# 10 month old always hungry!



## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

My 10 month old is always hungry all the time!! He was never so food driven before but for some reason things have changed. Due to his sensitive stomach we're feeding him Royal Canin GSD Puppy food. While the bag recommends 5 3/4 cups per day we've upped it to 8 cups a day based on his appetite!!

Still, he will go outside and eat dirt and grass  He's on the slim side but not EPI slim. His poos are a bit soft but not the greasy EPI typical type as well so we don't think that it's EPI.

Is this normal for a pup his age? :help:


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## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

Oh, I forgot to add that he gets fed twice a day. He was 73lbs when he was last weighed about a month ago.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

8 cups a day? That is extreme. I say it is not normal, but I don't feed RC or any kibble for that matter...how many times does he poop and does it look like he's absorbing his food or just passing it? Do you add digestive enzymes or probiotics/ any supplements to his diet? If he's eating dirt/grass I'd say this kibble isn't a good mesh for him.


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## CHawkins (Jul 12, 2010)

For my well being if he were mine, I'd take a stool sample in to be checked. I had a shepherd who had a hard time on Royal Canin GSD Puppy food.


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

onyx'girl said:


> .how many times does he poop and does it look like he's absorbing his food or just passing it? .


Okay, I guess I haven't ever noticed what the difference between absorbed poop and non absorbed poop looks like. How can you tell when they are just passing the kibble?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

If the poo is big, that means he's passing lotsa filler. Smaller means absorbed nutrition. Rawfed GSD's poo is about the size of a yorkies...no waste.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

8 cups a day?? That must be a lot of waste. How often is he going?


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Humz, that's interesting! Apollos is always a fair amount and Riley's poo is always round medium sized chunks and it's dark green. Riley always poops less than Apollo.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

Sambuca said:


> My 10 month old is always hungry all the time!! He was never so food driven before but for some reason things have changed. Due to his sensitive stomach we're feeding him Royal Canin GSD Puppy food. While the bag recommends 5 3/4 cups per day we've upped it to 8 cups a day based on his appetite!!
> 
> Still, he will go outside and eat dirt and grass  He's on the slim side but not EPI slim. His poos are a bit soft but not the greasy EPI typical type as well so we don't think that it's EPI.
> 
> Is this normal for a pup his age? :help:


was he losing weight on the 5 cups a day? adding more food may just be producing more waste. if he wasnt losing weight on the 5 cups, then he doesnt need more food. many of our dogs "act" hungry all the time. im sure my gsd would eat 8 cups a day if i let her.

on a side note, why is Royal Canin gsd puppy good for sensitive stomach? maybe the RC is being poorly utilized. its a mid to low grade food at best.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

My foster is convinced I am starving her, but I'm feeding her the amount she needs to maintain her lean body weight. If it were up to her, she would be a sausage and keep eating until she exploded.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

You can NOT go by wether or not the dog "acts hungry". It is up to YOU to decide how much they need based on their condition. My dog would eat 8 cups a day if I let her. BUT she only GETS 2 2/3 cups a day because that is the amount she needs to stay at the proper weight for her build and size. 

Over feeding is the #1 cause of "soft poops".


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## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

Hi folks,

Sam poops twice a day. For the most part I wouldn't say that it is large quantity. His poop is still a bit soft but this is better than how he has done on other foods (California Natural, Orijen, and Natural Balance) but not as good as when he was on Hill's ID (vet recommended, expensive, and not good quality).

Our goal is/was to get him on a food that will give him normal stools. So about a month ago he was transitioned from Hill's to Royal Canin and I would say that it was since then that he's been acting more hungry than ever! With the Hill's he was fine on 6 cups a day. The reason why we increased it to 8 cups is because his apparent appetite is getting the better of him. 

Before we never had any issues with him. Great pup, stays out of trouble. But now if we let him in the yard he's digging up dirt and grass and eating it. On walks he's more likely to pick stuff up as well. He really does seem more hungry than ever before!

Based on all the responses so far this doesn't appear normal so we are going to try to transition him over to Eukanuba for GSD's. I know it's far from the best quality of food but our breeder, who has bred GSD's for over a decade and are also vets, recommends this as this is what they feed their dogs. If it gives him firm stools we can live with it.

Oh yeah, I weighed him last night and he's still 73lbs as he was a month ago. I would have liked to see him put on a pound or two since then though.


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## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

roxy84 said:


> was he losing weight on the 5 cups a day? adding more food may just be producing more waste. if he wasnt losing weight on the 5 cups, then he doesnt need more food. many of our dogs "act" hungry all the time. im sure my gsd would eat 8 cups a day if i let her.
> 
> on a side note, why is Royal Canin gsd puppy good for sensitive stomach? maybe the RC is being poorly utilized. its a mid to low grade food at best.


He wasn't losing weight on 6 cups a day but it was a different brand of food we were feeding then (Hill's ID). 

Royal Canin claims that it was original created for a GSD and to help it's sensitive stomach. Probably marketing is all it is.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

have you tried adding some green beans to his food? I add a half can to my GSD's food if he acts hungry which isn't very often


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

Sambuca said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> Sam poops twice a day. For the most part I wouldn't say that it is large quantity. His poop is still a bit soft but this is better than how he has done on other foods (California Natural, Orijen, and Natural Balance) but not as good as when he was on Hill's ID (vet recommended, expensive, and not good quality).
> 
> ...


If the appetite is getting the best of him he is probably not getting something from the food. You have noticed a change in behavior and that is not good. Would second the check on stool to make sure no parasites. And then I would recommend feeding him chicken and rice for a few days and see if he improves the behavior. 

The Eukanuba GSD should firm the stool up - the dried beet pulp helps with that.

Have you thought about RAW options? We have gone that route with a rescue who we are thinking is very sensitive - he has had 2 seizures - once after a bunch of shots and heart guard (right after rescue) and the second after eating some canned food for a few days with sodium nitrites in it. So we are making sure we understand exactly what is going in him and in the most natural state. He is doing good so far with the RAW only. We had mixed in some RAW with his routine but wasn't consistent. Now we don't feel RAW is an option - it is a must for him.


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

DCluver33 said:


> have you tried adding some green beans to his food? I add a half can to my GSD's food if he acts hungry which isn't very often


Make sure to wash the green beans even low sodium ones....otherwise you can be adding a lot of extra salt. Fresh is best (or frozen ones).


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## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

Never heard of adding green beans but may give that a try if this continues!

RJvamp - We'd love to give him RAW but it just wouldn't be convenient for us. We take him on trips a lot (day and weekend) and kibble is so much more portable not to mention the low cost.

I think we will try the Eukanuba first and if nothing improves we will get his stool checked out (they charge $65 for it at my vet!) as he hasn't shown any decrease in energy or lethargy. The only behavioural change appears to stem from hunger.

Thank you all for the feedback and help!! )


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Sambuca said:


> Never heard of adding green beans but may give that a try if this continues!


The fiber helps to make the dog feel full without adding a lot of extra calories.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Being he's a pup and eating dirt get a fecal done for worms. A dog with worms will have an increased appetite and runnier stools than normal, but not gain much weight. Dirt is one of many places worms can be picked up so it's worth a poo check


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I saw your other thread about his increased need for exercise, which could explain his need for more food; however, 8 cups is not a normal amount. You might consider having his thyroid checked when you have a fecal done to check for worms. Like I said in the other thread, Stosh is going through the same type of changes in activity level but he's only eating 4 cups of Orijen a day- at the most. If your guy checks out ok, it might be time for a different brand of food


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

8 cups a day, i think that's a lot. my dog is 85lbs maybe 90lbs.
i feed him 2 cups a day. his food is normally mixed with something,
chicken, beef, can food, fish, etc. because your dog seems hungry doesn't mean you have to feed him. your dog is 76lbs, that's a nice size.
i don't know how good Royal Canin is but maybe your dog needs a different food or some food combo.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Ozzy always acts like he's starving. I'm sure if I let him, he'd eat as much as most people feed their GSDs, if not more. He weighs 8 lbs.


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## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

Hmm my pup gets fed twice a day. The scooper holds 3.5 cups. So 7 cups a day...

He sometimes doesn't eat all his food or right when I pour it. But it is always gone. 

His stool is small and hard. Once a day.. I feed him "premium" kible. 

He is 90lbs now and strong. No fat


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