We have a 4 month old great dane puppy... Every time she eats she gets the hiccups. We have her food elevated so she doesnt have to bend to get to it. She chows everything down QUICKLY, is she getting them because shes eating too fast? Is this anything i should be concerned about?
2007-12-10 11:22:53 · 11 answers · asked by agrolia 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She gets 5-6 cups of food a day (as recomended by our vet)... 2.5-3cups in the morning and 2.5-3cups at night
2007-12-10 11:30:12 · update #1
puppies tend to be really ungainly. especially if they are a big breed, like the Great Dane, they take some physical adjusting time for sure. you have probably also noticed that the puppy is a little clumsy, maybe slips on slick floors, and snarfing down food is part of that puppy behavior. if you think this is affecting her health in any way, I am sure you could give a call to any local Vet and have them answer your question over the phone.
good luck!
2007-12-10 11:28:16 · answer #1 · answered by tattooraven1 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Lady M gave you the GreatDaneLady's website. Go there ASAP and browse. You'll find tons of helpful info, and she's very nice if you want to ask her a question (although she's terribly busy so it takes a while to get a response).
Puppy hiccups are perfectly normal. My 7 month old dane pup finally stopped his about a month ago. He'd get them all the time, whether he was eating or not. He'd lay on the bed next to me, and just start.
He also is extremly "twitchy". This is also normal. At night, he gets all 4 feet kicking as hard and fast as he can. I thought he was having siezures at first, but it was just twitches from growing. A few pats on the rump and he settles back down into a deep sleep.
We use an elevated bowl, and in fact last night got a special bowl which has rounded "spikes" in it so they can't plunge the whole face in and inhale food. Google for "Anti-bloat bowl" and it will come up.
Good luck!
2007-12-11 01:04:24 · answer #2 · answered by lotsadogs 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They are normal and are muscle spasms.
You should slow down her eating by tossing only a handful in the bowl at a time or putting a large unmovable object in the bowl so she has to eat around it, another alternative to slow him down is to feed in something large like a shallow rubbermade tub so she has to chase the food around to get it. Some use the lids off rubbermaid type outdoor trash cans.
This should become your new favorite website it has lots of useful dane info http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles.htm
and yes she addresses puppy hiccups.
On a side note the newest studies show that bloat is increased with the use of elevated bowls. Never exercise before or after meals, some wet down the food so that they dont eat then drink a lot of water which can increase the risk of bloat. All deep chested breeds are at risk of bloat and it is not yet fully understood. Some theorize that there is a genetic predisposition that runs in lines but I am not aware of any controlled long term studies.
2007-12-10 11:30:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I have a newf/saint pup, who is also huge. he lays down to eat though, but he does get hiccups, as did our tibbie (he's 10 lbs full grown) when he was a puppy. The vet said hiccups were normal, but if he starts to act different, or lethargic I would get to a vet ASAP. Bloat can be a problem with big dogs, it's usually from eating then exercising, so be careful. If you're really worried then call your vet, a phone call is free and can set your mind at ease
2007-12-10 11:34:32 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
According to my vet, hiccups are very normal for a puppy. Reason is that they are growing sooo fast right now that the nerve that causes hiccups sometimes gets strained (stretched) with growth. My boxer is 3 and a half months and gets the hiccups all the time.
The analogy my vet gave is that in humans, kids get the hiccups alot but adults rarely do - same thing for dogs, but more so for puppies because all their growth happens in their first year or so.
Don't worry - it's normal.
2007-12-10 11:31:15 · answer #5 · answered by rykim718 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Try giving her less food at a time. Some dogs DO eat too fast. Perhaps you should consider a fourth of a cup, then a rest, then a fourth of a cup, then a rest, and so on and so forth.
Keep the measurements of the food down until you find what works for you and your pup.
2007-12-10 11:27:21 · answer #6 · answered by Fur and Fiction 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes she is a very large dog that could get bloat! Buy a bowl that have notches in it to make her eat slower. You can buy one at any pet store.
2007-12-10 11:27:16 · answer #7 · answered by Weimaraner Luver~ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
One of our dogs ate too fast... so we started putting him in the pantry closet by himself to eat. He didn't feel that anyone was going to take his food away so he slowed down.
2007-12-10 11:26:34 · answer #8 · answered by HiddenBarb 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
we call them PUPPY CUPS .... she will be fine... if you are concerned about her eating quickly ,, put a couple of tennis balls in her dish, ontop of her dry kibble,,, she will have to slow down and eat around them,,, thereby chewing more slowly,,
kudos to you for elevating her dish,,,, most people don;t do that..
2007-12-10 11:28:16 · answer #9 · answered by AUSSIEMOM 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
ELEVATING the food bowl INCREASES the chance of BLOAT!!!! Elevating the bowl is OLD and OUTDATED information!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/dietrisk.htm
2007-12-10 11:28:46 · answer #10 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋