I have a thought on something. I have a large dog that seems to be hungry all of the time. He is currently fed a 24/20 Hi Nrg feed. He gets 2 1/4 cups in the AM and another 2 1/4 cups in the PM. Based on my visual inspection, and the tightness of his collar, he has continued to gain weight on this amount and I need to cut back on his feed. However, this is a dog that constantly searches for food both inside and outside. Although he is a 105Lb, and growing, American Bulldog, I think he has some bird dog in him. Because he will lock up on point at a turkey sandwich from 6 inches away. It is nearly impossible to break his concentration from food.
I'm considering going to a feed with less protein/fat and lower ME/Lb and just feeding him the same amount. Hopefully, he can lose some weight on the same general volume of food without cutting back the amount. Decent idea?
Hungry dog
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ROTTnBRITT
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Re: Hungry dog
My male Rottweilers were the same way. I think they just loved food. I fed them 2 cups, 2 times a day. With a 26/16 food. They stayed lean and looked good.
You could just cut back on the amount a little bit. As long as they look good, they are getting what they need. Sometimes they just want more.
You could just cut back on the amount a little bit. As long as they look good, they are getting what they need. Sometimes they just want more.
Re: Hungry dog
Heck you should have a Lab or should be around my 6 month old GSP!
Some dogs are always ravenous.
If your dog is in good health always measure it's feed which you do.
If you are feeding a lot and the dog is not gaining weight it may be time for a complete blood test.
All dogs should exhibit a wasp waist. Way to many fat dogs.
I have 5 dogs that all eat the same feed. My 4 year old 63 pound GSP eats 6 large cups a day and shows rib. He is in perfect health and runs like the wind.
I truly believe some dogs would eat themselves to death given a chance.
Yes, there are some diet dog foods. One I know of uses peanut shells as a filler. I used it on a ACD years ago and it didn't seem to help much, but she could have been supplementing by killing and eating other critters.
Some dogs are always ravenous.
If your dog is in good health always measure it's feed which you do.
If you are feeding a lot and the dog is not gaining weight it may be time for a complete blood test.
All dogs should exhibit a wasp waist. Way to many fat dogs.
I have 5 dogs that all eat the same feed. My 4 year old 63 pound GSP eats 6 large cups a day and shows rib. He is in perfect health and runs like the wind.
I truly believe some dogs would eat themselves to death given a chance.
Yes, there are some diet dog foods. One I know of uses peanut shells as a filler. I used it on a ACD years ago and it didn't seem to help much, but she could have been supplementing by killing and eating other critters.
Re: Hungry dog
If I fed him more food, he would just want more. This dog would literally eat all of his kibble, plus any table scraps (not that we give him any), and multiple dog biscuits a day (not that we give him any of those either), and still want more food. He could easily get up to 130lbs if I would let him. He also does very little except lay around, sleep, and look for food. And with this workout regimen, he maintains slabs of muscle that are clearly visible.
Re: Hungry dog
Yes and if he got into a full bag kibble he would eat all of it and then as he would drink even more water he would swell and a burst;-)
I had a Lab one time that got into a full bag and I really though she would bust open. It was a worry.
I had a Lab one time that got into a full bag and I really though she would bust open. It was a worry.
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MonsterDad
- Rank: 4X Champion
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Re: Hungry dog
If you feed a food with more protein and less carbohydrate the dog will feel more satisfied. If you feed a lower protein and lower fat food the dog will be even worse because carb calories will rise.
Carbs cause blood sugar spikes and make the dog feel hungry.
If you want a dog that feels more satisfied and carries better weight, lower the amount of carbs.
Try Diamond EA and cut back the cups you are feeding. I bet the dog acts less hungry and loses weight. That food is very low carb.
Carbs cause blood sugar spikes and make the dog feel hungry.
If you want a dog that feels more satisfied and carries better weight, lower the amount of carbs.
Try Diamond EA and cut back the cups you are feeding. I bet the dog acts less hungry and loses weight. That food is very low carb.
Re: Hungry dog
Dogs are programmed to eat and eat and eat. Survival instinct, I reckon, dating back to their wolf ancestry.
Remember: Dogs aren't people. We know when we're full (well, some of us do more than others). By and large, dogs do not exhibit the same trait. If they were "full" off 2 cups, and you gave them 4, do you think they would stop at 2? No (although I do know one dog in particular, a Lab, that gets a large bowl of food left out all day and he just "grazes" as he sees fit. Never eats his whole bowl. Darndest thing I've ever seen).
I always laugh when I see those automatic food despensers that drop out kibbel as the dogs eat. I laugh because I know my dogs would not stop eating until they drained the reservoir of its week's worth of food!
Do yourself a favor and bring the dog to a vet, as it's been mentioned. Make sure everything checks out, and ask the vet about your concerns. Better yet, talk to a nutritionist.
What I've heard is simple enough:
1) If the dog is overweight and already eating the minimum recommended about of a given food, switch to a food that lowers its caloric intake.
2) If a dog is overweight but is being fed the max amount of a given food, drop to the lowest recommended amount and see what happens.
3) Exercise the dog daily!!!
Remember: Dogs aren't people. We know when we're full (well, some of us do more than others). By and large, dogs do not exhibit the same trait. If they were "full" off 2 cups, and you gave them 4, do you think they would stop at 2? No (although I do know one dog in particular, a Lab, that gets a large bowl of food left out all day and he just "grazes" as he sees fit. Never eats his whole bowl. Darndest thing I've ever seen).
I always laugh when I see those automatic food despensers that drop out kibbel as the dogs eat. I laugh because I know my dogs would not stop eating until they drained the reservoir of its week's worth of food!
Do yourself a favor and bring the dog to a vet, as it's been mentioned. Make sure everything checks out, and ask the vet about your concerns. Better yet, talk to a nutritionist.
What I've heard is simple enough:
1) If the dog is overweight and already eating the minimum recommended about of a given food, switch to a food that lowers its caloric intake.
2) If a dog is overweight but is being fed the max amount of a given food, drop to the lowest recommended amount and see what happens.
3) Exercise the dog daily!!!