So hungry he's miserable

C

coopersmom

Forums Enthusiast
Randy has been doing fairly well since his bout with a mild case of Pancreatitis. However now he is so hungry he is standing, looking at the counter where I feed him, and barking/crying for more food. He was ill one month ago and started on Purina EN. Now he's off that and back on Purina OM because he has a weight problem. I know he's overweight, know the Purina OM isn't the best food out there. Right now although I am worried about his weight, I'm more worried about why he's started this behavior. He gets one cup twice a day so I feel sure he's getting enough food.

Any thoughts on this? Any diseases that would make his behave this way? Maybe he's got into a habit of knowing if he barks he'll get more food?
 
Whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, soybean hulls*, soybean germ meal, soybean meal, pea fiber, wheat gluten, poultry by-product meal, animal digest, powdered cellulose...

So you know when you eat Chinese food or pasta, and you are hungry an hour later? That is exactly what is happening here. This food contains almost no meat, and is nothing but starches and carbs. It will keep him fat and hungry. The protein contained in this food is plant based, which dogs have little use for, and certainly should not be staple of the overall diet.

Your best bet to get the weight off is to find a lower fat (but not low fat) quality kibble, and simply feed him less. I only say lower fat because of the pancreatitis, not because of the weight.

Article on fat in canine diets: http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/october-2009-fats-and-when-to-reduce-fats-in-diet/

Article on fat dogs:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/pudgy-pups/
 
I'm sorry that Randy is feeling so hungry.

I don't want to encourage you to try another food given his past history and the fact that he's on a vet food. That's for you and your vet to decide.

I've been trying to get the weights of my shelties down and found that supplementing their diet with green beans works. I fed the beans to them frozen, in addition to their food. They have very little calories and made them feel fuller. They really like green beans and eat them like treats.

I also give my shelties carrots as treats, which they really love and carrots also have very few calories.

If you try adding in veggies and he's still acting terribly hungry then I'd consider talking to your vet about the dog food.
 
My dogs tend to feel fuller when I put oats in their meals. They love the oats (and I am lucky that the natural food mix I give them already comes with oats).
 
You guys also probably feed a food with some kind of meat content, so adding starch/carb is not as bad. But adding starch/carb to a starch/carb diet will not do this dog well in the long run. He needs meat.

Feeding him a regular diet (just less quantity) then adding green beans or oats if he needs is fine. But feeding those on top of the current food will keep him fat and malnourished.
 
Yep you're right the oats are added to meat, not to a commercial food. Mine also love to hoe into the horse food between meals so there must be something yummy in those oats.
 
I remember years ago my mom saying "oats stick to your ribs", and if you eat them you stay full longer. (basically you don't get hungry again as fast) Guess that would not be any different for dogs.
 
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