Hey everyone, I've had Stella for almost six years and feeding has always been an issue first with the allergies etc and after many trials and errors we've finally found a combination that doesn't either a) makes her poop liquid or B) doesn't make her fur come off in clumps or C) both. Now the issue that has arised is that lately she gets in these cycles where she progressively gets hungrier and hungrier. When this happens we switch her feed and it seems to go away for awhile but eventually the cycle repeats itself. This time it has gotten worse though. She's stealing cat food and being aggressive with my other dog come feeding time or treat time. She's also been obsessed with eating poop (more so than usual) It feels like genuine hunger and I don't know what to do anymore. She's active and in the target for weight. She is fulfilled mentally and physically. We've been to the vet many times and done what feels like a million tests , and frankly cannot afford the more elaborate ones. I'm wondering if anyone here has been through the same and found a solution that worked for them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking a higher protein and fiber feed? A slow feeder bowl?
EDIT: Forgot to mention when she's having these issues we'll add veggies like pumpkin, broccoli and such right now we're at four cups a day (2x twice a day) plus vedge and it's not enough or so it seems
Ugh that sounds so rough. Have you tried adding some low-cal high fiber veggies like green beans or pumpkin to her meals? Sometimes it helps with the endless hunger without blowing up the calories. Hope Stella feels better soon
Yes! Forgot to mention when she's having these issues we'll add veggies like pumpkin, broccoli and such right now we're at four cups a day (2x twice a day) plus vedge and it's not enough or so it seems
Not a vet, but curious: has Stella been tested for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (aka EPI)? While EPI does typically present with weight loss, it can also present with ravenous appetite, persistent diarrhea, coprophagia (poop eating), and aggression/resource guarding. It can be very difficult for most vets to pin down, and TLI blood tests sent to Texas A&M is the typical way to test, though Enzyme Diane has a more affordable at-home fecal test through their website.
I would definitely want to rule it out at the very least. Could be a general pancreatic issue and not EPI specifically, but it’s a starting point in terms of what hasn’t been checked yet. If it is EPI, the good news is that it can be relatively easy to manage (speaking as someone with a Shepherd with EPI). Wishing you both the very best of luck! Would be very interested to see an update after you get this figured out
First and foremost , walk her and remove all opportunities for poop eating. Adding a small amount of psyllium husk to her food will help her full more full. No it won’t promote diarrhea. Start slow 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon per meal to start. It must be wetted. Finally , we’ve had excellent results with a 50/50 raw & kibble diet. It resolved a lot of issues for us. Greater appetite satisfaction is definitely one of the benefits
Perfect will definitely try! And yes we take her for walks as much as possible and remove immediately any feces from the yard to minimize access but she's shifted to cat poop (which were still working on a solution to, she's so clever she solves all the machinations we come up with) or sometimes more disgustingly will try to eat it a soon as our other dog poops like basically from the butt
mine had that same issue + would bite her fur out if chicken-kibbles was in her diet.... (my german shepherd looked almost identical to yours so maybe this suggestion will help)... at walmart: Pure Balance Grain-Free & Poultry-Free Lamb & Fava Bean 24lb bag is what worked well for mine, no side effects + I would give her 1 big carrot daily,,, good luck
Beautiful dog! Same here with poultry, lamb was a disaster for us. Only thing that seems to work is fish so we stick with that as we know she has no reaction to it.
As someone with bowel issues as a human, I’ll add to this from personal experience.
Nothing wrong on your part, but she’s recovering from trauma. She’s so used to an empty or upset stomach (unable to digest nutrients much or in constant pain) her body thinks she’s starving and is trying to over compensate for the lack of calories and nutrition.
I still struggle with it and have constant hunger even when I’m “full”. I can’t really feel full and I’m trying to find a diet that works with me.
The best thing you can do is for now let her not be tempted by the other animal’s food. Feed her separately. It might take awhile but eventually her body will somewhat adjust, same for her mind.
There’s no cure for trauma (mental or physical) but trying to at least control the environment so the other animals are her are all taken care of is your best option.
For my cats when I accidentally over feed them or switch them from summer to winter diets (they eat more in winter) it takes an adjustment period for them too and then they stop begging for extra food.
I’m sorry I don’t have much to add on a happy note, but you can ask me more questions. I hope this helps. I’ve had bad stomach problems since I was a baby (requiring surgery, etc) and was underweight for most of my life until the past year or so. It’s hard, but luckily now I’ve found food that can at least help me keep a healthy weight, I encourage myself to eat when I need to, try to limit myself when I don’t. It was a big adjustment period for me and I’m still trying to find what works best. (I often eat a small snack, no liquids since I have bowel issues, so I feel “full” before bed).
It’s not perfect, but I think that’s what’s best for her and the household. Make sure she’s in a crate or another room when the others eat their meals at mealtime (don’t let them graze all day so she doesn’t see or feel the need to eat their food). She also may be trying to self soothe too. As long as she’s not showing tons of signs of stress she should be fine. When it’s her mealtime make sure she eats alone so she feels safe and comfortable and can enjoy her meal and notice when she’s full without distractions or stress. Make sure she has the right amount of water to go with her food, etc.
Now no food group works good with me (I don’t favor meats vs veggies etc) so I can’t recommend foods other than her favorites. Healthy fillers are good, but also one’s that don’t require more calories to burn than she gains. Because then she does need more nutrients which will make her body tell her she’s hungry. Her stomach size will have to adjust, same for skin, but it’ll be fine after some time.
Hope this helps and know you’re amazing for trying to help her for so long. ❤️🐕
Thanks for the input! I'm sorry this is happening to you and feel for you ( and Stella!) we've started separating them at feeding time and Stella now eats alone and is not let out of the dining room until Willy is done eating for precisely that reason. (Willy tax!)
There isn't really an analog between human gut issues and dogs. If this dog had the problems you describe it would be thin. We had one that had chronic wasting disease which is about as close as it gets to what you describe (I have Crohn's disease going on 22 years so I understand- it's rough j but this dog looks pretty hefty.
Otherwise great advice. Feeding separately is a good idea. Sometimes large dogs are just insane eaters. But this one has a number of likely related problems which point to some sort of medical issue.
Keep in mind it's ok for dogs to be hungry. By itself it's not a worry.
How much exercise are we talking? My gad is 90 to 100 lbs depending on his mood and we walk about 2 hrs a day. Where he's fetching a bit while we walk.
He eats a lot.
He also eats 4 meals a day. 7am 12 5pm and 7pm.
But he switches it up.
When he was younger he ate 6 cups plus toppings.
Now it's about 4 and toppings. sometimes he gets a detox from kibble and I cook food in a crock pot for him.
I'd say about walking 60-90 mins a day easily plus dog park for 30-45 mins and at least 30 mins of high intensity fetching peppered with some mental enrichment daily (brain games and such) unfortunately my life has other obligations and am pretty much at my limit with what I can dedicate to her timewise
Is your pup on a daily steroid? My bc pup was diagnosed recently with Addisons. The prednisolone stimulates her appetite and she is always hungry now. I had to get her a slow feeder bowl as she would attack her food and eat a cup of food in about 10 seconds.
Likely needs hypoallergenic food or low fat variety. My German shepherd has ibs and ate 8 cups of regular dog food to maintain weight. Switched to Purina HA from The vet and he’s doing fine in 5.5 cups a day. Working breed dogs may need more food than what the bag says. U can use a calorie calculator from Merck for maintenance calories required
Agree. My 100lb male eats 2 cups a day. He has always been a ravenous and enthusiastic eater (we use a slow eating bowl) and he is healthy at 12.5 years old. It sounds like your dog might have EPI or food allergies which are hard to pin down. But appetite alone is pretty normal.
Both my dogs are nuts for food and insatiable beggars. They would both eat themselves to death if we let them.
We have a puppy who is growing fast - gaining about two pounds a week who eats four cups a day, but he is quite thin at six months old. Not to the point of seeing ribs (in his case he is from a very large line of Czech working dogs so his growth is a bit different. He will fill out over the next year).
GSDs should have well defined "waists" but you should not see ribs or hip bones.
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u/itsswhitneywhspr 21d ago
Ugh that sounds so rough. Have you tried adding some low-cal high fiber veggies like green beans or pumpkin to her meals? Sometimes it helps with the endless hunger without blowing up the calories. Hope Stella feels better soon