How Long Does It Take For Dogs To Digest Food
When you feed your dog, how long does it take for the food to digest? If the answer is “I have no idea,” you’re not alone. Most people don’t think about digestion when they feed their dogs. But if your dog is eating raw food or kibble, knowing how long it takes for a dog’s body to process food can help you make better choices about what to feed him or her. In this article we’ll cover everything from how long it takes for raw and cooked kibble to pass through dogs’ bodies all the way through what happens when something blocks a dog’s intestines (spoiler: not good).
If you feed your dog raw food, you might wonder how long it takes for your pup to digest.
Your dog’s digestive system is very efficient, but it does take time for the body to break down and absorb nutrients. So how long does it take for your dog to digest food?
The answer depends on what you feed them. Kibble takes about 12 hours, while cooked meat can take as little as 4 hours and raw meat only 2–3 hours.
That’s because kibble typically needs to be chewed before it’s digested; when you feed your pup raw or cooked meat, he doesn’t have to chew it first—it breaks down in his stomach just like any other animal protein would (think steak versus chicken breast).
About 4 hours.
In general, you can expect your dog’s digestive tract to pass food through in about 12 hours. That being said, the length of time it takes for a dog to digest his food is dependent on several factors:
- The type of food eaten (raw vs. cooked)
- The size of the pet consuming the meal
- Whether or not he has other health conditions that impact his digestion
This is what happens with raw food.
When you feed your dog raw food, it is not processed by the body. Instead, the food passes through his mouth and down into his stomach. There, enzymes in his saliva begin to break down the protein in his meal.
Then it travels to another organ called the pancreas, where more enzymes are released to further break down proteins and fats.
After that, the food moves on to a part of your dog’s small intestine called Peyer’s patches where bacteria live happily and help with digestion even further by releasing additional enzymes that help break down organic materials (like meat) into smaller pieces so they can be absorbed more easily by other parts of your pet’s body
If your dog has a tendency to eat too quickly, try using a puzzle bowl or a snuffle mat that makes kibble more challenging to reach.
If your dog has a tendency to eat too quickly, try using a puzzle bowl or a snuffle mat that makes kibble more challenging to reach. These products are great for keeping your pet occupied and distracted while they eat. Puzzle toys are also available at most pet stores. They come in different shapes and sizes, from balls with holes in them to puzzles with various pieces that must be put together before the treat can be accessed.
If you don’t want to buy special bowls or toys but still want your dog to eat more slowly, consider using an ordinary plastic bowl with a lid on top of it (most standard bowls come with lids), which will prevent your pup from being able to get his paws into the food too quickly.
What chemicals help digestion?
The digestive tract contains a variety of chemicals that aid in the digestion of food.
The bile is one of the major chemical agents in your dog’s digestive system. Bile helps to break down fats, which are then absorbed into the body as nutrients. The enzymes pepsin and protease also help to break down proteins into usable amino acids that are absorbed by the body. Another enzyme called amylase helps to break down starch into sugars, which can be used as energy by cells throughout the body.
Your dog’s stomach also produces additional chemicals that help break down food.
The stomach secretes additional chemicals that help break down food, including hydrochloric acid, enzymes and bile. Your dog’s stomach produces a variety of enzymes that digest food in different ways. These include proteases (which digest proteins), lipases (which break down fats), amylases (which break down carbohydrates) and carboxypeptidases A and B (which break down amino acids).
How long does it take for food to pass through dogs?
The digestion of your dog depends on his type and also the way you feed him. For example, if you’re feeding a raw diet to your dog, then the food will pass through him in around four hours. If you’re feeding kibble or cooked food to your dog, it could take up to four hours for it to digest.
Dogs can pass food through their digestive tract in about 12 hours.
The digestive tract is a long tube that starts at the mouth, passes food through the esophagus and ends at the anus. The digestive tract is made up of many parts including:
- Mouth (or buccal cavity)
- Esophagus – transports food to stomach
- Stomach – secretes enzymes and acid to break down food into smaller pieces
- Small intestine – absorbs nutrients from digested food and passes it on to large intestine
- Large intestine (colon) – where water and minerals are absorbed from undigested material or feces#ENDWRITE
What if something is blocking the intestines?
If your dog has a blockage in her intestines, it can be fatal. Here are some things to look for that may indicate a blockage:
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive gas or flatulence (this is normal after eating)
If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your vet immediately. The vet will likely perform an X-ray on the area where food passes through and look for signs of fecal material or obstruction. If they do find an obstruction, they’ll need to remove it as soon as possible—it’s not uncommon for dogs with intestinal obstructions to die within 24 hours without treatment.
Regular wellness exams are vital to keeping your dog healthy and preventing blockages.
Regular wellness exams are vital to keeping your dog healthy and preventing blockages. It’s important to take your pet in for regular vet visits and pay attention to any symptoms that may indicate a blockage, such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, coughing or difficulty breathing. If you notice these symptoms in your dog, it’s best to have them checked out by a veterinarian immediately.
Blocked intestines can be fatal if left untreated; however, there are many things you can do at home to prevent the development of blockages:
- Feed smaller meals more frequently instead of one large meal daily. This helps prevent your pet’s food from fermenting in his digestive tract overnight (which is what causes much of the damage).
- Add fiber supplements like psyllium husks or bran flakes into his diet—this will help push food through his system faster than normal so it doesn’t get stuck somewhere along the way.
Raw food takes about 4 hours to digest; cooked kibble can take 12 hours
Raw food takes about 4 hours to digest, and cooked kibble can take 12 hours.
Raw food is easier for your dog’s body to digest. It contains enzymes that break down the components of the food in a way that’s easily absorbed by your dog’s body. It also has probiotics which help keep your dog’s digestive system healthy, making it more efficient at absorbing nutrients from their meals. If you’re feeding a raw diet, you’ll probably see larger stools than usual (about 1-2 inches in diameter) when they go number two!
Cooked kibble takes longer because heat destroys some of the enzymes found in raw meat/bones/etc., which are responsible for breaking down other foods and releasing nutrients into our bodies so we can use them effectively (this process is called “digestion”). Kibble may also contain chemicals or preservatives that make it harder for our bodies to absorb all the goodness inside too–these chemicals can sometimes cause allergies or upset tummies if they aren’t digested properly!
We hope you learned how digestion works in your dog. If you have any questions about your pet’s health, please contact your veterinarian.
