Help needed for a fast eater

[Peggy1211]

I got my Toby when he was almost 7 months old and he came from a household with 8 other dogs. He evidently got into the habit of wolfing down his food there. He doesn't need to do it here because my other 2 Yorkies are busy concentrating on their own food and chewing every little bite. My vet advised getting a Slow Feeding Bowl and I'm writing to ask if anyone has had any experience with this or can offer any words of advice. I would appreciate any help I can get for him.

Oh, and I've already tried feeding him in a separate room and that didn't work. He still swallowed everything whole and as fast as he could.

Thanks so much for your help!
Peggy and Toby

[DvlshAngel985]

I don't have any experience with the bowl, but have you tried feeding him by hand? Dropping a few kibbles into the bowl to help slow him down?

[Ute White]

I have no experience but I have seen the Slow Feeding Bowl at one of our pet stores here. I would give it a try. Can't be healthy to eat that fast...

[Peggy1211]

Thanks, yes I've tried feeding him by hand and there's a fine line between his biting at the food and me getting bitten, ha! I give them each a treat at night and have them sit, wait, and will try to make him chew on his without my releasing it but it really hurts my finger at times. Putting a few pieces in his bowl doesn't help the wolfing habit either. He just gulps whatever he sees. Poor little boy. It can't be good for him.

The vet also suggested getting bigger kibble, but I'm so afraid of that. I don't want anything to get stuck.

Peggy and Toby

[Peggy1211]

I plan to go to PetCo tomorrow because, at least according to their website, they have the bowls in question. I'm certainly going to try one.

Peggy and Toby

[terlis]

I believe there is also something like a big metal ball that goes in the dish. They have to get the food while trying to get the ball out of the way. I have also heard of people putting a big clean rock in the bowl to slow them down.

[Peggy1211]

Thanks, terlis. BTW, I'm a YT addict too - I love all of them. The big rock in the dish sounds like a good idea. I may be trying that too.

Peggy and Toby

[Rhetts_mama]

My vet recommended I put Rhett's food in a pie dish (so it was more spread out) and an upside down bowl in the center to try and slow him down when he had the aspiration pneumonia. It's the same principle as the slow feeding bowl, but a cheap option.

[Poochieheaven]

I know that people have bought interactive toys before to slow them down. The Nina Ottosson toys such as the brick, dizzy, and pyramid are ones that would help!

[Ute White]

That's basically what the bowl looks like. So maybe instead of buying one try a rock in your bowl. I would be afraid of feeding bigger kibble too, if he swallows them whole he could choke!

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Poochieheaven

I know that people have bought interactive toys before to slow them down. The Nina Ottosson toys such as the brick, dizzy, and pyramid are ones that would help!

I agree. Lady ate her kibble out of a Buster Cube for years. She would eat so fast (she is a rescue) that I had to burp her like a baby afterward or she would throw it back up again.

[Poochieheaven]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I agree. Lady ate her kibble out of a Buster Cube for years. She would eat so fast (she is a rescue) that I had to burp her like a baby afterward or she would throw it back up again.

That is another good option! I believe Premier makes some other interactive toys as well.

[deonk1]

Originally Posted by Peggy1211

Thanks, yes I've tried feeding him by hand and there's a fine line between his biting at the food and me getting bitten, ha! I give them each a treat at night and have them sit, wait, and will try to make him chew on his without my releasing it but it really hurts my finger at times. Putting a few pieces in his bowl doesn't help the wolfing habit either. He just gulps whatever he sees. Poor little boy. It can't be good for him.

The vet also suggested getting bigger kibble, but I'm so afraid of that. I don't want anything to get stuck.

Peggy and Toby

For the treat thing, what about putting it in a kong... make him work for it... I've never tried a slow eating bowl for dogs (only had one so far), but when I had horses, we used to put things in thier feed pans to slow them down and they worked REALLY well. In the past 10 years only had one that it didn't work on.

[MaddiesMommie]

I think your Toby must be Cooper's long lost brother. She also eats incredibly fast. I have tried it all and never found a solution.
I tried hand feeding, only got my fingertips biten.
Spreading her food out, and this seemed to make her take in more air or something because she would throw up some after this.
Putting objects in her bowl for her to work around. Nothing.

She is a little over a year, and dh and I both noticed the other night we could hear her actually crunching...just really fast. So that is an improvement to swallowing it all whole. Good luck to you and let me know if you find something that works.

[RDB911]

google "brake-fast" its a bowl to help fast eaters...

I'm considering it for my fast eater as well...