Top 3 Reasons Why Dogs Don’t Chew Their Food

It’s not safe for dogs to swallow their food without chewing it. Health problems can appear over time with the level of severity ranging from mild to severe. You may have already noticed symptoms like vomiting and bloat if this is happening with your dog. Here are the most common reasons for dogs that don’t chew their food.

1. Your dog is underfed

Are you certain you are feeding your dog enough food throughout the day? Or could the frequency in which you are giving food is making your dog wait too long? Your dog might not be chewing his food and scarfing it down without a second thought because he or she is hungry. We would double-check the feeding guidelines mentioned on the dog food label and make sure that your dog is eating the right amount.

2. Dogs are built to swallow food

The reason for the non-chewing behavior could be harmless. It may just be in a dog’s nature to swallow their food quickly. Dogs have the anatomy to enable this behavior. Introducing a slow feeder or treat ball could be one way to slow down a dog that demolishes a bowl of kibbles in a few seconds.

3. Your dog is protective of his resources

Dogs may inhale their food because they simply don’t like to share. This behavior could be expected if your dog shows a lot of resource-guarding behavior. Does your dog growl if you try and touch his favorite toys? Do you also have other pets around the house?

How to teach a dog to chew his food

As we mentioned before, it could just be a dog’s natural instinct to not chew his food. This behavior, however, does pose health risks. Instead of teaching them to chew, what could be more realistic is to slow down the way in which they eat the food. One option we already mentioned is to use a slow feeders and anti-gulp bowls.

If you have flexibility with your schedule, you could also try spreading out the feeding time. Rather than two big meals per day, try separating that to four smaller meals. This could help with reducing the development of health conditions like bloat.