Agria supports the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and we're proud to partner with veterinary behaviourist Sophie White who has created this very useful guidance on what to do if your dog is picky about what they eat, or at the opposite end of the scale, what to do if they eat too quickly.
13 July 2023
Why shouldn’t your dog have a say in what they eat?
Take the time to learn what they do & don't like. No one wants to be forced to eat foods they don't like day after day, week after week. So, presuming you have tried a variety of foods, and found one they like the most, here are some ideas to increase their food intake:
- Small regular meals
- Give as treats
- Play with the food (catch, find it etc)
- Present in different forms of enrichment (snuffle mat etc)
- Some dogs prefer to eat at certain times of day, so make the most of periods of increased appetite.
As long as your dog is eating daily & maintaining their weight try not to worry too much.
Managing speedy eaters
Just like we might worry about dogs who eat too slowly, dogs who eat too fast are also a concern. Eating very fast can increase the risk of vomiting, choking on their food and developing bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus). Dogs who eat quickly also often want more and are prone to overeating.
If you have a large breed of dog, especially those with a deep chest (Great Dane, Doberman, Greyhound etc) it is advised they are fed from a raised stand. This is even more important if they gulp their food down too.
Slowing down the speed at which your dog eats is better for their health and is also likely to be more fun for them, making their favourite part of the day last longer. A good way to do this is by feeding via food enrichment items. These can be shop bought, or home made. Below are some ideas:
- Kong
- Lickimat
- Puzzle feeder
- Scatter food in the garden
- Hide food inside scrunched up paper
- Put their food inside an egg box
As your dog becomes more capable, you can increase the difficulty. It is important to start simple though and reduce the chance of them getting frustrated.
We would like to thank veterinary behaviourist Sophie White for providing this article.
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