# Puppy is constantly hungry



## Gracie_da_Puppy (Jun 2, 2014)

*Puppy is constantly hungry **PICS ADDED***

Gracie was about 8 weeks old when I first found her, and she was underweight. I've now had her for about 4 weeks. Even though she is up to weight and has been for some time she constantly searches out food, and when I put food down she devours it like she hasn't seen a meal in days.

I am feeding Purina One Lamb and Rice puppy chow. She is not quite 3 months old and about 10 lbs. The bag says to feed about 3/4 cup of food a day. Right now she is eating 1/2 of a cup of food 3 times a day and she acts starving. (Feeding this amount she isn't bloated looking, and she isn't sunken in either. I feed at 7am, 2pm, 7 or 8pm) Today, she figured out how to get around my gate and got into my others dog food and gorged herself to the point her little belly looks like she's ready to pop. Thankfully there wasn't a lot of food there, maybe about a cup worth of food. 

What can I do? Will she slow down? Should I be feeding her more?


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## Gracie_da_Puppy (Jun 2, 2014)

I also forgot to add, that she isn't super active. Well she is but we live in an apartment. I walk her twice a day and then she has access to the patio and plays with my two adult dogs. 
Also, I know she has Blue Heeler in her and maybe pit?


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## Gally (Jan 11, 2012)

Some dogs just always act like they are starving. If I free fed my corgi he would eat until he was 50 lbs (he's only 26lbs at a good weight). 

A few rules of thumb to determine if you are feeding the correct amount. 
1. You should be able to easily feel the ribs on any dog and see the last couple ribs on a short haired dog.
2. You should be able to see a visible waist line if you look from above and a tuck to the tummy if you look from the side. 
3. A young puppy might look slightly pudgy but in general keeping a dog lean is generally the best course of action for long term health.
3. Poop should be firm but still slightly moist (not dry) and there shouldn't be excessive amounts of it.

Do you have an idea of the breed or an estimate on adult weight you can go by for feeding? If she is at a proper weight for her age I am guessing she wont get much bigger than 20-25lbs when full grown. If that is true then 2 1/4 cups of food seems like it might be a bit much.

I wouldn't feed based on how hungry she seems but based on how her body is looking.










Oh and pictures are always good!


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## Gracie_da_Puppy (Jun 2, 2014)

Gally said:


> Some dogs just always act like they are starving. If I free fed my corgi he would eat until he was 50 lbs (he's only 26lbs at a good weight).
> 
> A few rules of thumb to determine if you are feeding the correct amount.
> 1. You should be able to easily feel the ribs on any dog and see the last couple ribs on a short haired dog.
> ...


Well, other than tonight, she would normally be about a 5 on the pictures above. Looking down on her you can see that slight waistline and from the side you can see her tummy tuck in a little. Tonight after gorging herself she literally looked like the dog on the 9. I'll post pics of her tomorrow if I can get hubby help me to keep her still long enough. The only thing I know about her is by her coloring I believe she is a Blue Heeler mix, perhaps with pit. I don't really know.


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## Gracie_da_Puppy (Jun 2, 2014)

The first two pics were taken just a few minutes ago. I fed her 1/4 cup of food at 8am which is almost 4 hours ago. I've already decided I think she was getting too much food. In the first post I made a mistake and said I was feeding 3/4 cup food 3 times a day, which actually it *should have been 1/2 of a cup 3 times a day.* The last pic was from a while ago, earlier last month.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

My terrier mix would eat until she exploded if she was allowed to. Some dogs, either due to inclination or early life experiences, just have a tendency to way over-consume. That puppy looks on the pudgy side of healthy to me (hard to judge without feeling ribs), but pudginess in a puppy can also precede a growth spurt. Have you taken her in for shots yet? If not, that'd be a good opportunity to ask the vet.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

My dog acts like he is ravenous all the time, even though he clearly can't be because he's a healthy weight and spoiled rotten. 

For me personally, I wouldn't worry about a little bit of pudginess in a puppy - IMO its better for them to have slightly too much food so that they're getting the nutrients and energy they need to grow. But I do agree with Parus - if you're concerned there's no harm in asking the vet the next time you see him.


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## Gracie_da_Puppy (Jun 2, 2014)

Ok thank you both, I'm not too concerned with a little extra weight on her. I was just worried about the constant appetite. She
s had her first shots already and will be going in for her second set here soon.


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## Sparkles123 (Dec 3, 2012)

Did you rule out worms?


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## doggiepop (Feb 27, 2014)

i think a dog will untill it burst. feed what you think is the proper amount, research guidelines. don't
let your dog sucker you into feeding more than what's necessary.


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