16 wk CC Inhales Food!

[Corso Love]

I have a 16 wk old Cane Corso. She literally INHALES her food. She is fed twice a day. A big bowl of food is gone in a minute or less. I've heard people say put large rocks in the bowl, tried it. She tries to eat them. She literally sits there and gnaws on the big rocks like they're her bone. I'm afraid she'll break a tooth. Also, I've heard of the special bowls. I've done some research and looked at hundreds of pics, and I just don't think that will work for her. They look like she'll still be able to gulp it down. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Smokeycat]

My EM was like that when he was a puppy. I tried the bowls, putting something into the bowl, feeding on a cookie sheet and a muffin tin. What finally worked to slow him down was to feed him in a doughnut shaped bowl and adding enough water that the kibble floated. This way the food floated away from him making him work harder to get it, this made him slow down.

 

[gilles]

forget the rocks in the bowl!!!try the floating kibble as smokeycat said

 

[Corso Love]

I never thought of water! I'll have to try that and I'll lyk how it works...

 

[Corso Love]

I'm sorry...I forgot to mention that she doesn't chew...at all. Will the floating food method actually make her chew? I'm just really concerned bc like I said, she swallows her food whole, then she vomits. I'm just worried about my girl. I've tried sitting on the floor while she eats and letting her get a couple of bites, then giving the WAIT command then waiting about 30 seconds and telling her to go ahead. She waits fine but then just starts inhaling again. So I tell her wait and we have repeated this process over and over, to no avail.

 

[gilles]

swallowing her food is fine with time she will be ok...but if she vomits it every time then its a problem...try mixing a table spoon of virgin olive oil with the kibble maybe the taste and tinge of oil will let her chew

 

[Max's mom]

Max gobbled his entire meal in seconds. I tired the slow feeder bowls and they did not help. Water did a little but not too much. I used a large cookie sheet with an edge (jelly roll pan?16x24 inches) and he had to chase the food around. I have a friend who uses a plastic "boot tray" bought at walmart. *the thing you put in your mud room and put wet boots/shoes on to dry. That works for her. Same theory. I also hand fed Max a few pieces at a time for a long time. Kong makes a food/treat dispenser that will hold almost 3 cups. You could try that too. It only plops out a few pieces at at time. Good luck!

 

[Smokeycat]

Typically dogs don't chew. My guess is that she is throwing up because she is eating that fast. She is likely swallowing a lot of air.

 

[maryl]

I realize that she's young but if she's swallowing a lot of air that can pose a bloat problem, same with drinking a lot of water with her kibble. I think the kibble/treat dispenser is your best bet until she's a bit older. Also if she's vomiting after every feeding you may need to have your vet check for mega esophagus. Let us know how she s doing.

 

[DeeWill]

My suggestion would be smaller portions more often on a big cookie sheet. The sitting and waiting, I swear, only makes it worse.
When I first got my EM, because she was underfed, she wolfed down her foot. She has figured out that it comes regularily and she can now enjoy it Just takes time. Best of luck to you.

 

[angelbears]

You could also try hand feeding her. I, too would worry about bloat.

 

[Hector]

Have you tried spreading the kibble on the ground?

 

[DennasMom]

Are there other pets around, making her think there is competition, and she needs to get it all down quick before someone tries to steal it?

We try to keep meal times VERY calm and relaxed... no pressure... no hovering or watching (at least not from up close). So the dog can relax and hopefully eat somewhat slowly.

You might need to move the food dish location around and see if you can find a spot where she feels more relaxed while eating.
A lot of people feed in the crate, where the dog can feel safe and secure that no one can sneak in and take the food away.

We were also still feeding 3x a day at 16 weeks. I think we went to 2x a day around the 8 month mark. Not sure if that would help or not, but might be worth a try.

 

[Corso Love]

There are no other dogs inside, it's just her...I feed her in her kennel. I've been trying the water in the food and it's seeming to help. She doesn't eat near as fast as she used to! Thank you all!

 

[tmricciuto]

I put ice cubes in my pups when I want them to slow down. They have to be deliberate to eat around the ice.


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[DDSK]

My dogs love ice cubes, they would just munch them with the kibble lol.