My dog always seems hungry and steals food. Should I feed her more?

Do you think her body weight is appropriate? If she is underweight, she can eat more. If she is normal, you may consider putting her food in treat or puzzle toys so that it takes her longer to eat. She may also be looking for attention. Help her get in more play time or do obedience training to give her mind something to do. If she still seems really hungry, you can try feeding a weight loss food at higher amounts - they usually have more fiber so that it fills the dog up without adding extra calories.

Unfortunately that answer will depend on a few factors. 4 cups of food a day sounds like a reasonable amount for a young 63 pound dog that is active. My 70 pound dog eats about 3 cups a day and is completely convinced that he is starving every day, but his weight is perfect. It just depends on the dog. So, my first recommendation is to evaluate Cooper's Body Condition Score (BCS). I have included a link below with detailed information about a BCS. https://www.purina.co.uk/dogs/health-and-nutrition/exercise-and-weight-management/dog-body-condition-tool Often, we think a dog with a BCS of 6 or 7 out of 9 is a normal weight when they are actually overweight. If you have any questions about Cooper's weight or how to determine his BCS, then I would certainly consult his veterinarian. Otherwise, if his BCS is normal and he appears to be acting normally otherwise, it might just be the Cooper thinks he should be eating more food than his body actually needs to maintain his weight. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

What a great picture of Alfie! The calorie contents of different foods vary so it's hard to say without knowing what brand of food he's getting. However, in general, a 60lb pit bull will require more food than a 60lb dog of a different breed. They tend to be very heavily muscled which burns a lot of calories, and they also tend to be very energetic. He's also young so will require more food than a senior dog. One cup of dry food 3 times a day might just not be enough for him. I would recommend increasing his canned food to one can twice a day, or you can try adding 1/2 cup dry food at feedings. Watch him to make sure he's not gaining too much weight. Also, if he still seems hungry, you may want to have him checked over by his veterinarian. Intestinal parasites and certain metabolic diseases can cause them to be excessively hungry. And some dogs are just hungry all the time, not matter how much they just ate (kind of like people). The last thing you can try is adding water to his food to bulk it up and make him feel fuller. You can also feed him vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, celery, and cucumbers to give him high fiber/water, low calorie treats.

Based on the photos e does not appear under weight. Most dogs are over weight so in comparison the fit dogs actually look thin For him to stay the same weight as he is you an feed 1.5 cups of food twice a day and still mix in the canned food he likes, about 1/4-1/3 a can at a time. If he does not finish the meal the. You may have to divide it into 3-4 feedings a day to get him to eat enough. If he is very active and he is using all these calories the. You can increase it. If he gets too. Big then decrease the canned food portion

Try spacing out the food over three feeds a day. You can also try to add extra fiber to the food, such as bran, in order to bulk it up and make her stomach fuller. Make sure the food you are feeding (I am not familiar with it) is labeled as a complete puppy food for medium breeds. If not, I would change over to a food by a company that offers scientific formulas such as Iams. Hills, Purina ProPlan, etc. Make sure you transition slowly over about a week's time. Take Calli to your vet for a weigh-in and find out if she is a proper weight. Hunger is not necessarily correlated with not being fed enough. If she is the proper weight but keeps begging for food it is rather a behavioral thing.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would continue to feed her the small breed puppy food at the recommended amount on the bag. Puppy food is calorie-dense, so as to meet the energy needs of high-energy puppies. You can try breaking the amount into smaller, more frequent meals (ie three or four times a day) so she feels like she is getting to eat more. I would not over-feed her for fear of early onset obesity, which can lead to significant health issues later in life. You can also supplement her diet with healthy treats during the day such as carrots or green beans. After she is spayed, her energy requirements will decrease and she will need to be fed less food so she doesn't become overweight. I hope this is helpful!

It sounds like Baby Girl may be resource guarding. With a little patience and a lot of time, I am sure that you can train Baby Girl to be more polite when she is around her food! Here is a great article: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/food-guarding Additionally, make sure that you are feeding her enough. I can't tell from the picture if she is thin, but if she is, you can feed her a little more than what is recommended in the feeding guidelines on her dog food. If you haven't already, I also recommend that she be checked for intestinal parasites as they can cause nutrition absorption issues and can often make pets hungry.