-star wholesome brand.
If you’re looking for a kibble with healthy grains, an excellent choice is Wellness Complete Health Natural Dog Food
which is ideal toy Poodles. There is also an original formula that is perfect for minis and standards.
which is ideal toy Poodles. There is also an original formula that is perfect for minis and standards. And, if you prefer to offer a grain-free kibble, Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free
is one of the best. This is available in a small breed formula as well as an original, a low-calorie recipe, and a formula for seniors.
is one of the best. This is available in a small breed formula as well as an original, a low-calorie recipe, and a formula for seniors. #4 Reassess meal times.
Almost every Poodle that’s a fast eater can benefit from more frequent yet smaller meals. For example, if you offer your standard Poodle one 3-cup meal at night, offer two 1 and 1/2 cup meals instead. And, if your toy Poodle currently has two 1/2 cup meals, you can change this over to three 1/3 cup servings.
If you are away during the day but still want to ensure that your Poodle eats a meal, a treat-dispensing toy can be the way to go. One like the Busy Buddy Barnacle Toy
comes in 4 different sizes, so it is ideal for Poodles of all varieties.
comes in 4 different sizes, so it is ideal for Poodles of all varieties. You can simply fill this toy with your Poodle’s regular kibble, or if you want to make it extra enticing you can mix together kibble and a bit of smooth peanut butter.
#5 Don’t forget about snacks.
Incorporating more snacks, meant to satiate a dog and tide the appetite over until the next mealtime, can be very helpful as well.
For this, choose snacks that are dry and hard (as opposed to chewy and soft treats which work best for reward training). Be sure to hold any snacks to the same high standards that you do in regard to kibble: 100% all-natural, no chemical preservatives, coloring, or flavoring, no by-products, generic meats or oils, or fillers, and made in the USA, Canada, or New Zealand.
One good choice for this are Wellness Crunchy Wellbars Grain-Free Treats
which are healthy, oven-baked treats that can be found in some delicious flavors including chicken & cheddar, lamb & apples, peanut & honey, whitefish & sweet potato, and yogurt, apples, & banana.
which are healthy, oven-baked treats that can be found in some delicious flavors including chicken & cheddar, lamb & apples, peanut & honey, whitefish & sweet potato, and yogurt, apples, & banana.#6 A slow-feed bowl.
These are bowls specifically designed to encourage slower eating by breaking up the food surface via ridges or a protrusion that forces a dog to eat around the obstacles. These work very well to prevent the gulping of food and air which makes them an important step in not only stopping a dog from eating fast but also in preventing bloat.
There are a lot of slow feeders made of plastic, however these are not recommended since plastic can cause contact allergies, scratches easily, breaks down over time, and can be hard to clean. A good alternative is the DuraPet Slow Feed Premium Stainless Steel Dog Bowl
which is available in sizes small, medium, and large.
which is available in sizes small, medium, and large. A Final Word
Sometimes people think it's funny that dogs eat so fast, comparing them to 'eating machines' or whatnot. But, rapid ingestion of food can be dangerous and this is always something that should be addressed right away.
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