How Long Should I Wait to Take My Dog Out After Eating?

Do you go for a walk or run right after you eat? The same thing goes for your dog. While the digestive systems aren’t exactly the same, they work in a similar fashion and, therefore, you need to wait a bit after your dog eats before taking them out. Keep in mind that their stomachs are much more sensitive so you need to be more careful. Dogs are playful creatures so taking them out will probably lead to them jumping around or running around which can be dangerous if they’re on a full stomach. To make it easier for you, we have prepared a guide on how long you should wait to take your dog out after eating and why it’s important to wait, the risks involved, etc.

How Long Should I Wait to Take My Dog Out After Eating?

While the amount of time that you should wait to walk your dog varies from dog to dog, there’s a certain amount that you should wait regardless of the dog. According to vets, you should wait at least 2 hours before walking or exercising your dog after it has just eaten. This is for your dog’s own safety as running and exercise can cause a gut injury for your dog. This is called GDV, which stands for gastric dilation volvulus.

It is in order words, bloating. The first couple of hours after a dog eats are sensitive as they can lead to bloating. This happens when parts of the digestive system stop circulation and trap gas. This leads to the inflammation of a dog’s stomach. The extent of GDV depends on how large your dog’s meal was. Bloating can become a serious issue for your dog so you need to be careful. In some extreme cases, it even leads to death. This is why you should wait a minimum of two hours before taking your dog out.

The amount of time that you should wait also depends on how much your dog has eaten. If it’s eaten a large meal then you should probably wait longer. If it was just a snack or small meal then an hour should suffice.

How Long After Eating to Walk a Puppy?

The same sort of situation applies to a puppy. Just like with dogs, you should wait 2 hours after a puppy has eaten to take them out. This may be more difficult with puppies as they are more playful but you could distract them in other ways so that they don’t go out to play right after eating.

Why is it Important to Wait to Walk Dog after Eating?

As already touched upon earlier, it is for your dog’s own safety and to avoid bloating. The reason why it’s so important that you wait to walk your dog after eating is so that they can digest their food properly. Just like in the human body, when dogs eat, the body uses energy to digest that food, so if they exercise or move around the same energy would be going into that instead of digesting the food. If you wait a couple of hours and let the food digest properly, then the dog’s energy levels will feel balanced again.

Risks of Taking Your Dog Out After Eating

Taking your dog out right after eating can result in GDV, but it can also have many other side effects. Other risks include vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, discomfort, and so much more. To avoid all of this from happening, in addition to improper digestion, it is best that you wait before taking your dog out after eating.

Should You Walk Your Dog Before or After They Eat?

This is also a popular question that people often think about. Truth be told, there are pros and cons to both walking your dog before, as well as after they eat. When you would walk them depends on the timeframe that you are thinking about. By walking your dog before they eat, you avoid their chances of developing a stomach twist. This is when their belly fills up with gas if they make sudden movements while they’re full. The risk of them getting GDV will be greatly reduced if you walk your dog before they eat.

Another advantage of walking your dog before they eat as opposed to after is that after the walk they might become much lazier and won’t be in the mood to exercise. By walking them before a meal, they may actually build up an appetite and eat more than they would have otherwise.

Their walk may be much shorter or slower if done before they eat. They may also feel lethargic or lightheaded because they have no energy in their system.

On the other hand, if you wait a couple of hours and then walk them after they have eaten, they may have more energy to move. The fact that they are hungry or starving won’t be a reason for them slowing down during the walk. After a meal, energy levels start to rise, so walking your dog after eating will keep their blood glucose levels stable. This is especially great if your dog has diabetes, as it will keep their blood sugar levels in check.

So if you’re taking them on a short walk, then it’s okay to do so if they haven’t eaten, but if you want to take them out for longer then you should probably feed them and then wait a while after taking them out.

Final Thoughts

You now know how long you should wait to take your dog out after eating. It may be annoying to wait at the time, but it’ll also save you and your dog from a lot of hassle and discomfort later on. If you do plan on taking them out, then feed them a light snack at least 30 minutes before.