|
How Dogs Eat
How Dogs Eat
While the eating behavior of a dog may seem strange or awkward to some dog owners, to the dog it is the most comfortable and satisfactory way of getting its food from its bowl into its stomach. The normal pattern of swallowing in a dog is often described as “bolting.” The dog picks up a piece of food with its front teeth and with a short, quick thrust of its head, tosses the piece of food back onto the top of its tongue. The piece of food is then rolled (without being chewed) to the back of the mouth. As the piece reaches the base of the tongue, a reflex causes the back of the tongue to push the food upward and backward into the esophagus. From there it is carried directly into the stomach.
When a piece of food is too large to be swallowed, the dog holds the food with its paws and uses its front teeth to tear off smaller pieces that can be swallowed. If the food is too tough to be torn, the dog will cut it into pieces small enough to be swallowed, using two specialized jaw teeth.
These teeth are called carnassial teeth and have large shearing surfaces that act like scissor blades which can cut through such tough substances as muscle, hide, gristle, and even bone. While the powerful jaw muscles of a dog are useful for cutting chunks of food into swallowing size, these muscles are used very little for actually chewing those pieces. A dog's teeth are few in number and poorly equipped for mastication.
Many dog owners think that every different breed of dog must be fed differently, according to some sort of specification. However, the eating behavior of a dog is characteristic of the whole species, not of any individual breed, since all dogs eat the same way. As a result, there are certain general considerations that can be made when feeding any dog.
A dog is not required to eat its food the same way a man does. A dog has no hands. A dog's jaws are suited for biting and cutting rather than chewing. There are few “gag” reflex nerves at the back of a dog's mouth, but many in a person's throat. A dog has fewer taste buds on its tongue, but a much greater sense of smell than a man has. There are many other differences as well.
|
Subscribe
to
our
newsletter.
It's Free!
Related Links:
• Acute Coughing Snoring and Bark Changes
• Administering an Enema to Your Dog
• Assisting a Mother Dog to Give Birth
• Bone Joint and Muscle Problems in Dogs
• Bottle Feeding Your Puppy
• Canine Scabies Sarcoptic Mange
• Changing Your Dog\ s Diet
• Commercial Dog Foods
• Common Signs of Dog Skin Problems
• Congenital Defects in Dogs
• Dealing with an Injured Dog
• Demodectic Mange
• Dog Accidents
• Dog Anorexia
• Dog Constipation
• Dog Diarrhea
• Dog Ear Mites
• Dog Exercise
• Dog Flea Treatment
• Dog Front Leg Lameness
• Dog Lice
• Dog Mites
• Dog Mouth and Tooth Disorders
• Dog Nutritional Diseases
• Dog Obesity
• Dog Skin Problem
• Dog Ticks
• Dog Vet Check Up
• Dog Walking
• Dog Worms
• Fading Puppy Syndrome
• Fats Carbohydrates For Dogs
• Feeding a Guide Dog
• Feeding Working Dogs
• Feeding Your Growing Puppy
• Feeding Your Guard Dog
• Feeding Your Outdoor Dog
• Feeding Your Puppy
• First Aid For Dog Bites and Insect Stings
• First Aid for Dog Poisoning
• First Aid Treatment for Dogs
• Giving Your Dog Liquid Medication
• Good Dog Eating Habits
• Hand Rearing Puppies
• Heartworm in Dogs
• Hookworms
• How Dogs Eat
• How Much Food Does Your Dog Need
• How Much Food To Give Your Puppy
• How Puppies Should Be Weaned
• Hurry Diarrhea in Puppies
• Liver for Your Dog
• Lyme Disease in Dog
• Malnourished Dogs
• Meat Only Diet for Dogs
• Natural Heartworm Prevention and Treatment
• Natural Holistic Dog Health
• Natural Protein Sources for Dogs
• Natural Remedies for Dog Discharges
• Nutritional Needs of Guard Dogs
• Nutritional Needs of Working Dogs
• Prevent and Treat Arthritis in Dogs Naturally
• Prevent Dog Fleas Naturally
• Preventing Dog Ear Problems
• Preventing Dog Flea Infestations
• Protection from Heartworm
• Protein and Carbohydrates in Dog Food
• Puppy Feeding Tips
• Quality Dog Food
• Rabies Dog Disease
• Remove Foreign Objects From Your Dog
• Resuscitating Your Dog in the Event of Heart Failure
• Ringworm
• Roundworms are Infectious
• Roundworms
• Sneezing and Coughing in Your Dog
• Soothe Puppy Teething
• Table Scraps for Your Dog
• Taking Your Dog To The Vet
• Tapeworms
• The Risks of Dog Vaccinations
• Ticks are Dangerous
• Treating Bleeding in Your dog
• Treating Dog Dandruff
• Tube Feeding Your Puppy
• Urinary Function in Dogs
• Vegetables Fruit and Bone Meal for Dogs
• Weaning Your Puppy
• What are Heartworms
• When Dogs Fight and Are Injured
• Whipworm
• Worm Control
• Your Dog Feeding Routine
• Your Dogs Mineral Requirements
• Your Dog\ s Mineral Requirements
|
