How do I stop my Beagle from being hungry all the time
Why Is My Dog So Obsessed with Food?
One of our dogs is far more food obsessed than the other. I only have to walk towards our fridge and he jolts out of his bed and runs over. Youd think we didnt feed him as he acts like hes constantly starving?
There are good reasons why my dog so obsessed with food, so I will share those with you now, so you can apply this to your own dog or puppy. Firstly, a short overview.
My dog is so obsessed with food due to habit (i.e., you being a source of food), a strong survival instinct, an underlying health issue, poor diet, psychological distress, and past experiences with scarce food, amongst other reasons.
Below I will explain in more detail, plus how you might be able to stop your dog being so obsessed with food, including human food.
Why your dog is obsessed with food
Every hungry dog gets excited during mealtime. But if your dog often goes bonkers every time they see or smell food, its natural to worry.
Maybe its how they bolt into the kitchen whenever they hear the fridge door open. Or the way they clutch onto your arms with all their strength as you pour food into their bowl. Or how theytry to steal from your tablewhen obsessed with human food.
Or worse, how they prey on your food and leftovers in the trash despite feeding them minutes ago. What could be causing your dogs food obsession?
Lets take a closer look at six possible reasons:
1. They have a strong survival instinct
Your dogs food obsession could be an inherited instinct from their canine ancestors wild dogs and wolves. While hunting in the wild, wolves and wild dogs viewed food as a prize that never comes easy.
And whenever they caught prey, they would eat up greedily since they didnt know when they would be lucky enough to find food again.
Your dog likely inherited this feast or famine mentality. And a strong one, for that matter, as they often appear tonot know when to stop eating.
They probably think that anytime you offer them food, they have to gobble it down and search for more because it might all disappear.
2. Your dog has an underlying medical condition
There are many health conditions that interfere with proper nutrient absorption in a dogs body or increase metabolism.
When your dogs body doesnt absorb all the nutrients from food, they will develop nutritional deficiencies.These deficiencies often trigger insane food cravings.
Increased metabolism makes your dogs body burn calories faster than usual. As a result, your dog will constantly have hunger pangs that will make them go crazy over food every time.
The medical condition behind your dogs food obsession could be:
- Canine diabetes
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushings syndrome
Intestinal worms are also notorious for making a dog want to eat more, even when youve already fed them enough.
In some dogs, the obsession might be because of a particular gene, the POMC gene short for pro-opiomelanocortin gene.
The POMC gene normally controls your dogs appetite. If a chunk of this gene is missing in their body, your dog may turn into an eating machine.
Researchshows that dog breeds like Labrador retrievers, dachshunds, andBeaglesare most likely to have this gene fault.
3. Food scarcity mentality from past experiences
This may be the case if you have arescue dogobsessed with food. Its not unusual for them to eat food thatbelongs to your other dog, or evenstealing food from your cat.
If your dog had a rough past where getting a proper meal wasnt guaranteed or had to fight with other dogs to get their share of food, the obsession might stem from their past experiences with scarce food.
Seeing food in abundance simply makes them want to do everything to get it because they think of it as something extremely rare.
4. Poor diet and incorrect portions
Are you sure your dogs regular food has the right balance of nutrients? Does it have enough fiber which often keeps a dog full?
What about the portions you serve your dog?
Theres a good chance your dog often feels hungry most times because they dont eat the right amount. Or because theyve developed nutritional deficiencies (that lead to intense food urges) due to their low-quality diet.
5. Psychological distress
Several studiesshow that just like humans, some dogs can also stress-eat.
If theres been a major change in your dogs life maybe youve moved to a new place or brought in a new family member they might resort to food to cope with the many strange emotions theyre feeling.
You may think your dog has developed food obsession out of nowhere. But in real sense, its the negative emotions making them act desperate for food, andtry stealing from countertops.
6. It could be the medications
Certain dog medications and increased appetite go hand in hand.
If your dogs food obsession cropped up after they started taking a particular medication, theres a possibility that the drugs have taken their appetite and food enthusiasm to a whole new level.
How do I stop my dog from being obsessed with food?
Food obsession puts your dog at risk ofobesity They will constantly sneak into the kitchen to find leftovers to fill their belly.
Plus, their ritualistic cry for more food will trick you into offering them a little more every time to stop the unending begging. And before you know it, the extra pounds will come knocking.
Another problem with food-obsessed dogs is that they dig into their food so fast that they throw up, choke, or bloat. The last thing youd want is to deal with an emergency during feeding time.
First things first, see the vet
If youve noticed your dogs relationship with food has changed for the worse, its best if you schedule a vet appointment. Your vet will run some tests to determine whether theres a medical condition behind your dogs food obsession.
Its also important for you to chat with your vet about the food your dog eats and the portions you often serve them.
If theres anything faulty with the diet or portions, your vet will recommend dietary changes that will curb your dogs food obsession.
Here are other steps you can take to resolve the problem
- If you suspect the food obsession started after theyve been taking a certain medication, ask your vet for an alternative.
- Get them a slow-feeder bowl (view on Amazon). This will teach your dog patience during mealtimes. A slow-feeder bowl will force your dog to eat calmly and not act like they are ever at war with food.
- Distract them with treat-stuffed toys or playtime whenever they beg for food. This will help take their thoughts away from food and onto something more interesting.
- Instead of throwing them any treat when they plead for more food, opt for healthylow-calorie treats like cucumber slices or carrot sticks.
- Get rid of temptations. Dont feed them table scraps or leave your leftovers on the counter or in an open bin. This will only fuel their obsession with food.
- If you feel that your rescue dogs food obsession has got something to do with their past experiences with food scarcity, consider seeking help from a behaviorist.
FAQs on your dogs food obsession
What causes a dog to be obsessed with food?
As discussed earlier, there are several potential reasons. The obsession could be caused by an underlying health issue, a survival instinct, psychological distress, past experiences with scarce food, and poor diet or incorrect portions.
The food obsession could also be triggered by the medication theyre taking.
Why is my dog so desperate for food?
They might have an underlying health issue, are psychologically distressed, or are genuinely hungry because their diet is poor, and portions arent enough.
It could also be due to a strong survival instinct, past traumatic experiences involving scarce food, or a particular medication making them extra hungry.
Why does my puppy act like hes starving all the time?
As mentioned earlier, maybe your puppy has an underlying health issue, isnt eating a quality diet or the right portions, is under stress, or has a strong survival instinct.
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Why do beagles eat everything?
All dogs like to eat, but Beagles love to eat anything and everything and they dont know when to stop. It seems that no matter how much food there is, your Beagle will quickly devour it, and then ask for more.
Although it is very common for a Beagle to eat everything, the truth is this can cause serious health issues and it can lead to overeating and even obesity. Whether your Beagle is overweight or not, portion control is important.
Firstly, lets examine why Beagles eat so much and why are Beagles always hungry, ultimately helping you with the question you probably asked yourself countless times How to stop my Beagle from eating everything?.
Why do Beagles eat so much and why are Beagles always hungry?
Beagles are naturally very curious, on top of that Beagles really like to eat, they have little capacity to regulate their appetite, so Beagles will continue eating, even if they are full. This all stems from their past when Beagles were in packs and they were used for hunting.
If you allow your Beagle to eat as much as they want, there is a great risk of developing medical issues that can be both short term and long term. In order to avoid that, continue reading this article, since we will discuss advice for helping you to stop your Beagle from eating anything and everything.
Why do Beagles eat everything?
There are a few main reasons that can explain why Beagles eat everything:
- Natural instinct
- Exploration
- Boredom
- Medical reason
1. Natural instinct
As it was mentioned, Beagles used to hunt in packs, hunting is a tiring job and it can mean that you only have one large meal per day, or one in a few days. Although your Beagle is probably not running in the woods, trying to catch a small animal, that natural instinct remains.
Since this is not going to change, there is no need to overfeed your Beagle. Yes, they will gladly eat again as soon as they are finished with their portion, but that can only make your Beagle overweight.
2. Exploration
Beagles are very curious by nature, so the way that they explore things is simple, they put it in their mouth. For Beagles, exploring is mainly finding out if something is edible or not, so if the object is small enough, Beagles will swallow it. Beagles are very smart, if the object that caught their attention is too big, they will try to break it in order to fit it in their mouth. Needless to say, this can lead to many digestive and health problems.
3. Boredom
Beagles are very active, they like to explore and play. If your Beagle isnt getting enough of playtime, they will probably get bored. If you leave your Beagle unattended for a while, there is a high possibility that they will start to chew everything just out of plain boredom.
4. Medical reason
If your Beagle tends to eat everything, there might be a medical reason for it. There is a type of condition called Pica. According to Clinical Animal Behavior Service and Pet MDit is a condition where dogs crave and eat non-food items. While most of our pets chew on different objects, in this case they are literally eating and swallowing them.
Objects that your Beagle eats can vary, from your socks and underwear to toys and rocks. Beagles tend to eat items that smell like their owners, meaning socks, underwear and other clothing items.
Diagnosing Pica is fairly easy, since the behavior itself is what leads to the diagnosis. The problem can be understanding what caused Pica in the first place. There are plenty of medical reasons that can cause Pica and that are responsible for your Beagle eating everything, literally everything. Those reasons range from bad nutrition, hormonal imbalance, all the way to diabetes. Because of this it is very important to take your Beagle to the licensed veterinarian.
How to stop your Beagle from eating everything
Now we know all the common reasons that can lead your Beagle to eat everything. If you already took them to the medical professional and you know that there is no medical reason for this behavior, you are probably wondering how to stop your Beagle from eating everything. There are a few easy ways to accomplish that:
- Set meal times
- Supervision
- High-quality diet
- Discipline
1. Set meal times
As we all know, Beagles are very smart and they have good memory. Unknowingly, maybe you taught your Beagle that in some situations they will get more food. For example, your Beagle ate something during the walk, you came to the conclusion that they were hungry, and as soon as you returned home, you gave them food. Your Beagle is seeing this as a reward for their behavior.
In order to avoid this type of behavior, you have to have set meal times. Your Beagle has to know when the next meal is coming, you will help your Beagle to stop eating everything and keep them at ease.
2. Supervision
If you notice that your Beagle eats everything, try not to leave your Beagle unsupervised. Leaving your Beagle unattended can cause boredom and lead them to eat or chew on foreign objects. Being a dog owner can sometimes feel like a full time job, but that is the simple reality of things.
3. High-quality diet
Although we mentioned many instances when your Beagle will simply eat whatever just because they are curious, bored or playing, there is absolutely a time when your Beagle is just hungry. Keeping your Beagle well nourished and on a nutrient-dense diet is necessary for their well-being.
4. Discipline
When your Beagle starts to eat or chew anything that is not their food, say No or Leave. Correcting your Beagles behavior and teaching them basic commands will help you in the long run, and it will also keep your Beagle healthy and protected.
Additional advice for owners whose Beagles chew everything
If you are struggling with your Beagle eating and chewing everything, here is some additional advice for you:
- Use a slow feeding bowl, it can help your Beagle to feel full
- Pre-measure the food
- Remove edible items from your Beagles reach
- Be consistent, Rome wasnt built in a day, it will be rewarding for you and for your Beagle at the end
Some final thoughts for owners who feel like their Beagles are obsessed with food
If you are a Beagle owner and you feel like your Beagle is eating too much, if you feel that your Beagle is chewing and eating everything, consider some of the reasons and solutions listed above. Your Beagle has natural instincts which they cant fight-off, your Beagle might be bored, and always check with a licensed veterinarian if there is some medical reason for this behavior.
Try to train your Beagle, be persistent and consistent, stopping your Beagle from eating everything wont be an easy task, but your dogs health and well-being is a reward which is priceless.
