New Grey Eats Way To Fast

[stlgrey]

My new grey girl can't seem to eat her dry food without turning into a suction hose. She sucks down her kibble way to fast. Today I tried putting a medium sized ball in her dish, she still ate with a fast gulping action. I give her a cup at a time then wait 10 minutes to give her another cup. I looked at those special dishes in Petsmart, but they didn't give me a good feeling like this will stop her from doing this. I guess I could try something else. Any ideas from any other grey owners who have dealt with this is very appreciate. I am afraid of bloat with her.

[Guest GoingRogue]

My new boy is the same way. He barely chews any of it. I can say he has gotten a little slower. I assume it comes with comfort but bloat does concern me also. I catch myself watching his abdomen after he eats to see if there is any swelling.

[buddibear]

I tried putting a coffee mug upside down in the middle of the dish. Some have suggested a bundt pan (metal angel food baking pan). Nada. I just wet the smaller kibble (Natural Balance:Venison/Sweet Potato) so it slides down better.

[Guest MyBoys]

I just watched It's Me Or The Dog and it was about a dog that ate so fast they were concerned about bloat, what she did was put the kibble in a large kong on the kitchen floor and it allowed the dog to get the kibble out slower which in turn the dog had no choice but to eat slower.

[greysmom]

The Brake Fast bowls do work, but your grey will still eat as fast as she can. If she's new from the track I would say just give it some time and a very firm schedule for eating and she should slow down eventually. None of mine really chew their food and tend to swallow it whole - even my slow eater rarely crunches a kibble. This is probably how she ate at the track so I think it's OK for them.

 

If you are extremely concerned then the only way to slow her down is to feed her in installments as you're doing. You can also feed in several smaller meals throughout the day instead of two morning and night.

 

To put your mind a little at ease, though any large breed, deep-chested dog can bloat, the current thinking is that bloat is more related to genetics than eating habits.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Try filling the bowl with equal parts water to kibble. They have to drink the water, and tends to slow them down. Also, putting water in the food, you know they are staying hydrated.

[Sambuca]

You can also use a muffin tin and put a little kibble in each hole. What I'll do for dogs that eat too fast is hand feed them. I put 3 or 4 pieces of kibble in the dish and they can't eat it until I say OK. then I put a few more pieces in the dish and make then wait again. I do this until the meal is finished.

[Guest caliebsmom]

We had this problem with our boxer and the vet recommended feeding her off a cookie sheet. We used one of the ones with the raised sides. It did slow her down. She is back to a regular bowl and is a leisurely eater now.

[GreyTzu]

Personally, I'm not paying 15 or 20 bucks for the brake-fast bowl. Nor for any bowl for that matter.

 

I think Dessie eats too fast. She would argue that she doesn't eat enough.

 

I add water to her bowl and put a small bowl on top of her kibble with yogurt in it. It slows her down and she eats at a reasonable speed now. Her food bowl looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ramekin-type bowl was like 2 bucks at Walmart. She gets more water than it looks like in the picture as some of it soaked up while I was taking pictures. She also gets her supplements in her kibble and she eats them right up.

[Batmom]

Not sure it's a problem. If dog doesn't choke, seem uncomfortable, or have the opportunity to overeat, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Guest SusanP]

If you were to free- feed dry kibble, I wonder if that would take the "excitement" out of mealtime. No idea if this would work, but I've had 5 do well on this plan.

[TheFullHouse]

I always add water to my pups kibble and let it soak in. If they eat too fast they don't choke and I know for sure they're getting water every day even if I don't see them drinking a lot.

[Guest Stripeyfan]

We have to do the 'second helpings' thing with Kelly because he eats so fast he hyperventilates!! As long as he has breaks to breathe, though, he seems to be ok.

[Guest Sunset123]

I don't have a good solution, but I can tell you that Arrisa started out eating super-fast when she came to me, but she's slowed down. I think she realizes that she's the only dog and no one is going to try to eat her food.

[Guest caelanarcher]

I put an unopened can of tuna right in the middle of Aaron's bowl. He eats around it, and it slows him down enough that he doesn't cough the food up later. When we're visiting my family in PA, we put his food on a wide tray and let him eat from that.

[GeorgeofNE]

 

 

To put your mind a little at ease, though any large breed, deep-chested dog can bloat, the current thinking is that bloat is more related to genetics than eating habits.

 

 

That's what I've read too--

 

Also bear in mind that in the kennels she was raised in, and the track if she raced, she ate as fast as she wanted, probably out of a feeding pail on the ground--and was just fine!

 

 

We actually had a dog die of "bloat" (gastric torsion) and he wasn't a Greyhound or a faster eater.

[stlgrey]

I went to the dollar store at lunch and bought a muffin tin, cookie sheet to try to feed her. The muffin tin had no effect on the pace she ate. The cookie sheet however, did the trick. I sprinkled a little out at a time and she had to work to get it all. I am hoping that she will realize that there is going to be enough food for her to eat here, always. She didn't cough up any or throw up after eating off the cookie tray.

[Guest phineas]

Our new grey is a super fast eater, too. For his dinner, I tried putting an upturned coffe mug (rather heavy) in the middle of his dish. It slowed him down enough that he actually did a little chewing!

Edited July 9, 2010 by phineas

[Guest jaws4evr]

Some people feed fast-eaters on a clean floor, without a bowl at all. If the food is spread out on a flat surface, there's only so fast she'll be able to eat it!

[Guest earlkattangrey]

Try filling the bowl with equal parts water to kibble. They have to drink the water, and tends to slow them down. Also, putting water in the food, you know they are staying hydrated.

 

Make sure your food doesn't have citric acid as a preservative as wetting it will actually increase your chances of bloat!

 

I have a bolter. I got him a large slow feed/antibloat bowl from Pet Supplies Plus for $8 and change, not sure of the brand but it has rubber feet and three "walls" rather than raised columns like the Brake Fast bowl. I also fill it with enough water til it just floats. The muffin tin works great too (is just a pain to clean, comparatively). This system has worked great for us!

 

I would love to feed the kibble from a treat ball of kong instead, but most greys are too tall to eat off the ground comfortably long term. This was my preferred method of feeding for Meeve, my mutt, however, til Kattan dismantled the treat ball one day

[Guest bluefiggie]

My current foster Ed, has been out of the kennel for 48 hours now and is a terrible gulper. I asked about this and I was told to make sure the food was very moist, and that he was being fed in his crate since that is how they are fed in the kennels. This morning he was fed in his crate and he seemed to slow down a bit. I was told if this didn't work to find a big stone or other object that he couldn't eat or break to place in the middle.

[Guest bigbrindlebunny]

Yep. I don't think Pete chews, he inhales his food. I got some large, solid hard rubber toys at PetSmart, the kind that you give puppies for chewing and can go through the top rack of the dishwasher. I toss a couple of those in his bowl along with the food. Just make sure the toys are too large to be swallowed.

[Guest RichardUK]

Not sure it's a problem. If dog doesn't choke, seem uncomfortable, or have the opportunity to overeat, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Have to agree - At the kennels the dogs are fed warm wet kibble - a 12" bowl full to the brim - most finish quickly - a few linger. At home mine are fed dry kibble - all of mine did slow down after a month or so - Somehow I've always been far more worried if they don't finish or pick at the food.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

All my track doggies eat like that- great eaters. I add water and let it soak a little and mix some canned in so they don't choke on bits of kibble.

[Guest BrianRke]

All of mine started out inhaling their food for the first few months. After they realized another dog wasnt going to take it from them, they slowed down. Also I agree with GREYT_DOG_LOVER, adding water and maybe some canned food with the kibble really helped mine to slow down.