Food for dogs

What To Do If Your Dog Doesn't Chew Its Food

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
What To Do If Your Dog Doesn't Chew Its Food

Dogs simply have difficulty understanding the notion of savoring their food. This is easy to see when you give them a bowl of food and it's been licked clean in a few minutes. We have to remember that dogs don't chew, they swallow, and they do this on instinct, like wolves, to show that they have been the first to get the food and are able to eat more of it. At OneHowto we show you what to do if your dog doesn't chew its food so that you can follow a feeding pattern that is beneficial to their health.

You may also be interested in: What to do if Your Dog Doesn't Want To Walk

Steps to follow:

1

Dogs are capable of swallowing food whole without it making them ill. This is good to know so you don't need to worry about it but you still need to know why this is. A dog's oesophagus can increase and expand to five times its size to swallow food, as well as letting large pieces pass through without any trouble. This is why your dog doesn't chew food, they don't need to, plus their strong stomach acid can handle it.

2

But it's not all down to instinct. Your dog might be running a risk if they don't chew and eat too quickly, for example, they can get frequent hiccups or they can develop bad breath. We can show you what you can do to make sure that your pet chews their food and thus reduces this small daily risk. Remember that you need to know how to recognise the problem. That said, what's a lot more dangerous than your dog not chewing is them overeating, as this can lead to obesity, which brings a whole variety of problems.

What To Do If Your Dog Doesn't Chew Its Food - Step 2
3

The first thing to take into account if you want to know what to do if your dog doesn't chew its food is that you can combine natural food to dog food. By mixing an egg or chicken pieces to dog food, these foods will reduce your dog's anxiety levels throughout the day as it contains serotonin, which greatly reduces nervousness.

4

Another way to ensure that your dog chews its food is by making their environment more relaxing to ease their nervousness and thereby stop panic eating.

5

You can make sure that your dog chews their food in a simple way: through playing, constantly. Long walks, and playing with you keeps them in good physical condition and makes them less panicky when it comes to mealtimes.

In this article we show you how much exercise does your dog need so you know how long their walks need to be to keep them fit and healthy.

6

Estimate how many calories your dog eats and make sure that they aren't using more than this when exercising. Keeping your dog in good physical health is an easy task, don't make a habit out of giving into their every craving and always play with them. Make no mistake, they will appreciate it.

In this article we show you why is my dog always hungry?, so that you can understand your dog's appetite.

If you want to read similar articles to What To Do If Your Dog Doesn't Chew Its Food, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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6 comments
Rating:
Susan
I recently changed dog food brands and noticed the new food are very small kibbles so my small 1yr old fur baby rarely chews his new food. He swallows it whole and I do use a slow feeder bowl as well. Should I switch to a larger kibble (Same brand) or add water to his food to soften it so he’s not swallowing his food whole? He did vomit his food so I am keeping an eye on that.
Mary
My dog eats too fast and will not chow his food up? Should I get he the medium bite-size food or a little warm water to his food because he is losing his teeth too?
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Mary,

If you get the larger sized food, you might even up with dental problems if their gums are sore. Adding water will also only likely make it easier for the dog to eat it. The best thing you can do is simply feed them more regularly. Feed them the necessary amount of food, but do so in smaller more frequent portions. This will mean they shouldn't be able to eat too much in one go and cause gastrointestinal issues.
lois
my dog does not swallow her food, but does not eat fast, then she throws it up, new dog food for crystals in urine. but so to speak she has thrown up other foods in the pass, I am at a loss.
would it be a good idea to grate the food?
Carrie Burns
Can I grind some of his food and mix wet food,teddy is 5months old and he eats fast ,he put on weigh fast,I think it is because he does not chew his food..He's a mix breed York's and Pamarainier(excuse my spelling).Haven't walked him outside yet he just got his 3rd set of shots and I have to wait 2more weeks before he can go for walks.I hope he will drop the weigh.Thank You
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Carrie,

It's a difficult one because this is the time for your dog to grow and you don't want to restrict their development by withholding food. At the same time, you want your dog to be healthy now so they can live long into the future. The first thing you need to do is to determine whether or not your dog actually is overweight:

https://animals.onehowto.com/article/how-to-know-if-your-dog-is-overweight-9198.html

If they are, then there are many reasons why. They may be eating out of anxiety, have a big appetite or may even have a hormonal issue such as hyperthyroidism. These can all lead to the risk of obesity. We know you have taken them to the vet for their recent shots, but if the dog continues to put on weight you should get a checkup to ensure you know why. After that, you may want to supplement their food with some vegetables.

https://animals.onehowto.com/article/what-vegetables-can-dogs-eat-4125.html

They will still need protein and the other minerals they get from dog food, but they can have some immune system boosting veg which can also help with their weight issues.
Vance Rodman
My peekapoo puppy swallows his treats whole and will not chew them. Whatcan I do to make hjm slowdown and chew?
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Vance

If you take a look at this article it will help you slow down the chewing process of your puppy.

https://animals.onehowto.com/article/what-to-do-if-your-dog-doesn-t-chew-its-food-578.html

https://animals.onehowto.com/article/how-to-stop-your-dog-chewing-up-your-things-3848.html

We hope this helps. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask us here at oneHOWTO
Rating:
Shelley
My dog has diareaha for 3 days and does not want to eat because of it. How can i get my dog to it while he is taking medication from vet for it. What is the cause of diareaha?
OneHowTo Editor
Your dog may have eaten something that didn't agree with him or he may have caught a virus.
Don't force-feed him, he might be willing to drink, this is why you can give him chicken broth so he gets all the nutrients he needs. Make sure he is well hydrated as he will be losing lots of fluids.

Hope this helps
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What To Do If Your Dog Doesn't Chew Its Food