Health problems:
Eating too fast can cause excessive air intake along with food, leading to gastric torsion (stomach twisting). This is a serious condition as it can cut off blood supply to vital organs, requiring urgent veterinary intervention. Surgery is often needed to correct the twisted stomach, primarily affecting medium and large-sized dogs.
Eating too fast often begins with puppies at breeders. Puppies sharing a single food bowl may eat quickly to ensure they get enough food. Fortunately, more breeders now provide individual bowls for each puppy, allowing them to eat calmly and learn not to eat too fast.
Food aggression:
Food aggression can involve defending food, treats, and even toys. This behavior often starts in puppies sharing a food bowl, leading to defensive eating habits. It can also develop in older dogs if they frequently experience others taking their food, treats, or toys.
Tips to slow down eating and avoid food aggression:
· Create a Peaceful Eating Area: Ensure a stress-free environment during feeding.
· Individual Bowls/Treat Toys: Provide each dog with their own bowl or treat toy and enough space to eat undisturbed.
· Avoid High-Traffic Areas: Place feeding bowls away from doors or walkways to prevent stress from people passing by.
· Keep Children Away: Ensure children do not approach the food bowl or treat toy during feeding.
· Do Not Remove Food: Allow dogs to eat without taking their food away. Dogs have the right to defend their food, just as we would defend our meal.
· Use the Toppl XL: This toy requires dogs to work for their food, slowing down their eating and reducing air intake. It also provides mental stimulation.
· Rest After Eating: Give your dog at least 1-2 hours of rest after eating to aid digestion.
The Toppl XL is an excellent tool to slow down eating and mentally stimulate dogs, helping them to rest after meals. You can fill it with their regular kibble or raw food, making it a great brain-stimulating toy for larger breeds.
And you can combine the Toppl sizes:
• Toppl small fits on the Toppl Large
• Toppl large fits on the Toppl XL
This combination creates a great challenge for your dog, first to figure out how to open the Toppl to get to their food, and then how to get the food out of the Toppl.
Attention: When introducing a treat toy to your dog for the first time, avoid making it too difficult. Your dog might become frustrated and damage the toy or lose motivation and ignore it. Success is key.
Steps to Introduce the Toppl:
1. Start with an open Toppl and put a few dry kibble inside. It will fall out easily, motivating your dog to continue.
2. Make the dry kibble slightly wet, but also add a few dry kibble.
3. Increase difficulty by using wet food, meat, or other treats as their daily food.
4. Combine two Toppls or freeze one Toppl and give it to your dog.
Always supervise your dog while eating to prevent frustration and ensure they eat at a safe pace.
The Toppl is approved by the Canine Arthritis Management organization as a perfect toy for dogs with arthritis and chronic pain. It helps dogs relieve pain and improve their quality of life.
Blog has been written by Rita Viel, export manager West Paw Inc, and certified dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant in The Netherlands.
