Why is my 1-year-old pug always hungry? Is he eating enough?

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!

You can try splitting his feedings into smaller more frequent meals. Another idea would be to get a slow feed food bowl to slow his eating down. I would also make sure that you are weighing him regularly and feeding according to the growth chart on the food. I would not recommend leaving the food down for him to eat all he wants. This could cause him bad GI upset or more serious issues like bloat. Hope this helps some. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss nutrition and feeding in more detail I am happy to provide consultation services.

I do not think he is over weight. I would recommend monitoring his food intake closely. He can be fed 2 times a day with very limited treats. Usually the problem is over feeding and decreased activity. If you feed an appropriate amount and keep up exercise Murffy will be in good health.

If your puppy's body condition looks good (i.e., his ribs aren't sticking out and he has a good covering of soft tissue around his backbone and hips), then I wouldn't necessarily feed him more just because he's still acting hungry - many dogs act hungry all the time, regardless of how much they're fed, and would be quite fat if you fed them as much as they wanted :) With puppies, we don't want them to be overly chubby because this is very hard on their bones and joints as they grow. If you aren't sure if your pup is too thin or too chubby, you can request a one-on-one consultation with one of us and upload a photo for us to look at. Or, you could take him to your vet for a check-up and ask his/her opinion on his body condition.

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.

If you can't see his ribs then he is eating enough. It is best not to overfeed them. They look to you for food as a bond. They are not necessarily hungry. Puppies go through growth spurts where they look thinner and heavier until they are adults. As long as you are feeding according to the instructions on the bag of food, you are probably feeding him just fine.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Smokey. The average American dog is quite overweight. So if you have one at a healthy weight, it will usually look too thin. You want a thin covering over the ribs when you run your hands along his sides. He should have a waist the curves in from the top and size views. There is a one through nine scale of body condition scores. A healthy weight is a four or five. Every dog food contains a different amount of calories per cup. At six months of age, he should still eat puppy food. Look at the side of the food bag for feeding recommendations. Keep in mind, these are typically too high for most dogs. His weight looks great in your picture, but it obviously hard to tell for sure. Your current feeding amount is likely adequate. I hope this information helps! https://www.justrightpetfood.com/blog/dog-body-condition-score