Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My puppy swallows food whole. Is it bad for her health or digestion?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 3 months and 25 days old | 7 lbs

My puppy swallows her food whole, it is a smaller kibble. We were soaking it in water until a few days ago, but she swallows it whole either way. We got a slow feeder bowl to try and slow her down and hopefully encourage her to chew at some point. Is it bad that she is not chewing her food? I thought about changing to a larger kibble, but she is small and I don’t want her to choke/don’t want to mess up her digestion and bowel movements

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on March 13th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is important to avoid this as much as possible as this can predispose dogs to things like aspiration pneumonia for example. One thing that has worked for me great in the past for patients that do not eat more slowly with the slow feeder is actually throwing the kibble in a small room like the bathroom for example so that they end up spread out in the room as that will force Millie to eat more slowly as it will take her longer to find them to eat it. While it sounds messy, this has actually worked very well for some of my patients. Good luck and have a great day!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on March 12th, 2018
A slow feeder bowl does not encourage a dog to chew their food, but makes it harder for them to gulp a large mouth-full of food at once. Millie may or may not learn to chew her food, but the nutritional value of the food will not be any less if she does not chew her food. My only concern with dogs that eat too quickly is if they tend to cough and choke on their food. If Millie doesn't have any problems with that, but just eats her food quickly, then I probably wouldn't be concerned about it. You certainly can try a larger kibble size to see if that makes a difference if you are concerned about it.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

My dog eats food too fast. Is it normal? What are the health risks?

Thanks for using PetCoach! It is definitely common for puppies especially to eat like it’s a race! There isn’t generally any problem with it except that Brixy may be more likely to regurgitate that meal right back up (looking almost the same!) If you’d like to try and slow her down, consider a puzzle bowl like this, or a slow feeding toy like this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-wobbler-food-dispensing-dog-toy Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Brixy!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why does my dog swallow her food whole and eat so fast? What can I do?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Haley. This can be a problem with dogs, and there are a few things you can do about it. You can buy a dog food that has tiny bites, such as Hill's Science Diet Small Bites adult dog food. You can soak her food in water before giving it to her, making it mushy and easier for her to swallow in one bite. Finally, you could considered breaking down the kibble yourself, but that's a lot of work. I'd think about trying the two things I suggested above. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Is it normal for my poodle to swallow her food whole without chewing?

Though not optimal, as long as she isn't vomiting then it should be fine. If she is a fast eater, you can try feeding smaller meals more frequently or consider a slow feed bowl. Soaking the food beforehand may also help.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My puppy ate super fast. Is his stomach bloated, and is he okay?

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. It is pretty typical for puppies abdomens to look distended after eating whether they eat fast or not. It is more to do with the amount they are eating more than than the speed. Puppies abdomens can also be distended due to worms. If he has not been dewormed that should be done as soon as possible. Puppies should be dewormed every 3-4 weeks until they are 4 months old, then once monthly. That being said, eating fast is not good for them for other reasons. They can swallow a bunch of air which can cause bloat. So, I recommend you either feed him smaller, more frequent meals or get him a special bowl that will slow down his eating (see link). ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/search?query=slow%20feeder ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My puppy eats her food too fast. How can I make her chew it?

You can feed her smaller amounts more frequently or consider using a slow feed bowl. AN example is shown at the link below.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My 8-week-old puppy chokes eating dry food. Is this normal?

Oli may be eating to fast. You can try purchasing a puzzle feeder dish (they are available on Amazon.com) with ridges in it that slow down eating and drinking if used as food and water bowls. If this doesn’t resolve the coughing/gagging, and he coughs/gags with canned puppy food as well, it is possible that he may have a condition called megaesophagus where the food doesn’t move down his esophagus normally. Your vet can take X-rays of his neck/chest to diagnose this if slowing down his eating/feeding him small amounts at a time or trying canned food as well does not help. Good luck! He must be adorable!!!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my 7-month puppy grazing with her new slow feeder bowl?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is probably that her eating habits have changed. This is actually not uncommon and to correct it, this behavior has to be discouraged as much as possible. What I recommend is to give them their food and give them a certain amount of time (about 1 hour) to eat it. If she does not eat it then you can remove it and feed her again whenever she is due to eat again. This usually will get this resolved as she will eat it at more controlled times giving her less time to graze. Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share