Here’s a breakdown of why dogs may always seem hungry, along with solutions and key takeaways:
Reasons Dogs Always Seem Hungry
- Breed Predisposition: Some breeds (Labradors, Dachshunds, Retrievers) are more prone to overeating or have stronger food drives.
- Growth: Puppies and growing dogs have higher energy needs.
- Pregnancy/Nursing: Increased nutritional demands require larger meals.
- Stress/Anxiety: Some dogs use overeating as a coping mechanism.
- Boredom: Your dog may eat to occupy themselves if understimulated.
- Physical Activity: Active dogs burn more calories and need more food.
- Winter Weather: Maintaining body temperature uses more energy.
- Worms: Internal parasites can steal nutrients, leaving your dog hungry.
- Medical Conditions: Thyroid issues, diabetes, and other diseases can cause increased appetite.
- Food Quality: Poor quality food may lack nutrients, triggering constant hunger.
Possible Solutions
- Consult Your Vet: Rule out medical issues or parasite infestations.
- Quality Nutrition: Ensure your dog’s food provides balanced nutrition, potentially with higher protein and fiber to increase satiety.
- Portion Control: Measure meals according to your dog’s ideal weight, breed, and activity level.
- Feeding Schedule: Consistent mealtimes establish routine and avoid begging.
- Anti-Glutton Bowl: Slows down fast eaters, preventing them from feeling unsatisfied.
- Activity & Stimulation: Prevent boredom with walks, playtime, and mental exercises.
- Address Anxiety: If stress is the cause, seek ways to create a calmer environment for your dog.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t Ignore Constant Hunger: It may signal a health issue, behavioral problem, or simply unmet dietary needs.
- Work With Your Vet: They provide personalized recommendations for your dog’s optimal health and portion sizes.
- Nutrition Matters: Choose quality food and be mindful of portions.
- A Holistic Approach: Address physical and emotional well-being for lasting solutions.
Remember: a healthy, happy dog shouldn’t always seem ravenous. Consult your veterinarian to determine the root of the problem and ensure your dog’s well-being.
How Does Dog Digestion Work?
Although dogs are carnivores, their diet must be balanced – therefore, the menu must include fiber, which stimulates intestinal function, a vitamin-mineral complex, and fatty acids.
If the menu does not contain any one of these components, the balance will be upset. As a result, the dog feels that something that can be obtained from food is missing, and instinctively asks for more food, although in fact, it has already eaten.
Potential overeating is also facilitated by the fact that dogs, as befits predators, do not instinctively refuse food. In their understanding, there is no such thing as excess food, because it is not known when they will be able to get food next time.
That is why feeding a dog that has already consumed the prescribed amount is considered reprehensible. The animal’s gastrointestinal tract works best with a two-time diet – this is what the owner should focus on.
Reasons Why Are Dogs Always Hungry?
Puppies grow quickly and their energy needs increase. According to changes in the body, the need for energy will increase, and if the owner forgets to increase the portion of food, the dog may remain hungry. There are many reasons why are dogs always hungry. See below for the possible reasons.
Your Dog is Gluttonous or Greedy:
If your dog is always hungry, it may be because he is greedy. This cannot necessarily be explained. Some dogs naturally have a bigger appetite than others.
If this is the case for your faithful companion, don’t worry. Weigh him regularly and make sure he gets regular physical activity. Be aware that some dog breeds are more greedy than others.
Among them is the Labrador. Vigilance is also required if you own a dog of this breed because being overweight is not uncommon. The Great Dane is also a very greedy dog like the French Bulldog.
If you have a gluttonous dog, he may tend to eat too quickly. This habit comes with significant risks. Your faithful companion may in fact go astray, choke, have digestive problems, or suffer from stomach dilatation or torsion syndrome. To slow down your dog, you can opt for an anti-gluttonous bowl. You will find them in pet stores.
Your Dog Has Been Sterilized:
If you have opted for the sterilization of your dog or bitch, you should know that this surgical procedure leads to a reduction in energy needs and an increase in appetite.
Neutered dogs also tend to eat faster. In addition to carefully monitoring their weight, you must adapt their meals.
Opt for kibbles richer in protein which are more filling. You can also add cooked zucchini to the bowl. This tip works for both dogs and cats. Generally speaking, intake should be reduced by 20 to 30%.
Your Dog is Growing:
If your dog eats a lot and is always hungry, it may be because he needs it. This is the case for puppies who are still growing. During its first week of life, a puppy doubles its weight.
It will even triple it in just 3 weeks. Depending on your dog’s breed, he will gain between 60 and 160 grams per day. You must therefore meet your nutritional needs. A dog’s growth peak is between 4 and 8 months. Dog growth ends at the age of:
- 10 months for small dogs,
- 12 months for medium-sized dogs,
- 14 to 16 months for large dogs,
- 18 to 24 months for so-called giant breeds.
If you are unsure how much food to give your dog, do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice. Once again, keep track of your pet’s weight. it is an excellent indicator.
Your Dog is Pregnant or Breastfeeding:
If your dog is expecting babies, you will need to adapt her diet. From the 5th week of gestation, the quantities should be increased by 20 to 25%. Your dog’s needs have changed!
Be aware that many veterinarians advise offering puppy food. This is richer in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Please note that once the little ones are born, you should not reduce the portions.
On the contrary! As is the case during gestation, meals should be rich and generous. If your pregnant dog eats too quickly and demands food, you need to increase the quantities.
Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract:
Problems with metabolism automatically mean that the dog cannot fully absorb nutrients from the food he eats.
The food consumed is largely wasted – which means that in order for the body to be satisfied, you need to eat more of it. The problem may lie in reduced acidity of gastric juice, lack of enzymes, and other diagnoses – the animal must be examined and treated.
Helminths:
Intestinal parasites also participate in the digestion of food, only the beneficial substances in this case benefit them and not the dog.
The dog is experiencing a lack of useful substances, and his body is also poisoned by the waste of uninvited guests. It is not difficult to suspect the presence of helminths, because the pet not only eats a lot but also loses weight.
Exhaustion:
The owner cannot always correctly determine exactly how much food his pet needs. For example, store-bought food comes in varying degrees of nutritional value, and if the animal does not have enough nutrients in its composition,
it is natural that it will experience hunger and even lose weight. To rule out other causes of the problem, consult a veterinarian, and even if the problem lies precisely in exhaustion, the doctor will tell you what food is suitable for the animal.
Poor Nutrition:
This problem is especially typical for a natural diet: it can be quite high in calories and contain a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, but the dog digests these particular foods with great difficulty.
Difficulties with digestion are also observed if the owner neglects the feeding regime – it is better to constantly feed the dog at the same time, at equal intervals.
Your Dog Has Intense Physical Activity:
If your dog spends a lot of time outside if you take him for a run with you, or if you have a dog activity, your faithful companion works out more. He therefore needs richer meals. So you need to make sure he eats enough. If your dog is tired or losing weight, then you need to increase the quantities.
Your Dog Ran Out Of Food:
If you adopted your dog from a shelter or association, it is possible that he lacked food in the past. If this is the case, he will hurry to finish his bowl.
If you have several dogs, you must ensure that each of them eats the contents of their bowl. If a dog regularly has its meal stolen, it will quickly empty its bowl when it is available to it.
He’s getting into bad habits! Lack of food can also occur during breastfeeding. Puppies have to fight to get milk from their mother. Sometimes they don’t eat enough.
Pathology of the Saturation Gene:
In a healthy body, there must be a so-called satiety gene, which allows you to determine the moment when there is already enough food. In some dogs,
it may initially be absent – in this case, the animal pathologically has no sense of proportion. Representatives of some breeds face this problem more often than others – it is especially common among Labradors, dachshunds, retrievers, and some terriers.
High Physical Activity:
The daily calorie intake depends on how active the dog is. If the dog walks a lot or plays sports professionally, the average portion for his breed and weight will not be enough for a particular animal, and the pet will not get enough of it.
Winter:
A significant portion of the calories in any warm-blooded organism is spent on maintaining normal body temperature.
In summer, it is not so difficult to generate heat, but in winter, especially if the animal spends a lot of time outside, it becomes more difficult to stay warm, and more food is needed to avoid freezing.
Your Dog Is Stressed:
Generally speaking, a stressed dog will tend to eat less. However, sometimes it is the opposite. On the contrary, due to stress or anxiety, a dog can overheat. In this case, he empties his bowl to keep himself busy. Other signs may indicate that your dog is suffering from stress. Among them, there are:
- A faster heart rate,
- Dilated pupils,
- Digestive disorders,
- Excessive licking,
- Tremors,
- Hypersalivation,
- Barking,
- A fearful attitude.
If you think your dog is suffering from stress, you should try to define the cause. It is not uncommon for unhappiness to come from a change in everyday life.
Sometimes the cause is medical. Your dog is sick and doesn’t know how to express himself. In all cases, an appointment with the veterinarian is necessary to take stock and find solutions.
Boredom:
When a dog has nothing to do, he, like a person, can devote his time to eating food! If this reason for overeating seems obvious, it is not so difficult to correct the situation – spend more time with your pet and take more active walks.
Your Dog Is Bulimic:
Eating disorders are numerous in dogs. Canines can suffer from anorexia or bulimia. In this case, your companion will not be vomited. Bulimia is more like hyperphagia or polyphagia.
Your dog eats compulsively and without limit, sometimes to the point of making himself sick. Bulimia can cause obesity. This excessive excess weight negatively impacts the quality and life expectancy of the animal. support is required.
Your Dog Has Worms:
Worms are internal parasites that plague all dogs. They affect nearly 90% of puppies and 20% of adult dogs. There are different types of worms: roundworms which are also called nematodes and flatworms which are also called cestodes. Here is a non-exhaustive list of internal parasites.
Roundworms are long, white worms that have serious consequences. They cause eating disorders (bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation), weight loss, and growth delays in puppies. Affected animals tend to eat more.
Hookworms are small worms that cause irritation and weight loss. Whipworms are also small worms. They are dangerous since they can cause anemia, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and significant weight loss.
Tapeworms are worms that feed on what your dog ingests. If he is concerned, he will always be hungry. To reduce the risk of worms, simply deworm your pet once a month until the age of 6 months and every 3 months thereafter.
Your Dog Is Not Fed Enough:
It is entirely possible that your dog is not getting enough nutrition. It is difficult to know exactly how much food to feed. This depends on the breed and the needs of your dog based on its physical activity.
It is recommended to give 15 grams of kibble per kilo. If your dog weighs 10 kg, you should give him 150 grams of kibble. If he weighs 20 kg, you should give him 300 grams of kibble. You can also bet on mixed food!
Finally, remember to always offer a bowl of fresh water to your canine. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to consult your veterinarian.
Conclusion:
Normally, an adult dog is fed twice a day, but in the absence of the satiety gene, you can increase the number of meals to three or even four times, reducing the portions.
The increased fiber content will also help – while not being particularly nutritious, it creates a feeling of fullness in the stomach.
The abundance of protein also contributes to the feeling of fullness. And finally: do not follow the lead of a dog that asks for more food if you do not understand that it really needs it. Overfeeding your pet will only make things worse!
