# Increased appetite after spay??



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Kira had her spay on Thursday. Friday morning, light meal. Friday eve, full meal.
Yesterday and today, she won't stop sitting by the kitchen counter, to remind me that she's hungry.

She had her full meal this morning, and licked the bowl. Tonight, she licked her bowl dry.
Not normal for her. Never ate with any real desire.

Can a spay increase appetite after a day or so?

She's driving me crazy.
She does this little "ruff" all day. She sits in the kitchen, and "ruff", "ruff", "ruff"... Every 15 minutes.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Her stomach may be irritated from everything, was she on rimadyl?
Just as with us, when our stomach hurts we sometimes feel hungry even when not (acid for instance).


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Her stomach may be irritated from everything, was she on rimadyl?
> Just as with us, when our stomach hurts we sometimes feel hungry even when not (acid for instance).


That's a possibility.

She was on Tramadol for 2 days. Seemed fine, and stopped it a day short.
She's active, alert, and ready to play


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I'd just feed her the normal amount. She may be bored, too - if you're keeping her inside which is recommended of course.
Give her a long lasting treat like a bully stick or a kong stuffed with nummies, etc.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> I'd just feed her the normal amount. She may be bored, too - if you're keeping her inside which is recommended of course.
> Give her a long lasting treat like a bully stick or a kong stuffed with nummies, etc.


Again, you're right.
Been keeping her inside most of the day. Some light walks, some sun bathing in front of house.

How long should I restrict her activity?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I'd say 7 days anyway...


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Zira's appetite went up after her spay. She was always hungry.

Also, now I have to monitor how much food she gets. She gains weight much easier. Before, because of the SIBO, she wouldn't gain even a pound. So definitely watch her weight... it happens quickly and without you even realizing it! When Z's healing period was over I took her out to the park to play for a bit and couldn't believe it.... you could use her as a table! lol! Fortunately, she lost it all pretty quickly without too much effort!


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

We measure everyone's food here and learn how much they truly need to maintain, not lose or gain


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> We measure everyone's food here and learn how much they truly need to maintain, not lose or gain


We do too, always have. Because of the hormone change though... it's hard to adjust some of them afterwards. Some are ok with their regular amount, some have to be lowered. Zira had to be lowered by a lot. Because of her SIBO, I didn't expect a big change... so I gave her what she would normally get. Well... I was wrong. She gained weight like a horse on all sweet feed and alfalfa!! She's now leveled just fine. 1.5cups in the AM and 1 PM. Occasionally supplemented with pumpkin and yogurt. She's perfect weight and healthy. Just saying, after a spay/neuter, you (general you) really have to monitor the dogs weight since that can creep up quickly and become overwhelming.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

OMG... 5am this morning. I hear her little "I want attention" bark. I come downstairs, and there she is.... going from the pantry to the kitchen island, with that crazed , feed me-look on her face. LOL

I waited until her normal feeding time, and gave her the usual portion. She licked the bowl.
I have to believe she feels good. She's full of life, and ready to run.

FWIW... Prior to getting her spay, she was barely eating. I thought she didn't like her food, and tried different options.
Her siblings had already gone into heat, and I'm wondering if she was just feeling blah.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Anthony8858 said:


> FWIW... Prior to getting her spay, she was barely eating. I thought she didn't like her food, and tried different options.
> Her siblings had already gone into heat, and I'm wondering if she was just feeling blah.


Could be. Hormones are a funny thing, they really do affect mood and behavior. Funny thing is that they affect different individuals differently, and some not at all. 

Do be careful that Kira doesn't get overweight. Once a female is spayed, her metabolism slows down, so that her body requires fewer calories to maintain. Now that her appetite is way up, it will be tempting to feed her more, but over the next few months you'll probably want to start decreasing her food just a bit, and keep an eye on her waistline.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Could be. Hormones are a funny thing, they really do affect mood and behavior. Funny thing is that they affect different individuals differently, and some not at all.
> 
> Do be careful that Kira doesn't get overweight. Once a female is spayed, her metabolism slows down, so that her body requires fewer calories to maintain. Now that her appetite is way up, it will be tempting to feed her more, but over the next few months you'll probably want to start decreasing her food just a bit, and keep an eye on her waistline.


I always feed her on the lighter side of her daily requirements, and I'll continue to do so. 
She doesn't get treats, and her food is all grain free, with low carbs, if any.

I'll keep an eye on her weight, for sure.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I wondered that, too, if she was getting close and the loss of hormones all the sudden made her feel like the "munchies". 
Hard to say. Too bad we can't feed 'em chocolate


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