Why Is My Dog Always Hungry

You have just fed your dog and a moment later, you see him loitering around your dining table attempting to eat something from the plate that you had just left there.

This makes you ponder why he always seems to be hungry despite just finishing his meal?

Your dog is always hungry because his food is “eaten” by intestinal parasites, or he is undernourished. It is his survival instinct to eat more or his obsession with food. Boredom makes him eat more since chewing is a self-soothing act. He is suffering from dementia and couldn’t recall he had already eaten.

Plagued By Intestinal Parasites

In this case, your dog is indeed feeling hungry as all the food he has eaten is being absorbed by the intestinal parasites present in his stomach.

This means that the food’s nutrients will not be absorbed by his body and that naturally makes him always in a hungry state.

You would probably also see your dog exhibiting symptoms such as scooting, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss.

You should bring your pet to see a vet to perform a thorough parasite inspection on him.

He is Undernourished

Did you ensure that your dog gets the adequate portion of food with the right nutrients that he needs to keep himself from hunger?

You will certainly need to perform a routine review of your dog’s diet as he grows up. 

Depending on his breed, size, age, health status and activity level, you would need to change his diet plan to suit his growth stage.

If he is still a young puppy, he would need more calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals to build up his bones and muscles. 

So, it is important that you provide him with a healthy diet as he grows up. 

As for the feeding schedule, he would need to be fed at least 2 to 3 times a day, in the morning, noon and evening. 

It is important to know how much your dog is eating because it will help you to plan his meals properly.

You can ask your vet for help if you do not know the dietary requirements of your dog.

He will be able to provide you with the right food that is suitable for your dog’s age and weight.

In general, a well-balanced dog diet should include high-quality protein (meat, poultry, fish), fats (butter, milk, cheese), carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes) as well as high fiber and vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits.

The diet should be tailored to meet the specific nutritional requirements of your dog.

Personally, I would prefer to opt for natural food such as cooked lean meat (e.g. chicken, beef, salmon), cooked eggs and sweet potatoes, raw fresh vegetables such as carrots and broccoli over commercial food for my dogs.

It will certainly take some effort to prepare them, but I feel it is worth the time and effort as this is going to be much more beneficial to him than those dry hard kibbles.

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An Instinct For Survival

Your dog is not feeling hungry, it is just his natural instinct to look for food and eat anything that he can find as he is worried that there might not be any food left for him later on.

He is feeling insecure about food.

This is especially so if your dog used to be a stray dog before he was adopted by you.

He had gone through the “struggling” experience of not having any food for days and would certainly not want to repeat it.

He will definitely look for food in whatever place you leave him despite not feeling hungry. 

That could explain why your dog keeps sniffing at every corner of the house, even in the trash, for any food he can find.

Having An Obsession With Food

Just like your kids will never say “No” to candy and ice cream, the same goes for your dog if he is obsessed with food. 

Food is always in his mind, and he is greedy for it. 

He has no self-control and if he gets a chance, he will eat just about anything you put in front of him.

And you can bet that he’ll find ways to get more food than you can possibly give him.

This is especially so for certain breeds such as dachshunds, pugs and Labradors that are known to have huge appetites.

They just can’t stop eating, and they seem to need a lot of food to maintain their weight.

So, if you’re wondering why your dog is always hungry, does he belong to these breeds?

Boredom Is Affecting Him

What would you do when you are feeling bored? Do you start to look for snacks or tidbits to have a bite?

This behavior applies to your dog as well.

When he is feeling bored, he will start looking for something to eat or drink. This is the same way we behave in human life.

He needs something to keep him occupied and nothing works better than food, which gives him a sense of satisfaction.

To prevent boredom, make sure that he has lots of mental stimulation and physical exercise.

Plan out activities to keep your dog busy for the day and help him release his pent-up energy.

Keep him entertained by having fun games with him, such as playing tug of war, fetching sticks, chasing balls or letting him have a run around the yard.

My Labrador loves running after a ball or stick, and he would always bring it back to me and then lie down next to me for a few minutes to rest.

I would then reward him with a small treat to keep him happy.

He would always enjoy that as much as I did and that certainly helps to release his excessive energy.

If your dog doesn’t like to chase after toys, you can play a game of flirt pole with him.

This is also another great way to get your dog to exercise and burn off some energy at the same time.

Also, go for some mental simulation activities such as playing hide-and-seek, jigsaw puzzles or conduct some obedience training for him.

These activities will help to keep his mind active and make him mentally tired.

This will in turn ease his boredom and make him more obedient.

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In a Dementia State

Your dog has forgotten that he had already eaten and starts looking for food.

This could be the case if he is suffering from health disorders such as dementia.

He was in fact not hungry, but as he could not recall that he had already eaten his meal, he thought that he hadn’t been fed and started to look for food.

This is the reason why he wants to eat again.

In this case, you should break his meal into several smaller servings and give it to him bit by bit.

This will help him to remember that he has already eaten and will prevent him from eating again.

Of course, you should also seek help from your vet to work on getting some medication for your dog to help with his memory loss.

Dogs suffering from dementia are very sensitive, and they might get anxious or depressed and might even start biting or scratching themselves in an attempt to release any tension.

So do not take this lightly and seek help from your vet as soon as possible.

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