My dog is swallowing the dog food without chewing it. Is that OK?
By ravi_s2025
@ravi_s2025 (510)
India
March 21, 2011 5:26am CST
I rarely hear the chewing sound when i give pedigree to my dog.So i decided to give him one by one.But still he swallows it without chewing and sometimes it clogs his throat and he puke it out and chew it well the second time.Will the food digest if swallowed without chewing?
2 people like this
7 responses
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
23 Mar 11
Hello Ravi,
You've been already told that Pedigree is not the best choice among dog foods, so I won't repeat this. Though I understood that you don't give him Pedigree at a regular basis, still stop giving him these kibbles.
I wouldn't worry about him swallowing without chewing, many dogs chew only a few kibbles and the rest of them are swallowed the way they are. My dog, who is a big eater, do the same. If I give her kibbles one by one, as a reward, she chews them. But when she has the full dish in front of her, she swallows most of the food without chewing.
The only thing that might worry you is that he could choke with them if he's too greedy. This is why I'd also recommend using a slow-down dish (as Carmelanirel said before) or to give the dry food mixed with the regular rice that he eats.
2 people like this
@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
23 Mar 11
hi inu
Are all dry dog foods unhealthy for dogs or is it just pedigree that is unhealthy?What are the health issues that a dog can get by eating pedigree?
1 person likes this
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
23 Mar 11
If you ask a supporter of the barf dog diet, they will tell you that every dry dog food is unhealthy. But for now, most of the specialists advice dog owners to feed their dogs with kibbles. If you decide to follow this advice, all you have to do is to chose the brand of dog food wisely.
Why is Pedigree unhealthy? Have you ever looked at the ingredients? There is not even one good thing in this “food”
: ground whole corn, meat and bone meal (?), ground wheat, corn gluten meal, animal fats. If you look up for a list with ingredients to avoid in dog feeding, these are all on the list.
So, practically, you poison your dog with this kind of food, with all the health issues following it: liver disease, cancers, tumors and so on.
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2 people like this
@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
24 Mar 11
Thank you for enlightening me.I didn't know that corn was unhealthy.The first ingredient in the dog food i bought is "cereals and cereal by-products".I guess it is corn.
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@owlwings (43914)
• Cambridge, England
21 Mar 11
So long as you make sure that your dog drinks well when you feed him dry food, I think you needn't worry too much about him chewing. It is a good idea, of course, to give him things which encourage chewing - suitable bones or processed skin chews, for example, because that encourages natural tooth cleaning and gum health as well as saliva.
Many dogs are quite happy with a diet solely of dried food and water but it is very important to find a product which is properly balanced for the size and type of dog. Pedigree is supposed to be reputable but a good pet store or vet can often recommend something better and cheaper.
A healthy dog which gets enough exercise is usually able to naturally regulate the amount of food they eat but dried food, especially when it is not chewed, can sometimes result in over-eating (because the dog's stomach doesn't register as 'full' when he has actually eaten enough and, when he then drinks, he becomes 'over full').
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@owlwings (43914)
• Cambridge, England
21 Mar 11
I think I would agree with you there, Pergammano. If someone is promoting something heavily, it is always worth asking why. I see nothing wrong, in principle, with such a practice (it is, after all, a sensible way for any vet to try to defray the overheads of the business) but there is no substitute for KNOWING what you are looking for in the first place and reading the labels.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
21 Mar 11
My concern about using a Vet for suggesting quality "dog food" is a bit of a hit and miss. Having travelled extensively, last summer with my dog, often I had to visit Vet Clinics (as he has an anal gland problem.) Each clinic, I visited, proclaimed the pet food, they were carrying...was the finest, most nutrional, and the truth of the matter, it was foods from multi-nationals that give incentives to Clinics to promote their foods! I took serious note of this, and when I returned home, asked my usual Vet...whom is a travelling Vet, visiting the Islands I live on, and she did NOT have good words for Clinics that promote these foods, just for the $ incentive. There are a lot of smaller companies, that really do have quality food...but not the $$$$ to promote! Appraising, and reading labels are your best guide! Thank you..and take care!
@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
21 Mar 11
I don't like to give pedigree as a daily food for my dog.I give rice +egg as a daily food.I feel like giving pedigree to dog as a meal is same as we eating biscuits and potato chips as a meal.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
21 Mar 11
He might be puking because he is eating too fast and what you need to do is invest in a slow down dish. I have two puppies and had video taped Penny who would scarf down her food and sometimes she'd throw it back up. The slow down dish makes it hard for the dog to eat so fast. It was one of the best investments I made..
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@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
21 Mar 11
Okay, but I don't know how healthy that is. Here is a video of Penny when I first gave her her food in the slow down dish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpl1Q_CdFmQ
As you can see, she was still pretty fast, but she hasn't choked or thrown up since and these dishes are not that expensive.
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@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
21 Mar 11
yeah he is eating it very fast because it has chicken flavour in it.I dont really want to buy a slow down dish or anything just to give pedigree to him.His regular food is rice,which will digest even if he doesnt chew.I want to give pedigree as an evening snack to him like we eat chips.
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@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
21 Mar 11
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Dogs' gastric systems are made where they can digest foods that aren't chewed. Their systems are not made like those of humans who have to chew foods well. The vomiting is probably due to the speed in which he is eating/swallowing. There are some food dishes being made now that have a post-type device made to the middle of the bowl to help the animal slow down their eating. They have to pick up the food from around the 'post' and this helps slow the eating process.
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@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
21 Mar 11
Oh..and I agree about the Pedigree. You need to be feeding a nongrain based food. Dogs are carnivores and need to be eating meat-based foods. You might want to browse around at www.truthaboutpetfood.com as I think it's most interesting and I've learned quite a bit about what/how to feed my pets.
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@owlwings (43914)
• Cambridge, England
21 Mar 11
Although dogs are naturally carnivores, it is quite possible for a dog to be healthy and well fed on a completely vegetarian diet. Unlike cats (who MUST have meat), dogs are more inclined to be omnivores and CAN be fed a well-balanced vegetarian diet.
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@NIECIE21 (365)
• United States
21 Mar 11
Unless the dog seems to be choking on the food, I wouldnt worry about it. I had a dog who did this when I was younger and the vet said that it is normal for some dogs to eat like that. I would start to worry if he either isnt eating at all or seems to be having a hard time eating.
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@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
21 Mar 11
Actually it can be dangerous, it can turn the dog's stomach, (Have you seen Marley and me?) There are slow down dishes to prevent a dog from eating so fast.
@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
21 Mar 11
my dog does choke on the food.That is what concerns me.I tried giving it one by one but still he doesn't want to chew.But he chews the biscuits and other things that humans eat.But he doesnt chew the dog biscuit.
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@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
23 Mar 11
Occasionally the food parks by his throat ..that's what i am worried about.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
21 Mar 11
How old is your dog? I remember my dog just swallowed all the food all at once within less than a minute when he was a puppy. He didn't learn how to chew until he was almost two years old.
I didn't want him to have stomach problem to I give him seperately, I give him when he finishes. I know that we shouldn't feed the dogs until they are calm and will wait until we say go ahead. The other thing I tried was putting a littl bit of water with his food so he slows down a bit.
Now he knows chewing before eating, I just give him all at once.
@ravi_s2025 (510)
• India
21 Mar 11
My dog is a senior dog and he knows that he should chew.But he is lazy to chew pedigree because of its hardness i guess.Also,he is in a hurry to eat food that contains meat in it because i rarely give him meat.If I give him food that we humans eat ,he chews it well but doesn't chew the dog food.
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