Pup Seems To Be Starving At All Times.

[busfrsr100]

Hi all,

 

I feed the pup (raced at 71 lbs and now hovers around 72-74lbs) 3 times daily, 1 cup per feeding + a Kong once daily packed with 1/3 cup kibble and a bed time snack of 1/3 cup kibble.

 

Stanley approaches every meal as his last and his internal clock is spot on for every meal. I take him out at 11pm and administer the bed time snack right after.....he is up at 5am crying to be fed. Sometimes earlier.

 

Here is my dillema....

I don't want to feed him too much but I'm wondering if the only way to get him to sleep later than 5am and to have his finger generally satiated is to feed more.

 

The problem with that theory is that after I feed him at 5am, he will lay on his couch roaching for literally 7+ hours without a peep. This leads me to believe that he just knows he gets fed when we wake up and has learned to anticipate his morning meal to the point of anxiety, which causes whining until he gets fed.

 

I'm at a loss, but certainly want him to A. Not be starved and B. I'd prefer to sleep past 5am once in a while.

 

 

Has anyone experienced this?

[juliemac]

Try adding some (rehydrated) Olewo carrots with his bedtime snack. If he likes the carrots, they can add volume without a lot of extra calories (see if he likes other vegetables as well, and then add them to all of his meals to fill up the belly more).

​I'm not sure how long you've had him in your home, but my girl had been fostered with a family that did a 5a turnout, and it took about 3 months to move that time to 6:15. I found that an early potty break allowed me to go back to bed for an extra 30-45 mins before breakfast, which is "easy" with a fenced yard).

[greysmom]

Each dog is different, and has different dietary needs. That being said, they all kind of act like that. If he is healthy (per the vet), has good stools and eliminates on schedule, has a normal amount of energy, and is holding his weight well for his activity level without being overweight, you can be assured he's getting enough food.

 

Adding fiber in the form of olewho carrots, cooked vegetable stew, oatmeal, or other options will help him feel fuller for longer.

 

If you want him to sleep longer you need to change his inner clock. For a couple weeks, set your alarm *before* he normally wakes up. Feed him and go back to bed until you want to get up. Gradually move his getting up time ahead by five or ten minutes every other week until he's getting up on your schedule.

[Neighsayer]

Can you give him the snack in early evening and feed his last meal later? Feed him at 10 or a little later. He can still relieve himself at the 11 pm out. You can give him a tiny snack before bed if he is set in that routine.

[GeorgeofNE]

Very few dogs are fed three times a day, and I guarantee you, he didn't get fed every time he wanted to anywhere in his prior life!

 

Pick a schedule, pick a food. You;re the one with thumbs.

 

I would 1) Eliminate the noon meal, 2) cut back on the treats. There is nothing wrong with saying "not now" to a dog acting hungry. In my experience of living with dogs my entire darned life is ALL dogs act like they're starving pretty much all the time. It's when they don't act hungry you need to worry.

Edited April 5, 2018 by GeorgeofNE

[NewGrey2017]

You didn't say how long you've had him and if this is new behavior.

 

I've had mine going on 5 months. He came with hookworms and it took 4 months to get a "no ova present" report from the vet. During the time he had them, he would perpetually wake us up at 2 and 3 AM because he was starving. Since he has been declared hookworm free, that behavior has gone away to the point where I have to ask him if he wants to get up or not. Might be worth the price of the test to eliminate that possibility.

[busfrsr100]

Very few dogs are fed three times a day, and I guarantee you, he didn't get fed every time he wanted to anywhere in his prior life!

 

Pick a schedule, pick a food. Your the one with thumbs.

 

I would 1) Eliminate the noon meal, 2) cut back on the treats. There is nothing wrong with saying "not now" to a dog acting hungry. In my experience of living with dogs my entire darned life is ALL dogs act like they're starving pretty much all the time. It's when they don't act hungry you need to worry.

A. We added the third meal because he wouldn't sleep through the night. B. He will cry and bark until he is fed. He will keep at this for an hour so saying "not now" doesn't cut it. However painful it is for us, we deal with it and stay on schedule as it is our choice not his.

You didn't say how long you've had him and if this is new behavior.

 

I've had mine going on 5 months. He came with hookworms and it took 4 months to get a "no ova present" report from the vet. During the time he had them, he would perpetually wake us up at 2 and 3 AM because he was starving. Since he has been declared hookworm free, that behavior has gone away to the point where I have to ask him if he wants to get up or not. Might be worth the price of the test to eliminate that possibility.

 

We have had him for 1.5 years. The behavior isn't new, but it has gotten progressively worse. He did have hook works when we got him and we struggled with that for a full year. He is allegedly free of parasites but it is probably time for a re test.

 

 

He is healthy, happy, has good stool and is energetic. Perplexing to say the least!

[XTRAWLD]

I suggest a bedtime snack. Also perhaps offer him something filling that isn't a meal. Someone suggested the Olewo carrots (which commonly help with D) - I use the beets which I understand to expand and fill while requiring very little of it to be fed. I guess the same could be said for any dehydrated veg though.

 

Have you tried feeding some carbs at dinner? Or cutting some of his food with it? I often add rice or pasta to Ryder's meals. Curious, how much exercise is he getting? Maybe he's not getting enough caloric intake for the amount of energy he's expending? Just thinking outloud....

[jetcitywoman]

A. We added the third meal because he wouldn't sleep through the night. B. He will cry and bark until he is fed. He will keep at this for an hour so saying "not now" doesn't cut it. However painful it is for us, we deal with it and stay on schedule as it is our choice not his.

 

 

We have had him for 1.5 years. The behavior isn't new, but it has gotten progressively worse. He did have hook works when we got him and we struggled with that for a full year. He is allegedly free of parasites but it is probably time for a re test.

 

 

He is healthy, happy, has good stool and is energetic. Perplexing to say the least!

 

Along with what the others are saying, I think it's good to remind (everyone) that dogs are very good at training US, and I think this might be what's going on here. He's learned that when he fusses, he gets fed. You'll have to counter-program that. I would suggest using distraction training techniques for this, and keep him on a reliable schedule. When he learns that he can't train you anymore to get whatever he wants, he will find security in knowing that his next meal is coming on the schedule he's used to.

[GreytXpctations]

I've had mine going on 5 months. He came with hookworms and it took 4 months to get a "no ova present" report from the vet. During the time he had them, he would perpetually wake us up at 2 and 3 AM because he was starving. Since he has been declared hookworm free, that behavior has gone away to the point where I have to ask him if he wants to get up or not. Might be worth the price of the test to eliminate that possibility.

 

Even if he isn't new and the behavior has always existed, it could be worms if it is getting worse all of a sudden. The above comment has applied to every racer we have taken in and was my first impression as well after reading your comment.

 

I have quit taking my greys to meet and greet type of events because that has been the most likely place that they have reacquired parasites. Having a full house again, we are no longer fostering and the dogs all have company in each other, so it has been easy to identify sources of parasite re-infection. Since every dog we were taking in seemed to have ticks and/or worms, we have avoided interaction between our personal dogs and the new off the track greys. It has been working so far. One of my colleagues from another area group has also mentioned that they have had a number of dogs come in through the training program with whip worm. This was awhile ago now, so I am not sure of the current status. I only do an occasional shuttle/transport run these days since un-retiring, so my interaction with local groups has been limited.

 

Hobbes, has a stomach issue, so gets a bedtime snack to keep it settled through the night. There is a delicate balancing act with this as we have learned, because not enough food wakes him up by 2am, but too much food wakes him up about 4 or 5 having to go outside. He also gets an afternoon snack, in addition to the two meals that all three get. He gets kibble at snack time and the others get half a cookie each to keep the peace. Our vet suggested the snack solution and it has been working for the most part. Two of our three are "chronically hungry", but no more than usual and maintain about 2-3 pounds over race weight. Routine, discipline and patience. As mentioned above, they do train us if we let them, but we also need to listen to them when things that go out of the ordinary, as may be the case with yours. -Oddly, the one that gets us up the earliest was never a track grey. The other two would sleep until 7 if he let them, having been gradually adjusted off of turn-out time.

 

Maybe if you experiment with the snack amount, but at the expense of the other meal amounts so that the daily total stays the same, you will find the balance. But if things have changed from the regular routine, then you may want to rule out worms. The stool may not indicate anything to the eye until the worms are well established.