# My Shih Tzu is always Hungry



## mjcace (Feb 6, 2009)

Hi guys,

I have a 3 year old Shih Tzu that is always hungry. This behavior is pretty new and concerning. When she wakes up in the morning, All she cares about is when I am getting up to feed her. I feed her twice a day and before the second serving she is often begging for her food. Also, Anytime My wife or I is in the kitchen cooking or eating she is there waiting on some food to drop on the ground. Sometime when I let her out after dinner she will eat her Feces, which is disgusting. 

Before she was just playful and happy but now it seems all she cares about is eating. Any insight/input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance


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## PureMutt (Feb 6, 2009)

May I ask what you are feeding her?


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## mjcace (Feb 6, 2009)

I recently changed to Science Diet. This problem started before I switched . She use to get Pedagree. All she has ever eaten is dry dogfood


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## PureMutt (Feb 6, 2009)

Well, it could be that she's not getting enough nutrition, making her want to eat more. Have you tried reading ingredients on Science Diet?


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

I was also going to suggest feeding something with more nutrients. 

Right now I have 2 three year old Shih Tzus and I'm feeding Wellness Core Ocean. Both are very healthy on this kibble, skin is in great health and they are maintaining a good weight. I feed them once a day (3/4 c) and that's all they need.

Shih Tzus are also big poop eaters. Most of the people I know with shih tzus have this problem and one of the biggest things you can do is pick it up right after she goes to the bathroom. However if this is a new deal my first guess could be the food.


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## PattyU (Jan 16, 2009)

You could have her thyroid hormone level checked to rule out hyperthyroidism especially if she's eating more and not gaining weight or even losing.


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## mjcace (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks for the responses. I don't think it is her food since she has always eaten 1 of these 2 brands without any problems. I thought science diet was considered good healthy food but it seems there are better foods available.

I'll ask her Vet and see what she recommends.

Thanks again


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## Dad2labs (Jan 25, 2009)

Science Diet is among the worst of the worst of dog foods. They spend their money in marketing instead of decent ingredients.

Your vet is the worst place to go for this kind of information. She has been bombarded with Science Diet propaganda since the first day she entered vet school until the present time. She probably sells it. She had basically no nutritional training in vet school except for some seminars put on by Hill's corp, the owners of Science Diet.

With all that said, I think your dog is acting pretty normal. All the dogs I have owned would begin pushing me towards their food about 30 minutes before meal time and would always hang out in the kitchen when we are in there waiting for "droppings". I would be concerned if they didn't act that way.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

If it was up to me I would definitely change her diet to a better quality food. If you go to http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ or to http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ you can see how your current food compares with other options.

For the poop eating, try adding about a tablespoon of PLAIN canned pumpkin (not the pie mix) to her food. Pumpkin is healthy for her, most dogs love the taste, and it seems to make the poop taste bad.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I never had "poop" eating dogs till I got a Shih Tzu. Some of them never do it but the ones that do, it is hard to stop them. A lot of people will disagree, but I have always had food down for my dogs (dry kibble) at all times and they do not overeat as they know it is always there and they do not fight over their food or beg. They are all a healthy weight. I did have to take Susie, my big dog, off the self-feed as she is a spayed female and was gaining weight so she gets fed twice a day, a cup morning and night. She weights 70 lbs.


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