Bowl empty before you've turned around? Why bulldogs gulp, when it's a vet matter, and the bowls that make dinner take longer.
Most bulldogs eat fast out of habit or competition: they learned as puppies to beat their littermates to the food, or they're racing another pet in the house. Vets suggest splitting the day's food into smaller meals and slowing each one down with a slow feeder bowl, a food puzzle or by scattering it. If fast eating comes with vomiting, a swollen belly or a sudden jump in appetite, call your vet.
You put the bowl down, turn around, and it's empty. It can look as if dinner has been inhaled whole. Common things you might notice:
Dogs may eat quickly to get their share before other pets do. Some carry the habit over from puppyhood, when they competed with littermates for milk and food. Some dogs also speed up when a person walks near their bowl.
A standard bowl puts the whole meal in one easy spot, so there's nothing to slow a keen eater down.
Feeding the whole day's food in one go means a hungrier dog and a bigger bowl to get through. Veterinary surgeons list feeding one large meal a day as a risk factor for bloat, and Australian emergency vets recommend several small meals through the day instead. (ACVS; Animal Referral & Emergency Network)
Short-nosed breeds commonly have stomach and swallowing troubles that can look like a "fast eating" problem. In one study of 98 flat-faced dogs having airway surgery, drooling, regurgitation or vomiting was reported in 93% of French bulldogs and 58% of English bulldogs. (Kaye et al., 2018) An earlier study of 73 short-nosed dogs with breathing problems found about three-quarters had moderate to severe digestive signs, and the link between breathing and digestive severity was strongest in French bulldogs. (Poncet et al., 2005) So if your dog regularly brings food back up, it may not be speed alone.
Most fast eating is behavioural, but a change in appetite can have a medical cause. Vets list causes of increased hunger such as diabetes, Cushing's disease, parasites, digestive conditions and some medications. (PetMD, vet-reviewed) This is why a dog who has always eaten fast is different from one who has suddenly started.
Warning signs
If you see any of these, call your vet.
A swollen belly with unproductive retching can be bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), which Australian emergency vets warn can be fatal quickly. It's an emergency. (Animal Referral & Emergency Network; ACVS; VCA Animal Hospitals)
Before any products, the routine matters most. Split the day's food into smaller meals, feed each dog in its own space, and keep exercise away from mealtimes (Australian emergency vets suggest no exercise within an hour either side of eating). (Animal Referral & Emergency Network)
Eats too fast
$112.95
See what's insideThen you can change the bowl. The research is small but useful. In a trial at Harper Adams University, dogs ate more slowly from a slow feeder bowl than from a standard bowl, though they got a bit quicker with practice. (Buckley & Lees, 2016) The lesson for us: start easy, and swap or rotate bowls when your dog gets too good at one.
Here's what we use with our own dogs. You'll find the full range on our Eats too fast page.
The Scream Slow Feed Puzzle Bowl ($32.95) has a centre maze plus two side sections. Your dog has to work the food out of the maze channels, so dinner takes longer, and the side sections give them extra pieces to find. It's a good next step once a simpler bowl gets easy.
The Scream Slow Feed Interactive Dog Bowl, Pink ($28.95) has raised shapes your dog has to eat around. It's the gentlest starting point if your dog has never used a slow feeder. An easier layout first means less frustration while your dog gets used to eating around obstacles.
The Scream Anti-Gulp Slow Feeder Bowl, Green ($39.95) has raised sections your dog has to eat around, so dinner takes longer. It's handy to rotate with the puzzle bowl so your dog doesn't learn one layout too well.
Keen eaters push slow feeders around the floor. The JW Anti-Slip Dog Feeding Mat ($26.95) sits under the bowl so it stays in one spot and the mess stays on the mat. More on that on our Bowl slides and spills page.
The Flat-Faced Feeding & Enrichment Kit ($112.95) includes the puzzle bowl to make dinner take longer, plus three other items to keep your dog busy. It suits a dog who eats too fast and also gets bored. For more on the boredom side, see Bored and chewing things.
One thing to keep in mind: food in puzzles still counts. RSPCA Australia warns that relying too heavily on food-based enrichment can lead to overfeeding and weight gain, so take puzzle food out of the daily amount, not on top of it. (RSPCA Australia)
It can be. Vets link fast eating with vomiting, weight gain from not feeling full, and, mostly in large deep-chested dogs, bloat. Slowing meals down is a simple, low-risk change.
Bringing up undigested food soon after a meal is often regurgitation rather than vomiting, and it's common in flat-faced breeds. If it happens regularly, ask your vet.
Small studies show dogs eat more slowly from slow feeder bowls and food puzzles than from a plain bowl. Dogs do get quicker with practice, so rotating bowls helps.
Some dogs give up on puzzles that are too hard. Start with an easy layout, stay nearby for the first meals, and increase the difficulty slowly.
Raised bowls are listed by veterinary surgeons as a risk factor for bloat. Ask your vet before using one.
Competition is a common cause. Feeding each dog in a separate room or behind a gate takes the race out of mealtimes.
A sudden change in appetite can have medical causes, so it's worth a vet check before treating it as a habit.
Choose a slow feeder by accessible food channels, actual dimensions and your dog’s muzzle. Compare real bowls and supervise the first meals.
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