AUTUMN 2019 EQUUS 498 105IST
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short rides on an empty stomach and
build the length of time in the moving
car. And be sure not to make a big
fuss or punish the pup, which could
make him nervous and make the
problem worse. Just keep the puppy
on a surface that is easy to clean up
and remember that this stage passes
quickly for most.DIGESTION
Slowing down a
speedy eaterQ:
My dog bolts his food and I’m
not sure why. He’s an only dog
so it’s not like he needs to compete with
others to get his meal. But when I put
down his bowl of kibble he just dives
in. It seems like he can finish off a
meal in seconds.
If he were a horse, I would worry
about choke. Is that a risk in dogs?
Should I try to slow him down? How
would I even do that?A:
Luckily dogs don’t develop
obstruction of the esophagus
(choke) very often. However, eating
too fast isn’t good for them. They
can aspirate food---that is, draw food
particles into the lungs---which has its
own negative consequences. What’s
more, some dogs who bolt their food
may swallow excessive amounts of air,
which puts them at risk for bloat, a type
of colic in dogs.
As with horses, you can slow a dog’s
intake rate with special bowls. You can
also decrease risk by feeding small
meals more often and decreasing feed
time stress and competition.
For tough cases, I’d recommend
trying toys designed to dole out small
amounts of food at a time. Sound
familiar? The solutions are much
the same as you do with your horse
for choke. QA graduate of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Melinda
Freckleton, DVM, is the founder and owner of Firestar Veterinary Services,
LLC, in Catlett, Virginia. In addition to more than 15 years of work in equine
practices, Freckleton has experience in small animal medicine, so she
understands both the barn and the kennel. She enjoys riding and competing
in dressage and taking care of her dogs, cats and horses on her farm.Our expert
SLOW DOWN: Dogs don’t often develop
obstruction of the esophagus (choke), but
eating too fast isn’t good for them.Trusted since 1992OmegaAlpha.com
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