Are we feeding him enough?

[tammers]

Hi there,

We just adopted our big boy two weeks ago. He's been settling in well, no major issues or accidents so far. He's definitely on the quieter and low energy side, but recently we've been noticing bit more energy (playfulness? Grumpy hungry boy?) around meals. 

 

He gets 4.5 cups of Purina Pro Plan a day (he weighs about 82 pounds), split morning, lunch and dinner. He is definitely a chow hound and will eat anything in front of him. Lately, we've been seeing him wander all around the apartment hunting for food. Anytime we go to the kitchen and come out with no goods, he gets a small burst of energy and goes and finds a squeak toy which he tosses around with and chews (he is never playful with his toys otherwise). While I'm happy he's finally playing with his toys, is it only because he is HANGRY or frustrated? Is he bored? We're definitely looking to get other enrichment toys to get his energy out. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by tammers

[MerseyGrey]

The behaviour you describe sounds like how our dog is when he thinks we are going out, whether we are or not. He becomes very sweet and playful, but I think it’s more to do with getting attention, or maybe his dog way of enticing you to stay with him - why would you need to leave the house when you have such a cutie pie to entertain you? I’ve never considered it to be a display of hunger. If you’re feeding him the recommended amount and he’s not losing weight, you’re probably feeding him the right amount. At two weeks in, he’s probably exploring his surroundings and maybe just getting a bit more brave

[FiveRoooooers]

He's not hungry nor HANGRY nor frustrated nor bored, he sounds like a well-adjusted silly happy boy, lucky you! When I mention "Supper" in any context, Annie goes on alert from wherever she is and either participates in the convo or more usually does a happy dance involving a stuffie. If "Supper" didn't actually involve food  after a cuddle with mom she goes back to whatever it was she was doing. Cletus KLTO, otoh, was none of those, he was simply a LabX and they are programmed to Hoover your floor. At all times. No matter how few crumbs there may be. All.Day.Long. Repeat.  

Perhaps your boy would enjoy Noseworks. Food is involved  

[EllenEveBaz]

Welcome!  You'll be able to tell over the next weeks or month whether that's enough food for your boy by paying attention to how he looks.  Pick a few noticeable anatomy parts -- hipbones, ribs, tuck (waist) -- and compare to how they are now.   

Each dog metabolizes food differently.  I feed the same Purina Pro Plan, and the 64-lb dog gets 2 cups a day, and the 76-lb dog gets 2.75-3  cups a day.  This is slightly less than what the  back of the package recommends, but it's what works for them.  The smaller dog is more active, but the larger dog for whatever reason needs almost  50% more food although he is not 50% bigger.  They also get treats 2x a day.  You're giving much more than here, so I don't think you're underfeeding him.    How much is he pooping?  

One of my dogs finds a squeaky or a chewy when I'm preparing their food, and squeaks or chomps away.  I take it as a sign of happy expectation. It sounds like your dog is expressing his enjoyment in the transition to his new life as a pet.  

[HeyRunDog]

You're probably over analysing it. He's still settling in and starting to see what he can get away with. If every time he wanders around looking hungry or tossing his toys around he gets a treat or food "result."

Double check he's getting the right amount of food including treats and he should be getting about 20% protein. Any higher can make them overactive and unless they are getting a lot of exercise, for example when for when they were racing, they don't need it and can cause health problems later on.

[cleptogrey]

watch out! calorie count on pro plan just changed over the past couple of months. i ended up switching my girl from pro plan focus to purina one shredded beef. less calories and she's more satisfied (go know??) with her 2.25 c per day. but she's a 36lb whippet and runs for a good 2-3 hrs a day- so, she needs fuel. on the pro plan sport she was getting fluffy- that's the last thing you want with a sighthound. my gh(s) always weighed the same or a pound or two less than their track weight- they loose muscle. 

try the purina one and it sounds like a lot of food unless your dog is really active. felix weighed 74#s and annie 65# and walked 4 miles a day and played soccer in the yard. she ate 2-3 c per day, felix 3-4 depending upon activity and weather. i feed my dogs a tad more during the winter.

[FiveRoooooers]

How is it going?