Swallowing Food Whole

[LoALAnna]

I have a problem with Connor- he rarely, if ever, chews his food! He just swallows it down, whether it is kibble, bits of Natural Balance roll, whatever. He has been doing this for a couple weeks, and I did notice on Saturday while I was drying him after his bath that he lost a back tooth. He has had some bad breath issues,too. Is there anything I can do to encourage him to chew his food?

[baby yorkie]

I would love to know this answer too. My pek (almost 13 years) swallows everything. One time I gave her a CET bone and it was getting down to the last inch so I tried to bribe her with a piece of cheese to get it away. She swallowed it whole!!!! I have to watch everything I give her.

[trin7]

I have heard if you put a large heavy ball in the centre of the bowl it slows them down. There is a product sold in some pet shops specifically for slowing down eating but I can't see much difference between the ball and that product.

We have a 3/4 pyrenees dog that also did this and the only thing that fixed it is when he was accidentally fed lunch twice. Our mistake is what actually changed his eating habits. Hmmm, this may work for your pup.

[LoALAnna]

Originally Posted by trin7

I have heard if you put a large heavy ball in the centre of the bowl it slows them down. There is a product sold in some pet shops specifically for slowing down eating but I can't see much difference between the ball and that product.

We have a 3/4 pyrenees dog that also did this and the only thing that fixed it is when he was accidentally fed lunch twice. Our mistake is what actually changed his eating habits. Hmmm, this may work for your pup.

This is a great trick for dogs (especially big dogs) that bolt their food. Connor doesn't gulp his food, he just swallows it whole, even when I hand feed a piece at a time. Maybe by the time he gets all his adult teeth in he will have started to chew (and taste, lol) his food!

[MochaBoyMom]

If he's not on puppy food, can you find adult food with larger kibbles that cannot be swallowed? Mocha used to swallow his chicken treats so I started giving him larger pieces and force him to chew. Once he realized that chewed food has more flavor, he started chewing everything....even things he is not supposed to.

Make sure you supervise at the beginning so he doesn't try to swallow the larger pieces also.

[tmorrow26]

My Molly is the same way! She literally is like a hoover vaccuum cleaner. Put a few kibble bits down and she sucks them up like an ant-eater! I have always worried about this. I am so glad I am not alone. Little weirdos

[Fluttercat]

Maby yorkshires just swallow their food... Because mine does it too

[shelbysmom]

My pup does this, plus she sucks it up so fast she regurgitates it. I had to start feeding her canned food that I smear all over a plate to slow her down. Problem solved

[horsnaround]

My Lily does this and she does not eat fast as I free feed. I have come to accept it is just her. She is health so guess I have stopped worrying about it

[MochaBoyMom]

If the problem is eating too fast, there are bowls you can buy that makes them eat slower.

[Wylie's Mom]

Lol, this thread is from 2010...but if for getting a dog to slow down their eating, some put a golf ball in their dish to slow them down a bit. Many dogs just inhale/swallow their food without any chewing at all.