Can a dog eat too much kibble

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Too Much

It can be concerning when your dog eats too much food. Overeating can lead to a variety of health issues, such as obesity, canine bloat, and other digestive problems. But it's not always easy to tell if your pup is eating too much or simply enjoying their food.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take as pet parents to ensure that your furry friend is getting the right amount of nutrition without overindulging and prevent overeating. In this article, we will provide some tips on how to control your dog's appetite and make sure they're not overeating. So read on for more information about what to do if your dog eats too much!

What Happens When Your Dog Eat Too Much Food?

When your dog eats too much, they can suffer from a variety of health issues. Here are some of the potential risks:

Obesity

The most common problem associated with overeating is obesity. Eating beyond their needs can cause excess fat to build up in the body and lead to weight gain.

Joint Damage

If your pup is carrying excess weight, this can put extra strain on their joints and lead to joint damage. This is why it is important for your dog to maintain a healthy weight.

Canine Bloat

Overeating can also lead to canine bloat, which is a dangerous and life-threatening condition that happens when the stomach is filled with gas, fluid, or food. If left untreated, bloat can be fatal.

Digestive/Gastrointestinal Issues

Eating too much food at one time can also cause digestive issues like vomiting and diarrhea. This can be uncomfortable for your dog and could also lead to dehydration or even malnutrition if not addressed quickly.

Heart Disease

Excess calories or weight can also put strain on the cardiovascular system and increase your pup's risk of developing heart disease. This is why some pet owners choose to fed their dog smaller meals instead of a one large meal.

Diabetes

Eating too much can also affect your dog's blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes. If your pup has diabetes, it is essential to monitor their food intake and ensure they are eating the right amount of food for their size and activity level.

Oops! Your Dog Ate Too Much...What Now?

If youve caught your dog red-handed with his muzzle in the cookie jar, so to speak, take a deep breath. This is actually the best case scenario. If you know exactly when your dog helped himself to, you can take immediate action. Plus, youll know exactly what it is that your dog has consumed.

Now, if youve come home to an empty food bag or treat jar and a bloated dog, youll want to act quickly since you dont know how long your dog has been sitting with a full belly. But dont panic! In most cases, as long as your dog has consumed food or treats that are safe for pets to eat, hell be perfectly fine albeit quite full!

Heres what you should do if your dog overeats some of his normal dog food or treats:

• Keep a close eye on your dog: Monitor your pup for signs that hes uncomfortable or otherwise in distress.
• Check the ingredients: Make sure that the food or treats your dog has gorged himself on contains ingredients that are safe for him to consume.
• Contact your vet immediately: If anything seems amiss, dont hesitate to seek vet care immediately for help. You can give the office a call with questions, or if your dog is obviously uncomfortable, bring your dog to an emergency clinic.

When To Worry About Your Dogs Overindulgence

Of course, there are some warning signs to watch out for and instances that are cause for concern if your dog ate too much. If they've accidentally overeaten, youve overfed them, or they have gotten into something that isnt safe for them to consume, it is imperative to watch them closely for signs of distress.

Heres what you should keep in mind to help you determine whether a little rest and relaxation is enough to help your dog recover or if you need to seek medical attention ASAP.

If your dog has consumed toxic ingredients

If youre worried that your dog has consumed some or worse, large quantities of ingredients that arent safe for Fido, get on the phone with your vet immediately. Maybe your pup busted into a bag of grapes and ate them all, or perhaps he ate a bag of candy thats made with artificial sweeteners. In any case, you should make sure they stop eating and induce vomiting to get rid of whats left in their stomach, and head to the vet for help.

If your dog has consumed objects that can cause obstruction

Did your dog get himself into the garbage bin? Make sure all packaging and pieces that were present in your trash bag are accounted for. Dogs love anything that smells like food or once held food in it and cant always distinguish for themselves whats edible and whats not. Because of this, your dog might have consumed something that he shouldnt and that could get lodged in his throat, stuck in his gut or cause an obstruction in his bowels. If you suspect Fido has ingested an object thats not digestible, make sure you bring him into the vet asap.

If your pet is showing signs of dog bloat

While most dogs can handle an extra meal, or three, other dogs may experience a complication known as dog bloat.

What is Food Bloat in Dogs?

Food bloat occurs when your pups gut expands rapidly to account for a large volume of food thats been consumed in a short period of time. Dogs that eat quickly are prone to bloat. The amount of food necessary to trigger dog bloat varies greatly, since all dogs have different tolerances and their stomach size spans a wide range.

Nonetheless, bloat is dangerous because it can cause your dogs stomach to twist or flip, which can be fatal for pets. Its always a serious situation that requires a trip to the vet, so watch out for these symptoms if youre worried your dog might have developed bloat from overeating.

What Are Symptoms of Dog Bloat?

Many pets show obvious signs of distress especially if they experience dog bloat. Your pup will be visibly large and bloated, with a distended stomach thats firm to the touch. Here are some other signs that your pup might be experiencing bloat:

• Uncontrolled Vomit: If your pup is vomiting nonstop, several times, especially in a row, take note. This is one symptom of food bloat.
• Restlessness: If your dog is pacing and just cant seem to get comfortable, hes likely uncomfortable...and this is another symptom of dog bloat.
• Panting or Dry Heaving and Excessive Drooling: If your dog is drooling all over the place and doesnt normally have so much saliva, it could also be a sign that he has food bloat.

These arent all the symptoms that can signal concern for your dog, but they are some of the most common signs that your furry friend might be experiencing food bloat. As always, its best to err on the side of caution and discuss any potential health issues with your vet as soon as possible.

How to Prevent Canine Bloat and Help Your Pet Recover From Overeating

Once you know that your once bloated dog is now safe and doesnt have a serious health issue, it's time to make sure that you prevent your dog from eating too much food or treats again.

• Give them plenty of potty breaks: You know your pup just consumed a whole lot of food, treats or other morsels...and what goes in, must come out! Your pup will likely need to use the restroom more often than the norm in the time shortly after hes overindulged. Be sure youre taking frequent potty breaks to help your pet work through the extra food!

• Avoid taking them on frequent walks after every meal: The only physical activity thats recommended in the immediate aftermath of an overfeeding is potty breaks. Other than that, it's best to avoid too much physical exertion.

• Reduce tomorrows food: While you shouldnt by any means skip the next couple of meals, it might be a good idea to reduce your dogs portion a bit and go for small meals, as long as hes not showing signs of hunger.

• Avoid giving them lots of water: Its always important to give your pup plenty of water, but after an episode with too much food, its best to avoid overhydrating your pup.

• Feed them a bland diet: If your dogs stomach is extra sensitive, you might also want to feed a bland diet for a few days to help his GI tract to normalize again. Something like cooked white rice with chicken breast is a good option, and is generally thought to be a neutral meal that wont add to the agitation thats already going on!

• Add a probiotic to your dogs diet: You can further support Fido by adding healthy bacteria to his diet with a probiotic supplement. It will help him have healthy digestion moving forward, but can also help ease gut discomfort from mild bloating, gas, and more.

Pet Honesty Products That Can Help When Your Dog Eats too Much

Worried about your dog after hes eaten too much? Help soothe his sore tummy and help him get back to normal with probiotic support from Digestive Probiotics Chews. Theyre packed with billions of healthy bacteria that help with uncomfortable digestive upset like mild bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements. Probiotics also help with healthy digestive function, so your pup can work through all that extra food and get back to feeling his best, ASAP!

Few dogs are as determined as our furry friends when it comes to getting what they want. Although it can be funny at times, overeating is no joke, so if you fear your pup has gorged himself or is dealing with food bloat, take the situation seriously and get him the help he needs. With these tips in mind, you can ensure your pup stays safe and healthy, no matter how tempted he might be by those tasty treats!

Happy pet parenting!

What Is Canine Bloat? Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Canine bloat is a fast-acting, life-threatening illness that requires emergency veterinary treatment. Knowing the symptoms beforehand is extremely important, so you can detect it early and get your dog the care he needs.

If you notice symptoms soon enough, your dog may be one of the few dogs to survive this terrible disease. Also, learning how to prevent canine bloat can help protect your dog from this scary disease.

What Is Canine Bloat?

Gastric dilatation-volvulus is the scientific term for canine bloat, also known as gastric torsion. Canine bloat is a serious and often life-threatening illness that strikes many dogs every year, and the outcome of each dogs affliction depends on various factors.

Much like humans, a dogs stomach resembles a balloon. For us, humans, overeating and eating too quickly can result in bloating, gas, and general discomfort, but we can recover quickly with minimal illness. Dogs, however, are not so fortunate, and what begins as gas can soon turn into something much worse.

My Dog Ate Too Much Food

If a dog eats too much or too quickly, canine bloat can occur. During the passing of the food to the stomach, there is a buildup of gasses, and the stomach begins to blow up like a large balloon. As gasses continue to build up, the stomach stretches beyond its limits and prevents blood circulation to the heart. The stomach also experiences a lack of blood flow which can result in the death of stomach tissue.

In many cases of bloat, the dogs stomach twists at the top and bottom, cutting off the stomach from the esophagus and pyloric valve (entrance to the small intestine), preventing gas from moving out of the stomach. When this occurs, the damage to the stomach is unrepairable due to cell death veterinarians are not able to regenerate the dead tissue.

If a dog begins to show symptoms of bloat and its caught soon enough, its possible to untwist the stomach and relieve the buildup of gasses that are contributing to canine bloat.

Bloat can become fatal exceptionally quickly, and a dog can die within hours of the onset of bloat, so its vital to get medical attention immediately upon noticing symptoms.

Will A Dog With Bloat Still Want To Eat?

Dogs are food-oriented animals and might still show signs of hunger after canine bloat. But the condition is painful, so there is a chance your dog could stop eating as a result.

Dog Bloat Symptoms

Dog overeating symptoms can include:

• Change in personality and physical activity level
• Abdomen is larger, distended, and hard
• Lack of normal digestive sounds (place your ear on your dogs stomach and note if there is any difference)
• Standing in a hunched-over position, unable to get comfortable
• Refusing to lie on their side
• Dry heaving or vomiting foam or mucus
• Anxiety
• Pacing
• Whining
• Licking the air
• Looking at their abdomen
• Standing with their legs spread
• Shallow breathing
• Weak pulse
• Collapsing to the ground
• Cold gums that are dark red (or blue or white in later stages)
• Unable to defecate

How To Treat Canine Bloat

The biggest factor in helping a dog survive canine bloat is the speed with which he gets treatment. The moment you think your dog is suffering from bloat, you should seek veterinary care immediately. Treatment is based on how advanced the bloat condition is.

A dog with canine bloat may be in shock, which must be treated before any treatment for bloat can begin. Treating the shock will stabilize the dog enough to begin bloat treatment.

If the stomach hasnt twisted yet, the vet may sedate your dog and put a tube down your dogs throat to help remove gas from the stomach.

If the stomach has begun twisting, your dog will require surgery. First, your vet will deflate and untwist the stomach, which will help alleviate pressure from gas. Then, they will staple the stomach to one side of the abdominal wall (gastropexy) to help prevent canine bloat in the future.

Unfortunately, despite emergency treatment, canine bloat is highly fatal. If your dog survives treatment, you should schedule a follow-up exam afterward to ensure there is no remaining damage. Any remaining dead stomach tissue must be surgically removed to help maintain proper stomach function.

What Causes Canine Bloat?

Veterinarians have no definitive data as to why canine bloat occurs. There are some theories, which are listed below.

One Large Meal Per Day

One of the factors is feeding one large meal per day instead of two or three smaller meals. Part of this theory comes from the fact that a dog who eats only once a day is generally starving by the time mealtime rolls around. He will gulp his food down quickly and, along with it, will swallow large pockets of air that contribute to gas buildup in the stomach.

Extreme Exercise Near Mealtime

Dogs should have one hour before and after vigorous exercise to calm down from play before eating. Exercise before meals can leave the dog riled up and extremely eager to eat, which again leads to the gulping of food and large pockets of air. Eating too quickly before exercise can also result in bloat because running can cause dogs to swallow large pockets of air, again contributing to gas buildup in the dogs stomach.

Excessive Grain In Kibble

Some vets reject this theory, but others accept it because excessive grain in dry kibble can lead to fermentation during digestion, which releases a large amount of gas.

Drinking Lots Of Water During Mealtime

When a dog swallows large gulps of water, he also gulps large pockets of air that can build up in the stomach. Many think that this potential cause of bloat can be eliminated by removing water from the dogs reach while he iseating and making it freely available at all other times.

Does Dog Size & Breed Play A Factor?

Large breed dogs are generally more susceptible to bloat than smaller dogs because they tend to eat larger meals and swallow greater amounts at one time. However, this does not mean that small dogs do not bloat; plenty of small dogs have suffered from canine bloat.

Certain dog breeds are also more susceptible to bloat due to the shape of their chest. Dogs that are barrel-chested or deep-chested (the sternum hangs down at a lower point from the backbone than in small-chested dogs) are prone to canine bloat.

In one large study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers analyzed medical records of more than 27,000 dogs from the UC-Davis veterinary clinic to compare the incidence of 24 genetic disorders in mixed versus purebred dogs.They found that the risk of bloat was significantly higher in purebreds. The breeds with the highest rates of bloat in this study were Saint Bernards, Irish Setters, Bloodhounds, Great Danes, and Irish Wolfhounds.

These and other breeds noted for a high incidence of canine bloat include:

Is Canine Bloat Hereditary?

If your dogs parent or sibling has suffered from bloat, its likely that your dog will too. Dogs are also at higher risk for bloat if they are excessively thin; this results from a dogs eagerness to eat whenstarved and underweight. If your dog is underweight, you can help reduce his risk of bloat by getting him to a healthy weight. For example, feed him several small meals throughout the day. Your vet can recommend a diet plan to help your dog gain weight and get the nutrients he needs.

For this same reason, dogs that are fearful or anxious should also be fed small meals in areas of their home where they feel most secure. A dog thats fearful of losing his food for any reason will eat quickly and likely swallow large pockets of air.

Canine Bloat Infographic

Heres a graphic summarizing what it is and how to treat and prevent bloat in your pup.

Sample Claim From Fetch

Below is a claim filed with Fetchfor canine bloat.

• Dog: Connor, 6-year-old male German Shepherd
• Total Vet Cost: $2,944.94
• Plan Details: $200 deductible (per condition, annually); 80% reimbursement
• Total Reimbursed: $2,311.89

How Can I Keep My Dog From Eating Too Much?

If you think your puppy ate too much and is now bloated or your dog has overeaten and is suffering from canine bloat, you should seek vet care immediately. Try to prevent overeating in the future by splitting up meals and using a slow-feeder dog bowl to help keep your dog from wolfing his food down too quickly.