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Constant hunger?

pippa

Well-known member
Hello all, I have a question about hunger...I know Cavaliers are generally greedy dogs and would eat all day if we let them.

My Pippin is extremely greedy always was, it got worse after he went on epilepsy meds when he was aged 5.
I feed them morning and evening, always did,They are on JWB, I change flavours and recently have bought a bag of senior food, they get a couple of low fat biscuits during the day and carrots/apple banana as treats.

Pippin has started to look for food every two hours or so, he doesn't get it every time he looks! At first it was kind of cute and a little annoying as he will constantly bark and try get you up from whatever it is you are doing....BUT now it is getting way beyond cute! He will bark and cry and even awakes from a deep sleep suddenly looking for food, he tries to get the others dogs to join in too.
I have an illness that leaves me very tired some days and he is really starting to stress me out as I can't rest properly. Or watch tv/work on the laptop/read etc. It is consistent barking and he will not stop no matter what. I am not looking for tips we have tried EVERYTHING!

What I was wondering is does anyone have any idea why he has started this behaviour. He has epilepsy and MVD and has early stage CHF, so I worry about this as he is upsetting and stressing himself, but he has me exhausted to the point of tears some days.
He is on Phenoleptil/Vetmedin/ Cardallis and frusemide. Oh and it is definitely food he is looking for nothing else satisfies him. He is only able for a 10-15 min walk daily and sleeps most of the time now except for these food cravings. I have asked my vet about this but she has just said that it's the phenoleptil and a sign that it is working as it causes food cravings.

I am not convinced though as he was on phenobarbitol for 3 yrs and then when that was discontinued phenoleptil for about 2 yrs now but this behaviour has escalated in the past couple of months!

Any advice ...before I tear all my hair out :( :confused::confused::shock: He is a little pet otherwise, always was into mischief but very loveable, sweet and well behaved.


* I should also add that he is regularly wormed with an all round wormer and was only wormed recently.
 
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It is probably the phenoleptil making him hungry. I don't know how much you are feeding, but maybe split the breakfast and dinner into two servings each, so a total of 4 meals, and supplement those meals with vegetables/fruit.
 
Oh poor you! I don't have advice....Leo will Never refuse food but doesn't constantly look for it. We have to make sure cupboards are securely shut and food is never left around, also the waste bin in my living room is up high so he cant reach it...it must be a nightmare!

Good luck

Mel x
 
Am a bit late to this thread, but: I have a food-obsessed dog, due to prednisone. The way I've coped with it is to stick to a pretty consistent routine and space out his two meals and lots of treats through the day. I also attach the treats to other daily routines so that he isn't just sitting around waiting for me to randomly get up and give him food (i.e. he knows that he gets something when I get out of bed, come in from walks, sit down in the evening, get ready for bed etc). He's learned not to beg between those times, since it has no effect. But I'm sure you do something like that already.

It also really helps that his treats are small but time-consuming, including e.g.: a small kong filled with low fat cheese, finished food packets or cartons to lick (he gets a few of these each day and will spend ages on them), tiny pieces of kibble that he needs to do tricks for or that we play hide and seek with, a little raw hide stick that takes a while to chew, a drop of lactose-free milk in some water (not good to overdo).

I do often find him licking the mats around the flat in case a crumb has sometime dropped on them. I stop that though if it gets too obsessive.

Sammy's a very quiet dog, so it might be easier to cope with his obsession. If he thinks I am late with his routine, he will just sit and stare at me.

It also helps to find other things that he enjoys to space through the day, e.g. regular walks (even short ones) and meeting people or other dogs. I know you said Pippin isn't able to have long walks, but even just taking him to sniff some new bushes or a new patch of grass or to greet a passing dog a few times a day could help. Sammy is even more obsessed with food if he is bored.

With prednisone, the effects on Sammy's appetite have been cumulative over the years, as he's gradually developed hypercortisolism. I wonder if Pippin's meds could similarly have cumulative side-effects? It may also be worth checking for another medical condition like diabetes or even cushings as well.

I hope you find some relief! It's frustrating, but I've just accepted it as part of Sammy's personality now. Getting food is his biggest goal in life. But at least with the kongs and the tricks and the food packets and the bones, it keeps him pretty occupied throughout the day... And he's still a perfect weight.
 
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I'm having this problem with Bentley, as well. He's on prednisone intermittently (right now tapering off again), but I think he got in his 3 meals a day vs 2 meals a day habit and now is pushing for four! I just give him a smaller amount each time so he's not really getting a huge amount more than normal. I'm dealing with a broken ankle since Apr 15, homebound for the most part and sitting in a wheelchair or recliner. He'll just sit & stare at me with a little cough or noise to remind me to look at him. If he wasn't so darned cute it would be easier to say no!
 
Sorry to Hear about your ankle, hope you will be on the mend soon. If you can give meals in treat dispensing toys, that makes them last longer.


I'm late to this thread too, but have also been through this with Kyla, who also had idiopathic epilepsy and severe SM. She became desperate for food, not just the usual Cavalier greediness or increased appetite from medication, this was like a manic hunger. She would only settle for 1 to 1 1/2 hours day or night, it was heartbreaking to watch and incredibly difficult to manage. During the day I resorted to buying her knuckle bones from the vet, and shutting her away with it. She would chew on it and eventually fall asleep over it. My own vet and even Glasgow vet school were completely stumped. I think it's very hard to understand unless you've lived with it, the usual tricks of ignoring the dog just do not work.


Obviously need tests to rule out common causes of increased appetite such as Cushings, thyroid, diabetes etc and may need to discuss changing medications suspected of causing the issue - this is not a good quality of life and needs to be taken seriously.

I really feel for you Theresa, very difficult when you are dealing worth your own health issues too: (

Sadly we never resolved the issue with Kyla, she went into status epilepticus and had to be euthanised - heartbreaking.

I'm sure I read something about research into appetite with dogs that said that Labradors and Cavaliers seem to have lost the ability to know when to stop eating and will eat to excess - can't find it now.

BTW I find it much easier to manage hungry Cavaliers and reduce weight on a raw diet, they don't seem as hungry. They usually have Nutriment raw now and Eden dry for holidays (or if I'm away) but they are definitely hungrier on the Eden. Raasay came to me in January weighing 12.6kg and has now lost just over 25% of his body weight, down to a nicely skinny 9.4kg! It was actually pretty easy on raw, being careful with treats and mostly grain free, (they just have 1/3 of a rice cake).
 
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Am so sorry to hear about Kyla! I've seen videos of dogs with severe Cushings with that sort of hunger mania, who just never stop pacing and crying for food. It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch. :(

Thankfully Sammy's obsession is still manageable at the moment. It's only when outsiders remark 'do you know your dog's behavior isn't normal?' that I'm reminded there's a problem.

Pippa: I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier that you weren't looking for tips. It's just something I've worked on with Sammy a lot, so I jumped to that too quickly. I hope you do find medical solutions!
 
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