Cleaning: Due to their design, dog slow feeders are trickier to clean than standard bowls.That means skipping BPA, phthalate, or PVC products. Material: You can find everything from ceramic to stainless steel to plastic.Look for dog slow feeders that will allow their face to reach the food. Your Dog’s Face: What kind of facial structure does your dog have? Do they have a long nose? A flat face? You want to slow their eating pace, not stop it completely.Think through these features as you make your selection: Not every slow feeder works for every dog. But you want to make sure you’re keeping your dog and their needs in mind when you pick one out. They come in every configuration and style you can think of. You’ll find dozens of varieties of dog slow feeders on the market. And your furry friend still gets rewarded in the process. (Not every canine out there is a genius) You can offer stimulation without causing frustration. They’re not the most difficult puzzle, though. So you don’t have to worry about further behavior problems.Īnd dog slow feeders act as a kind of puzzle toy. Everyone gets to eat at the same time, in the same place. But if you give a dog slow feeder to that dog, they’ll start eating as slow as everyone else. However, that may continue to create a chasm between everyone. You CAN set up barriers to keep the dominant pup away from everyone else. Health issues are important, of course, but sometimes you want to tackle other issues.įor instance, that bullying problem. Other Uses for Dog Slow Feedersĭog slow feeders appeal to other owners, though. And, unlike cats, you’re going to notice them. Odds are, you’re going to hear a “delicate” canine belch or cope with doggie farts. The GI tract doesn’t need air any more than the lungs need food. The smushed faces you see in Bulldogs and Pugs mean they can’t breathe and eat well at the same time. This normally happens in brachycephalic breeds, even if they DON’T eat fast. Wolfing down food at top speed means sucking in air. And it means YOU get to deal with the mess, either way. This can cause them to eat the vomit (I know, disgusting). It makes them feel better (since the gulping process leaves them nauseous). This causes your dog to vomit the entire meal they just consumed. All of that dumps into the stomach at one time. And without a dog slow feeder, your pup swallows unchewed chunks of food. It’s most common in deep-chested dogs, such as Dachshunds and Great Danes, but it can happen in ANY breed. This causes the valves AND blood vessels to close off. The stomach flips around in the abdominal cavity. GDV results when a pup bolts a meal and then engages in a frantic burst of activity. GDVĭogs that gulp down their food increase their risk for bloat or gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). And those safety hazards are the biggest reason to look into dog slow feeders. But there are serious health risks that come with that behavior. Obviously, you don’t want your favorite canine to feel miserable and driven to clean their bowl in record time. Parasites: Intestinal parasites steal nutrition from your pup.This drives them to cram as much food into their bellies as possible. Malnutrition: Dogs that aren’t getting all of the nutrients they need feel like they’re starving.Their brain tells them, “If you don’t eat everything as quick as possible, you’ll starve.” Competition: If they came from a large litter or a living situation where they needed to fight for food, that behavior’s engrained.And whoever doesn’t finish first loses their dinner. Bullying: When you have multiple dogs in a household, one may decide to eat EVERYONE’S food.So why do they race through meals? It could be due to a variety of reasons: They’re not trying to rush away to work, though. Because the stomach doesn’t appreciate getting treated that way.ĭogs aren’t any different. When you rush through eating, you don’t taste much. Or you could work in a field where mealtime consists of five minutes crammed in where you can find them. Speed EatingĪt least once in your life, you’ve probably bolted down a meal. Because they need training in SLOWING DOWN mealtime. Those dogs? They’re the perfect candidate for dog slow feeders. You hear frantic gulping (maybe a cough as kibble goes down the wrong tube), and you fear they’re going to choke. Those pups dive into their meals as if they’re starving. But on the other hand, you can’t get your fingers away fast enough. On the one hand, you’ll find dogs that settle down to enjoy their food in a leisurely manner. When it comes to canine mealtime, there are two different scenarios possible.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |