our four month old Labrador is always hungry.?

Question

he is constantly searching for crumbs and this morning i caught him digging up a pet fish that i burried about six months ago. i know that dogs don't know when to stop eating but if i feed him more substansiously and less often would that work?

Answer 1

I agree to make sure he is wormed and up to date on shots (worms make puppies eat and eat and eat and get little pot bellies sometimes too, as well as cause A LOT of other problems). Other than that, young puppies don't know when to stop eating. Make sure you are feeding him the recommended amount and how often for his age and weight (usually on the bag/package, if not use Google or some other search engine to find correct amounts). Don't over-feed or under feed him. If he doesn't have worms and all else fails and it continues and gets out of hand, consult a vet. Mabe something as simple as changing the type of food will work.

Answer 2

If your dog is perfectly healthy without worms than I would say this is totally normal. Puppies are growing like crazy the first year and that takes a lot of energy and therefore food to do this. I was worried about our puppy eating to much at one point and our doctor said it was nothing to worry about and that we should leave food out all the time so that she can eat as much as she wants. We did this and apparently she was going through a growth spurt because a month later she started eating a regular amount. The vet said there is no need to really regulate how much they eat until they are a year old.
Its kind of the same way with kids, if a baby was hungry would you only let them eat the recommended dosage? My neices also had unbelieveable appetites right before growth spurts, I just think that's how they are at that age. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Labs love food. More than almost any other breed! They are always ready to eat, and they always want you to think they are being STARVED!

At four months old, you should be feeding him 3 times a day. The amount you feed each time depends on the brand of food, and your dog's metabolism. If your dog looks skinny, you can increase the amount of food. As long as you can feel his ribs EASILY, he is at a good weight, and not too fat. He can have fat around his ribs, but it should not be hard to feel his ribs -- you should not need to push in to feel them. Also his tummy should look tucked up when viewed from the side. As long as you check his weight regularly (just by running your hand along his ribs), you can increase his food a little. An increase in food may make him less frantic.

When he gets to six months, you can switch him down to 2 meals a day, and 2 meals should continue for his lifetime. It's healthier for him, as less chance of bloat, and he'll be happier getting fed twice a day.

Also, you might want to switch him to a better brand of food, if yours is not that great. There are many good ones out there: canidae, orijen, innova, wellness. He may need more nutrition, and some brands are mostly fillers and not that nutritious. Try dogfoodanalysis.com to research.

Answer 4

I was told once by a breeder who was told by a vet that Labradors tend to be missing that full switch in their brains, and they will actually overeat themselves to death.

My husky will eat and eat as well, but he gets half a cup in the morning and half a cup at night. He's at a perfect weight and at nearly 8 years old, cannot afford to be overweight. One pound overweight in a dog is like 5 pounds in a human. Overweight dogs are prone to many health problems, such as early arthritis and pulled muscles.

If your dog seems hungry, you can always add some green beans to his food. There is very little caloric intake from those, and they fill them up a bit. You can also break his food down in to 3 meals a day if you want, but just make sure you aren't feeding him any MORE food. Dogs should be a bit on the thinner side. You should be able to easily feel your dogs ribs when you run your hands down his sides.

I think you should just feed your dog his right amount and don't worry about it. :)

And flush your dead fish down the toilet next time. ;)

Answer 5

It depends what you're actually feeding him...? Dogs are often driven by food anyway, but some breeds, like labs, seem to have an insatiable appetite, which makes them prone to obesity. I think at 4 months old we fed our dog 3 smallish meals a day of moistened dry food and eggy bread. Your breeder should have given you guidelines as to how much to feed your puppy and as long as you are following them, there should be no reason why your dog is still hungry. Please dont get into the habit of feeding your dog every time he looks for food otherwise he will most likely become overweight quite quickly.

Answer 6

lol thats cute that you burried a pet fish...

anyhow you didnt mention what brand of food the dog is on...
low quality brands (any from grocery store, Wal Mart, etc) do not contain enough quality ingredients and are mostly filler - as such a pet will feel hungry most of the time...

this is also a sign of boredom - more mental stimulation will help... like I know when I am busy I might not snack or anything.. but when bored.. I will look for snacks...

he should be feed only twice a day...

Answer 7

It is most definitely a puppy thing, he should grow out of this. We just got a puppy about 3 months ago and we had the same problem with him. The thing with puppies just like you said, they just don't know when to stop eating and they will continue until they are sick. Most important make sure you are using a puppy food, because it will provide the proper nutrients that he needs. Try giving less food, but more often. That may help. Good luck!

Answer 8

How often are you feeding him now? And what are you feeding him? You have a growing, energetic puppy that will be a bottomless pit. Make sure that you feed him at least 3 times a day at the same time every day. Check the ingredients in your dogs food. If there are by products, wheat, corn and/or soy, you may want to find a more nutritious dog food. By products are hard to digest, as well as fillers. Your dog will eat more to compensate for the lack of protein and nutrition. I use Blue Buffalo dog food. You might want to check out their web site!

Answer 9

Labradors are greedy, and often try to eat inedible things.Just keep an eye on him!,oh, and make sure he dos'nt get fat,not easy with a labrador!!!

Answer 10

Labs are pigs. It's that simple. They will eat until they pop if you let them.

Your pup is a normal healthy lab. She will eat anything in her path and will always act like she is starving. This is why you see so many of them that are fat. This will continue until she is old... I guarantee it. Mine go out and graze on grass, eat sticks and my kitchen floor is spotless! It's just the lab way.

Don't give in!

If you want to give treats, go with something healthy like those mini carrots. No fat! I also add no salt added green beans to my food to help fill them up. Feed a good quality food and don't worry. A lean lab is a healthy lab. But they will always try to convince you they are starving to death. =)