My dog doesn't chew food, she only swallows?

Question

This causes her to throw up a lot because she never chews her food. It's in her mouth and down the throat it goes.
She's 7 years old. Golden retriever.
Is there a method to help solve this?

Answer 1

Here is a bowl designed with just that problem in mind. http://www.brake-fast.net/ You are right to be worried. Bolting her food can contribute to bloat.

Answer 2

My dog appears to DRINK his food. When he was a young puppy he would throw up a LOT from scarfing his food. Also, if I fed him too much he would throw up. There is a condition that dogs can have called "mega-esophagus" it is when the food will be ingested but it won't go anywhere so the dog will end up throwing up. Though fairly rare, it is possible and can be diagnosed by a vet. MOST of the time puppies will outgrow this. At such a young age they are still learning their intake levels and what they can and can't eat as well as how fast they should eat. My dog will throw up when fed chicken believe it or not. I've tried it every way I can think of: Boiled, Raw, Grilled, Fried, Slightly seasoned, plain, and in a chicken-based dog food. He threw up every time. It wasn't until after an episode that I started taking into account that he just couldn't tolerate chicken. So a lot of the time the food is the factor. How much or the ingredients. Sometimes..and I know this is true for a lot of GSD's...puppy food is just too rich for their tummies and causes upset. When Brasky was still on puppy food I had to mix it with adult to cut down on the richness and help calm his tummy down.

Answer 3

Hand feed her, a small bite at a time, Or soft food. She is too eager to eat, so she's not concerned about chewing, she just wants to get it down fast so it doesn't go away. It's a natural instinct. Maybe you should also try feeding her 6-8 small meals a day instead of one or two big ones.

Answer 4

To slow a dog down when she eats, try putting her food down on a flat plate instead of her bowl. You can also use a Busy Buddy or treat-dispensing toy like a Buster Cube to accomplish the same -

Answer 5

I have had dogs that do that and they would throw up whole "kibbles". You could try moistening the food with a little hot water (obviously, allow it to cool before feeding). Part of it could be the breed. Goldens are quite spastic.

Answer 6

she is just an active Golden! - But I can see your concern - dont feed her anything soft - make sure your dog food is the LARGE kibble for large dogs - the larger the dog food the less likely she will be to "wolf" it down! - and do not feed her around any other dogs - this behavior comes from puppyhood - when they haev to fight and hurry and eat to get all the food before the brothers and sisters get it first! - you can modify her behavior - dont worry!

Good Luck

Answer 7

first, "tyke" needs to chill.

if your dog's behavior is new or recent, you may want to have her teeth checked. when my lab mix was about 6 or 7 he started doing this, but not throwing up. i had his teeth cleaned and checked. his gums were inflamed and that's what was hurting. thankfully, his teeth are fine. i changed his food and he's now 9 and his teeth are still ok. if you're not keen on having her put under to have her teeth cleaned, there are holistic dental services for dogs in most large cities. we have our dogs' teeth cleaned this way and they do fine. check this out for dog dental info:

http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/16840

Answer 8

My dogs all do that. If you think you have it bad try feeding seven of them at one time. They feel they are in a competitive eating contest. Normal, mine just let out a Huge burp after that. Perhaps your dog is drinking a lot right after? I dont allow mine to have water until a half hour after eating, I have large dogs that are prone to bloat.

Answer 9

take her to the vet and get her teeth checked, or try soft food it may hurt to chew.

Answer 10

give her a bigger piece, then has to chew.
or try to calm her.

my sisters maltese had the same problem.