More Hungry In The Cold Season?

[christinepi]

We live on the pretty mild California coast (Bay Area), but the last week or so the temperature has gone done down to 32 at night. Mornings are cool, and then the rest of the day it's at around 54 or so. Tracker has been making very clear lately that the amount of food I'm providing him with isn't satisfactory. He starts harassing me an hour and a half before feeding time (normally it's just 45 minutes), and even after feeding he'll keep on looking at me beseechingly. Is this perhaps because the colder temperatures suck more energy out of him on walks? This is the second winter we've had him, and I don't remember a changed behavior last year at this time. Or why would he start acting like this now? Could there be anything medical, like worms? He hasn't lost weight, as far as I can tell.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer is less hungry when it's hot... so does that correlate to being more hungry when it's cold?

[MauCarden]

According to my dogs (past and present) I have never ever fed them enough. Vet disagrees with them. But yes in the cold, it seems they want/need more.

[Guest BrianRke]

Mine also seem to be more hungry in the winter months. Im not sure if its the colder temps or if its due to less daylight

[maggiespet]

Maggie likes to put on 2 (just 2) pounds of extra weight during the winter. So yes, she wants a little extra. She doesn't like to wear a coat - even in the snow - so those extra 2 must be insulation for her! i know it sounds crazy, but she really does self-regulate her weight very well. Those 2 extra pounds will be gone come May.

[Guest PiagetsMom]

Mirage has always eaten like he's starving regardless of the weather. My girl, Piaget, was always a much lighter eater in the warmer weather, so yes, I guess her appetite was much better in the cold season.

[Guest happygrey]

Yes, I think some need more in wintertime. Bentley actually thins in the winter so we up his food. He doesn't have much fur and I think his metabolism ramps up to keep him warm. He also is the only of the 3 to sleep in a sweater at night.

[TheFullHouse]

You can't feed mine enough. Once they got into the routine at home, every day at 4:00 they start hassling me for dinner, which isn't until 6:00. They get a cookie at 4:00 but they continue to harass me thinking I'll move dinner time up a bit. Saint always wakes me up between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. yelling at me because he wants breakfast. Personally I think they know the routine and think if they complain enough you'll comply and feed them more.

[tydyelady]

This is definitely true for Opie. He sometimes refuses breakfast in the summer hot weather. Now its cold here in Seattle, has been in the 20's at night by us for almost a month. We don't have a fenced yard, so he gets 4 walks a day. He has been eating like a HORSE! We leave cookies when we leave in the AM, and they are gone before we even have our shoes and coats on!

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

When it's 100 degrees and 10,000% humidity, Jayne bolts her food as if she's never been fed and won't turn down a snack.

 

When it's -20 degrees and with a windchill of -10,000, Jayne bolts her food as if she's never been fed and won't turn down a snack.

 

 

 

 

[Feisty49]

When it's 100 degrees and 10,000% humidity, Jayne bolts her food as if she's never been fed and won't turn down a snack.

 

When it's -20 degrees and with a windchill of -10,000, Jayne bolts her food as if she's never been fed and won't turn down a snack.

:lol Gotta love 'em, huh.

 

This is Annie Bella's first winter with me, but I've reduced the amount of food I give her by a third of a cup a day because she's getting less exercise. In the good weather, and before it got dark at 5 PM, we took 3 walks a day. On most days now, we take 2 walks, hence she's getting less exercise, and I would think need less food.

 

What's really interesting is that before it got cold and stayed dark until 7 AMish, I was up and taking her out for her first-morning P&P and then breakfast by 5:30 AM. I still get up between 5 and 5:30, but she wants nothing to do with going out until at least 7 AM, if not later. She also doesn't care about food at that hour. So she's switched her schedule by starting her day 2 hours later, even if she is hungry.

[Guest shanesmom]

Elton was always hungrier in the winter and always gained a couple of pounds during the cold months. Don't know about Ace yet. All I do know is that he is always hungry and never thinks I give him enough.

[Guest WhiteWave]

Mine are starving 24/7. Ronon is the worst, he attacks food like he has never seen it before. He had gotten up to 82lbs and we having slowly been taking weight off. He is down to 78lbs and looks much better.

 

But as for as winter vs summer, mine eat more in the winter b/c they are more active and extra food is needed to maintain weight.

[FiveRoooooers]

I know that I am

I am always cold, always freezing. I equate increased appetite with trying to keep my core warm. Could that also be true for our hounds?

[3greytjoys]

Hounds do burn more calories in colder weather to maintain body temperature (even in the Bay Area). Our hounds eat more kibble to maintain weight in winter.

 

It's a great idea to do fecal tests at least once a year since hounds can pick up undesirable hitchhikers throughout the year.

[GeorgeofNE]

George is starving to death all the time.

 

According to him anyway! Weather makes no difference for him.

[Guest ShanYu]

Nike seems less hungry in the summer though always a foodhound!

[Guest Gemma]

Peyton definitely gets hungrier in the winter, and he usually starts losing weight until I up his food. Part of his problem is that we rent an apartment with crappy windows and an old heating system so it can get quite cold at night very suddenly. I've also noticed that all our greys get friskier in the cooler weather so an increase in activity also contributes. I feed him just a wee more morning and evening, and he does very well.

 

The great thing about Peyton is that he is not obnoxious about food. He'll accept anythng we give him, at any time, but he doesn't hassle us constantly unless he's actually really, really hungry so I can trust him to tell me when he needs a little extra.