We got a Basset Hound pup. 10 weeks old. First time owning this breed. She is hungry all the time. How to cope

Question

She seems to have no control over her hunger.

Answer 1

If you got your Basset Hound from a breeder, then find out what, when, and how often he was fed. Follow the daily schedule and amounts recommended by your breeder. Also, stick to the same food that the breeder was feeding him to avoid upsetting his stomach and diarrhea which often result when the food is abruptly changed.

Don't feed your Basset Hound all the time. Here are some guidelines for how often your puppy should be fed:

- 6 to 12 weeks: 4 times per day
- 12 weeks to 6 months: 3 times per day
- 6 months and up: 2 times per day

Set a schedule that is convenient for you and reasonable for your puppy and feed him at approximately the same time every day.

As for the amount to feed your puppy, either start with a recommendation from your breeder or look on the bag of dog food for a recommended starting point and then use your best judgment to vary the amount to your particular puppy's needs.

One thing to watch for with Basset Hounds as they get older (especially in the 4 to 5 year range) is obesity. This breed of dog has a tendency to become obese if they are overfed and do not get enough exercise to work it off. Obesity can lead to back problems and other health problems. So it's something to be aware of as your dog ages.

This article contains some good tips on feeding Basset Hounds:
http://www.just-basset-hounds.com/care-and-feeding-basset-hound.html

Answer 2

Welcome to the Basset hound stomach. As long as you are feeding her the recommended amount of food there is no reason that she needs more. Bassets are prone to being overweight because they LOVE food. Don't worry she's not really starving, she just enjoys food.

I posted a link for a Basset site that might help you out with questions or information. I have a 3 year old male Basset myself and I know that those tummies can run away if you let them.

Answer 3

My Basset Hound is now almost 2 years old. At 10 weeks, they go through their eating spurts, because they have a lot to fill. At 10 week old, I only gave my pup 1 1/2 cups of dry food per day, and 3 pig ears in between to keep her content. Just wait.....they get very roudy, and playful.

Answer 4

Young pups generally do act hungry all the time, and if allowed to, some pups will eat until they look like their stomach might burst. Some may even eat so much they throw up from overeating. Overeating to that extent isn't good for a puppy. Feed the recommended amount of dry food for the breed and age of pup, and divide the feeding into more than one meal, generally pups of that age should be offered food three times a day. If the pup is lean, give her more food, if she is getting fat decrease the amount given. Soaking her food in water before giving it to her is one way to make her feel fuller while actually eating less at a time.

Young pups do normally eat a lot, they are growing, their metabolism is higher than that of adult dogs, and puppy digestive systems aren't as efficient as that of adult dogs. Adolescent dogs can seem to eat alot and burn it off as fast as they eat it,but be skinny just as humans are in the teenage stages of development. Pregnant and nursing mothers can eat much larger amounts of food than normal due to the extra demand on the body. Working dogs, especially dogs working in cold weather conditions such as sled dogs, require much more food due to the physical demands of both the work they are doing and the cold temperatures they are working in.

You may want to have your pup checked by the vet for worms, because worms robs a dog of the nutrients in the dog's food and you don't want to buy food for the dog and be feeding the worms instead of the dog getting the full benefit of the food!

Answer 5

My dane (Charlie) started having seizures when he was a puppy. He tends to get them more when he is highly stressed (after surgery, road trips, etc.) We took him to the vet the first time it happened and she ran a bunch of diagnostic tests to find out what was causing the seizures. Your vet should suggest the same when she learns of the second seizure. He was given x-rays to check for abnormalities. They also ran blood tests to check organ function and to screen for toxins. He even had a CT to check his brain for possible causes of epilepsy. If they can't find a reason for the seizures, he will be identified as having Idiopathic Epilepsy, which means just that: they found no reason. That's the kind Charlie has, and the kind you're not hoping for..as there's nothing you can change in his diet/lifestyle to make it go away. But it is usually well controlled on meds. Charlie has been on Phenobarbital for three years now and has only had three seizures. My vet said to not worry about bringing Charlie in unless he had a seizure that lasted more than five minutes, or unless he had cluster seizures. (More than one in a short time.) These are both very, very dangerous. I know emergency clinics are so expensive, but you will be risking your dogs life if he is not helped in situations like those. Basically, most seizures are look much worse than they really are. But, he must be treated. Getting him to the vet and putting him on meds (if they decide this is necessary) is going to be much cheaper and much easier on the heart than allowing his condition to get worse. P.S. Charlie is a very big dog, and his medicine still only costs about $10 a month. I mean I spend more on chewing gum every week. Oh. And don't try to touch him when he's seizing. You could get bit. Just try to make the surroundings as calm as possible. (Darken the room, don't allow family members to be loud, remove other animals.) And have some ice cream ready for when he wakes up. And some research suggests that saying his name over and over while he is seizing can make him come out of it sooner.

Answer 6

It's your responsibility to control their food. Many breeds and many puppies don't know when to stop eating. (I've never seen a trim adult basset in my life)

So it's YOUR job to put down the amount of food per day the dog is alloted. If you need help with this, look at the dog food bag or consult your vet. But this is your responsibility to feed your dog properly and keep them at a healthy weight.

Answer 7

I think this is pretty normal for puppies. I would think especially for Bassets :). Just make suer you are feeding her the recommended amt of food (look on the bag of dog food it should tell you) and maybe add in a few treats or so. Try giving her some things to chew on too, maybe that will help.

Answer 8

she is playing you is what my vet said on my mini dachshund who acted the same way. All puppies think they have to eat and eat and eat till they die, but really have you ever seen another puppy not act hungry for your food or more of her own, that's why they have serving sizes for puppies on there food bags because you could kill your puppy from over feeding and I also grew up with a beagle in the family which is part of you dog in his breed and he did the same thing and we got the same answer from the vet when we asked and it also could be the type of food you give her because some foods are either not filling enough or are just plain wheat and oats as its fill ins for meat and beef and stuff like that in the food.

Answer 9

The other answers seem to cover most of the points to consider about the pup's appetite, but I would really ask your vet about it. There could be a parasite in the pup's intestines that is robbing her of valuable nutrients, thus causing the pup to seem constantly hungry. Treat her well, love her and good luck.

Answer 10

Basset Hounds are basically hunting dogs and high energy dogs. they require a lot of food (fuel) to keep them going. Keep food out for her. As she gets older and burns less energy she'll slow down on eating.