Does Your Dog Scarf Down Their Food? Try This. (2024)

• Dogs & Puppies
• Dog Nutrition & Diet

As a dog, almost nothing is more exciting than hearing that scoop of kibble hit the bowl. That means only one thing: it's dinner time! Your pup may be so excited that they inhale their entire bowl or plate within minutes of it being placed on the floor. And after that, they may experience painful bloating or gas from eating too quickly.

Sound familiar? If your dog can't help but gobble up their dinner as fast as possible, it may be time to think about alternative feeding methods. Sure, slow feeders work great, but your dog may have already picked up on the pattern and now they're back to inhaling their food. Not only will these DIY household solutions help them slow down while eating, but they'll also allow their body to digest their food slowly.

1. Tennis Ball Method

This first DIY is the easiest, because the only thing you'll need is a tennis ball (in the video above, the owner subsitutes a baseball and it works just the same... unless your pooch is tennis ball-obsessed and has the instinct to play instead of eat). Place your dog's kibble in their usual dog bowl, and simply add the ball to the food. The obstacle should slow them down, and hopefully your pup will be so focused on their dinner that they don't think to take the ball out.

2. Muffin Tin Method

Think of this solution as a DIY slow feeder. All you'll need is an old muffin tin—just flip it upside down and place it on the floor. Next, spread the dog food in between the cups, which will create small obstacles for your dog to maneuver around while he or she eats.

3. Broth Method

Another DIY is to add broth or liquid to your dog's dry food. In our TikTok video above, one of our editors adds dog beer (yep, it exists) to the food, which does seem to slow down her adorable corgi. A little water would probably work just the same—it just might not be quite as enticing as a flavored broth liquid!

If you've got a fast eater on your hands, try changing up their feeding method to help lower their risk of bloat. Follow us on TikTok for more tips!