How to Slow Down a Fast Eater

By Eliza Wynn

If your dog is a fast eater, you've probably had to clean up after him more than once. There are two reasons for the need to clean after your pet eats:  the area can get messy during the feeding frenzy, and gulped-down food doesn't always stay down. Either way, it's no fun for you, and in the latter case, it's no fun for your dog either.

Dogs that tend to eat too fast can't catch a break. They have the hungries, and the food is right there waiting for them, so what's the problem? Why should they slow down and risk letting a piece of kibble get away? It's not fair!

It may not be fair, but it's much better for your dog to slow down at mealtime. Fast eaters tend to have more digestive problems than those who take their time. Besides being a choking hazard, eating too fast increases the risk of dangerous bloating from swallowing too much air. Fortunately, there are a few things responsible pet owners can do to help slow down a fast eater.

Feed by hand

If you have time, try hand feeding your dog. It's a terrific way to spend quality time with him, and since you control the pace, this is the most effective way to get him to eat more slowly. Offer one piece at a time; if you don't hear any crunching, hold back a few seconds before offering another bite.

Scatter the kibble

One fun game is to toss the kibble onto a hard floor and watch your dog track down all the pieces. There's no guarantee he won't still swallow some of them whole, but the overall process will be somewhat slower. Save back a few pieces to hide inside a toy while he's eating.

Divide it up

If tossing kibble sounds more like a mess than fun, try dividing the meal into separate portions and placing them in different areas of the room. Another way to divide the kibble is to use a clean ice cube tray or muffin pan; having to go from one compartment to another will force your dog to take a little more time with his meal. Make sure every piece is flat, not on top of another piece.

Add an obstruction

Some bowls are specially designed to help dogs slow down at mealtime. These work by using a maze, compartments or other design to obstruct access to the kibble, which prevents the eater from downing everything in one huge gulp. A less expensive alternative is to place a large pet-friendly object such as a ball inside the bowl along with the food. As long as he doesn't remove the object, this will accomplish the same thing by giving him something to eat around instead of allowing unobstructed access.

What about canned food?

Many pets eat moist or canned food, either alone or in addition to kibble. In this case, you can still try most of the tips given above. For hand feeding, try giving small bites on a spoon or spatula. You can also stuff some of the food inside an appropriate toy. Just don't try the scatter method; it would actually be more of a splatter method!

By helping your dog slow down at mealtime, you'll be making meals safer and more enjoyable. Besides, if he gulps down his CANIDAE Pure Elements dog food, he won't be able to taste just how delicious it is!

Top photo by Brian Snelson
Bottom photo by tobyotter

Read more articles by Eliza Wynn

Musings from Bark Twain, AKA a Big Dog Named Bruin

By Bruin, canine guest blogger

Dear Fans:

For those of you who are not already aware, for the last 2½ months I have been on a diet.  My parents and my weight loss warden, Dr. Brooks, keep telling me I should not think of it as a diet but rather as a healthier way of eating.  I think they forget sometimes that though I display an inordinate amount of brain cells, I am, after all a dog and find that concept disconcerting and unreasonable.

I do remember vaguely back in the day when my family would ask if I’d like a “treat” and then turn around and give me a dog bone.  I felt like Hannibal Lector since only he would want to eat the bones of other dogs.  (Please don’t tell Mom and Dad because I’m not allowed to watch those kinds of things but when they leave the room, I “accidentally” roll over on the remote and change the channel.)

Dr. Brooks also suggested that I keep a food diary because little items seem to add up so quickly calorie-wise.  You’d think with all the examinations he’s given me, he would have noticed I don’t have any thumbs but thank goodness, at least I do have access to a computer.  My having to “watch my weight” bothers my Mom and Dad so much more than me because like so many others, they equate love with food. When I go in periodically to get weighed, they always hold their breath and advise me to only stand on one paw.

My much older (counting in dog years) two-legged siblings are actually quite jealous and insist they were never regarded with the same devotion afforded me.  They must think that cooking for me daily and serving my water chilled is not an entitlement.  The nerve of them to count the number of times I go to the vet and compare it to the number of times they were taken to the pediatrician! Not for publication is also the fact that my Mom carries around pictures of me and none of her children/grandchildren.

Everybody thinks they're being so original when they tell my folks they really should put a saddle on me and keep me in a stable. Speaking of everybody, my Dad who doesn’t like to go out much, now enjoys it because he considers me quite the chick magnet.  I’m not worried about the stability of my home though, because dogs chase cars all the time but they wouldn’t know what to do with it if they actually caught one.  That’s my good old Dad!

I know there isn’t one of you out there who has not tried every new weight loss measure that comes around on a monthly basis.  My last hope was the macaroni and cheese ex-lax one that had me parked in the backyard for nine hours straight.  Even though I’m extremely well-trained, I wasn’t able to obey the command to “sit” for at least four days.  Now, my four-legged friends, I am delighted to say I have found one that not only works, but actually tastes good.  Of course, I’m speaking about CANIDAE Platinum dog food.  As a devotee, I now walk around the house singing my new anthem “Oh CANIDAE, Oh CANIDAE.”

The glucosamine chondroitin in the CANIDAE really keeps me hopping, as well as the carrots that are now my “treats.” Not only have I lost 10 lbs. in just under three months, but I’ve also been able to throw away my glasses.  The greatest thing is that my pecs have stayed the same but my butt appears to be quite a bit smaller.  I’m hoping that when Colliewood comes calling, Al Poochino can play me and, perhaps, Kibble Shepherd can be his leading lady.  Al may think she’s a little long in the tooth at this point, but we all know the miracles of botox.

Since I’m not supposed to think about eating so much, you’d think that when I’m left at home my folks wouldn’t turn the TV to the Food Network.  I know they keep hoping they’ll come home and find that I’ve fixed a nice dinner for them, but watching all that stuff just makes me hungry.  Then again, if you don’t have thumbs, it’s difficult to turn a nice rib-eye.

Even though I love the taste of CANIDAE Platinum, my ultimate goal is to get my mind off of food and think of other things.  Perhaps next time you’d like to hear about my neutering experience.  Now that story is a real cut-up!

Love & Licks,
Bruin (the Stud low-cal muffin)

CANIDAE Life Stages: New Look, Same Great Food!

New Packaging Highlights HealthPLUS Solutions™ – a Powerful Trio of Nutrition that CANIDAE Applies to Every Kibble After Cooking

The next time you purchase CANIDAE Life Stages dog food, you will notice something different. CANIDAE is introducing exciting, redesigned bags for its line of Life Stages dog food, and very soon the fresh new packaging will hit retail shelves. While the outside of the bag may be different, rest assured that what’s inside remains 100% the same. These snappy new bags are still full of the same carefully selected natural ingredients, the same trio of micronutrients applied on every piece of kibble, and the same formulations. And of course these foods continue to come with the same commitment to quality that has always gone into every product CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods makes.

HealthPLUS Solutions in Every Bite™

Part of this packaging change is to make pet owners aware of the powerful trio of nutrition that CANIDAE applies on every piece of kibble after it is cooked. CANIDAE has always added these micronutrients but has only now given this unique process a name – HealthPLUS Solutions.

This precise trio includes Probiotic ForLife Cultures to support healthy digestion, Powerful Antioxidants to help maintain a healthy immune system, and Omega 6 & 3 Fatty Acids to help provide a beautiful skin and coat.

Since that's a lot of healthy benefits in every bite, you can see why CANIDAE chose to give all three micronutrients a simple, easy to remember name!

Because all of these healthy nutrients are applied to every piece of kibble only after cooking, your pet gets healthy benefits in every single bite. It’s all part of the CANIDAE commitment to A Healthier Today for a Longer Tomorrow™.

Why did the packaging change?

In addition to communicating HealthPLUS Solutions, CANIDAE listened to suggestions from you, our customers, for their new packaging. If you’ve ever interacted with CANIDAE customer service, you know how easy they are to communicate with. They make themselves available through their sponsorship of this blog, where you are encouraged to leave comments. They are also available via their lively Facebook Page, a virtual Suggestion Box and a contact form on their main webpage.

Through these avenues, CANIDAE picked up helpful recommendations which resulted in new consumer-friendly, informative packaging that offers eye-catching shelf appeal in the store, along with easy-to-read product features and benefits for consumers.

What makes CANIDAE Life Stages dog food so nutritious?

* Protein rich recipes comprised of carefully selected, high quality natural ingredients, without the cheap fillers found in lesser quality food.

* A special blend of ten skin and coat conditioners proven to produce a healthy, luxurious coat.

* Guaranteed levels of two of nature’s most powerful antioxidants – Vitamins E and C – help support a strong immune system and protect healthy cells.

* Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and herbs provide a nutritious blend of natural ingredients.

* A powerful trio of micronutrients at guaranteed levels.

* Guaranteed levels of probiotics (1 million CFU).

* Highest levels of Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids and digestive enzymes.

* Essential vitamins and chelated minerals.

* Brown rice provides whole grain goodness packed with B vitamins and minerals.

* Flax seed provides Omega 3 fatty acids for skin and coat health, and it soothes the stomach, too.

Highest standards of quality and safety

CANIDAE is a family-owned and operated business with its own research and development center and manufacturing facility. All CANIDAE products are made in the U.S.A. with only the highest quality natural ingredients. What you won’t ever find in CANIDAE pet food is corn, soy, wheat, fillers, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

So while the CANIDAE Life Stages packaging has a fresh new look, rest assured that the kibble inside the bag remains the very same nutritious, premium-quality pet food it's always been.