Dog question - I swear my dog is going to choke to death one day.

[Skywalker]

This is strange, but it is a serious question.

My one dog eats so fast that he always winds up losing his breath and wheezing. A couple of times (actually lots of times) he has eaten so fast he starts to choke on his food but he is able to kind of force it back up.

Once, I found him turned over on his back with his eyes bulged and legs shaking and I gave him some version of the Heimlich manouever and the lodged food came out!

I have spoken to my vet about this and he just kind of laughs and says that #1, a dog will not choke to death on his food. They sometimes choke on toys but they know how to regulate their food intake and #2, if I am worried then just feed him a few kibbles at a time.

I have tried to feed him just a few kibbles at a time but I don't always have the time to spread his supper out over an hour, LOL. Also, even though the vet says he won't actually choke, it sure looked like it to me and so I am paranoid about it all the time.

I don't even know what I'm asking. Has anyone experienced this before? Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

 

[louey]

I think they can choke on food, here is a link to a special kind of dog bowl for dogs who eat too fast. You may want to try it.

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/22/dog-bowl-designed-to.html

 

[solferino]

Short of giving him small amounts of food at time you could dump it out on the floor and let him have at it. Or an under the bed storage bin cover (easier to stow away) if you need to keep it somewhat contained, but spread out for him to eat.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Put a toy (like a Kong) or a clean rock in the bowl that he has to eat around.

Put the food on a cookie sheet, which makes it harder for him to eat quickly.

 

[Hercules10]

Be careful if he's a large breed. Gulping food like that might lead to bloat.

How long have you had him and do you have other pets? My female shepherd used to be the same way. She'd stick her whole head in her bowl and snarfed down her meal in seconds. Then when she realized she had her own bowl and she didn't have to share, she slowed down.

 

[Magpie]

This is strange, but it is a serious question.

My one dog eats so fast that he always winds up losing his breath and wheezing. A couple of times (actually lots of times) he has eaten so fast he starts to choke on his food but he is able to kind of force it back up.

Once, I found him turned over on his back with his eyes bulged and legs shaking and I gave him some version of the Heimlich manouever and the lodged food came out!

I have spoken to my vet about this and he just kind of laughs and says that #1, a dog will not choke to death on his food. They sometimes choke on toys but they know how to regulate their food intake and #2, if I am worried then just feed him a few kibbles at a time.

I have tried to feed him just a few kibbles at a time but I don't always have the time to spread his supper out over an hour, LOL. Also, even though the vet says he won't actually choke, it sure looked like it to me and so I am paranoid about it all the time.

I don't even know what I'm asking. Has anyone experienced this before? Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

Erm... well, your vet is wrong. I know a breeder who had one of his puppies somehow manage to choke on *puppy* sized kibble. Luckily he had a return the next day, so everyone who was promised a puppy got one, but it was very distressing!

So yeah - dogs can choke on their food. Is there any reason your dog might have for gobbling his food? Are there other pets who try to steal it? We leave our dog's food out all the time and let her graze, but this doesn't work with some dogs. Some dogs will eat until they make themselves sick.

That dog bowl from Boingboing looks like a really good idea. I hope you find a solution!

 

[disneyaggie]

I needed this information also -- I always like to keep any good pet info handy!

 

[solferino]

I think they can choke on food, here is a link to a special kind of dog bowl for dogs who eat too fast. You may want to try it.

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/22/dog-bowl-designed-to.html

Holy cow, I love that bowl! The little guy to the left is definitely getting one. He doesn't eat so fast that he chokes, but is bothersome to the elderly lab that eats soooooo slow. Here's a direct link to the mfr. https://brake-fast.c3.ixwebhosting.com/store/home.php although I'm going to see if my SIL can get it for me though their store. (Kind of like a mom and pop Petco/Agway).

 

[Skywalker]

I think they can choke on food, here is a link to a special kind of dog bowl for dogs who eat too fast. You may want to try it.

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/22/dog-bowl-designed-to.html

Thank you so much! That is a great idea. You rock louey!


We have another dog and a cat, and they don't seem interested in trying to steal his food. My other dog just kind of slowly munches his food and seems to enjoy the show of my little dog chowing down like a starved pig. The cat ignores them both.

This dog is a tiny little thing, by the way. We got him when he was five years old and I know he used to live in a kennel with other dogs so maybe he learned this behaviour back then, although we have had him for going on 6 years now, and it has only gotten this bad recently.

Thanks for your ideas!!!

Magpie, that is such a sad story about the puppy. I've been told this before on here but I think I really will have to get another vet.

 

[Disney Doll]

Most likely "The Gobbler" feels threatened by the presence of other animals, thinking they are going to eat his food, even if they really don't care. My dog was a grazer, unless my friend's dog was visiting...then he became a "Gobbler" too.

The cookie sheet idea is a good one, as is the bowl someone posted. Try the cookie sheet first...maybe it'll slow down your "Gobbler" enough so you don't have to buy the bowl.

As far as your vet...I am not sure where he gets the idea that a dog can't choke...pretty much anything with a throat can choke. I know you've posted about your vet before... I think I'd consider trying a different vet, like you said.

 

[GraysMom]

I don't know much about dogs, but could you feed him canned food with small chunks instead and only do the dry food when you have time to spread his mealtime out? I hope your little doggie is OK.

 

[Moonmom]

One of dogs that we adopted as a senior (12), practically inhaled his food. He acted almost as if he had to eat as fast & as much as could like he wasn't going to get food again. I sure didn't want him to get bloat; but nor did I want him to choke. I did do that doling out of small handfuls at a time.. but that gets tiresome. Then I tried switching his regular bowl to putting his food in an angel food baking pan..you know..the kind the tube in the middle? I split his meals in half at first.. but 'cause of the tube in the center he had to kinda work around to eat..then I'd give him the second half. Sounds kinda silly now..but I'd talk to him while he was eating,,, then at the halfway point I'd give lots of "good boy..nice manners..good boy".
Eventually he went back to his regular bowl..and he stopped the "inhaling the kibble". Guess part of it was HE had to figure out that we we'ren't going to let him be hungry or unhappy again.

 

[disykat]

My dog has been an "only dog" ever since she left her litter at 10 weeks and always gobbles her food. The man we got her from called us less than a week after we got her to let us know one of her littermates had choked to death and was diagnosed (by autopsy) with a deformed esophogus. Our dog has always gobbled and coughed, gobbled and coughed. It's interesting to hear other dogs have this problem. I'm looking into that bowl as well! I think it would help her enjoy her meals more also.

We always just figured she was meant to be in our family! Not only are we all fast eaters, but my dad has some choking issues due to postpolio syndrome.

 

[Keli]

Our golden will do that occassionally and she has no other animals in the house to worry about.
When she starts eating really fast I'll tell her to 'slow down' and if she still gobbles it down (to the point of choking) I'll make her stop for a minute and wait to finish her food. She hates that so now all it takes is one 'slow down' command and she slows down.

 

[Imzadi]

When you click on the link there is a blog. Someone posted:

"My English Setter pup would eat his cup of food in about 10 seconds (really!). I did not know such a product existed, so I simply placed an old softball in the bowl. It slowed him down so it took about two minutes for him to eat. After doing that for 4-6 months, I removed the ball and he now eats slower than my Golden Retriever -- about two minutes. You don't need a special product -- just a little Yankee ingenuity!"

Another person suggested a tennis ball. That might work better for a small dog, unless he just grabs it & tosses it out of the bowl.

 

[hercamore]

My DD has a lab who seems to inhale his food and we bought that special bowl as posted above. It does help.
herc