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Hunger and the feeling of being full after eating (satiety) are controlled by the central nervous system. Abnormalities in the CNS can cause increased appetite, as can several other factors such as stress, an underlying disease, or a tumor. Because appetite changes are so common in many illnesses and situations, diagnosing the reason for it can be a complex process. Polyphagia can indicate serious disease. Any alteration in your pet’s eating behavior should be checked by the veterinarian.
Increased appetite is known as polyphagia in veterinary terms. If your dog seems to be continuously hungry and his behavior dictates that he requires food in excess of the norm, further investigation is warranted. A visit to the veterinarian is needed in order to diagnose an underlying cause, and to determine how the insatiable appetite is affecting his weight (another important marker to canine health).
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Prompt action in dealing with an increased appetite is conducive to determining the exact cause. Polyphagia complications can range in severity. The following symptoms can indicate that your dog must be seen by the veterinarian without delay.
If the polyphagia is due to an underlying disease, you may see symptoms such as listed below. Symptoms will vary depending on the cause.
Polyphagia can be classified as follows.
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If your canine companion is showing signs of constant hunger, the situation can be worrisome, and can often lead to very unfavorable behavior on the part of your dog. In order to return your pet to his normal state of well-being, you will want to take him to the veterinarian without delay. Causes for the increased appetite are great in number. Some are listed below.
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The veterinarian will, under most normal circumstances, begin with a physical examination while discussing your observations and concerns. Possible findings may be muscle wasting, alopecia (hair loss), ataxia (loss of control of bodily movements), and abdominal or hepatic enlargement.
Laboratory tests can be great indicators of why your dog seems to have an insatiable appetite. The tests can reveal various results.
Additional diagnostic imaging might be needed, in the form of a radiograph, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI.
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The treatment protocol for your canine family member will vary depending on the underlying cause of the polyphagia. The veterinarian has the knowledge to help you deal with any sort of at home therapy required for successful resolution of the appetite changes.
For example, a drug-induced increase in appetite may be indeed temporary, and will wane with time, even with the continued use of the prescribed medication.
In the instance of an apparent insatiable appetite caused by stress or learned behavior, you will receive direct advice and best practices on how to deal with the problem. The veterinary caregiver may suggest behavioral therapy for a habitual eater. A dog suffering from a stress-induced neverending desire to eat may benefit from the simple removal or reduction of the stressor. No doubt, the veterinarian will ask you to feed your dog only as per the caloric requirements to maintain the good health of your pet. Don’t be discouraged; behavioral issues take time to resolve. Patience and kindness are the best remedies.
If there is a serious underlying disease, of course, it must be dealt with and in turn, the appetite problem should also resolve. For example, diabetes mellitus will require insulin management and dietary adjustments. A parasitic invasion will be eradicated with medication. Diseases like cancer will involve treatment in the form of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, and perhaps all three.
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The prognosis of recovery, by all means, is dependent on the cause of the polyphagia, and the successful resolution of the disease that may be the primary reason for the appetite disturbance. Continual communication with the veterinary caregiver will be part of the home care and management. The veterinarian will advise on repeat blood tests, imaging follow-up and dietary advice as needed. Return visits to the clinic will depend upon the initial cause of the polyphagia. As always, working together with the veterinary specialist is best for the continued comfort and welfare of your dog.
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Increased Appetite Average Cost
From 121 quotes ranging from $500 - $3,000
Average Cost
$1,600
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Ask a Vet
Shih Tzu
14 years
Moderate severity
6 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
my dog was recently diagnosed with kidney disease and she seems to be hungry all the time she is losing a lot of weight. I am feeding her white rice white meat boil chicken and sweet potato she will not eat any Hills kd food at all
Oct. 27, 2020
Owner
Dr. Linda S. MVB MRCVS
6 Recommendations
I'm very sorry to hear about this diagnosis. Hills K/D and other renal diets are notoriously bad tasting and many dogs need a lot of encouragement to eat them. Consider adding some warm water or mixing in a topper of chicken / fish. Ideally, we would try hard to get her losing kidney food as we know that this is proven to be the most effective way to keep kidney disease at bay; even better than any medicine. Consider an alternate flavour, e.g. the renal diet from Royal Canin. It is unusual for a dog with kidney disease to have an increased diet and we usually find our patients struggle with poor appetite. I would want to rule out any other issues such as parasites, a malabsorptive disorder or cancer. If she has runny stool or vomiting we should provide medicine to control this as this could be leading to the weight loss.
Oct. 27, 2020
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Cocker Spaniel
Eight Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
Why does my dog want to eat all the time we lost her beother a month ago since that time she just want to eat
Sept. 27, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. Without examining her, it is difficult for me to say why she may be doing this, whether it is normal for her or if she has something going on that needs treatment. It would be best to have her seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine your pet and see what might be causing this, and let you know what treatment might help.
Oct. 11, 2020
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Puggle
Six Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
In the last month my pup’s behavior has completely changed. She is insatiably hungry. So much so that she will whine, chirp and bark to make it known. She also has started to poop on the rug (she is trained to go on potty pads). Lastly, she no longer wants to sleep in her normal spot or at all for that matter. She seems out of sorts but not necessarily in any pain.
Sept. 24, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails. I hope that your pet is feeling better. If they are still having problems, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 25, 2020
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Havanese xshih sue
Seven Years
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
Panting,eats constantly, thinning tail, round belly. Vet felt she didn't have bushings, but what else could it be..?
Sept. 24, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails. I hope that your pet is feeling better. If they are still having problems, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 25, 2020
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Half yorkie half mixed terrier
Nine Weeks
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
Do I need to take him in again to see a vet?
Aug. 5, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I'm not sure how long he has been on the Fenbendazole, so it is difficult for me to say if you should expect him to improve yet. What may be a good idea is to call your veterinarian, let them know that he is still vomiting and having diarrhea, and see if they feel that the medication needs more time to work, or if you should bring him back in. I hope that all goes well for him.
Aug. 5, 2020
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Krames
Chihuahua/poodle mix
15 Years
Serious severity
0 found helpful
Serious severity
Has Symptoms
15 y/o chihuahua mix has been seen by 2 vets. Does have kidney disease, but has done well since diagnosed with this 1 yr 4 mos. ago, on special food and Azodyl. Had lost 3 lbs, 1/3 of his body weight, so took him in, had complete blood panel, nothing seen that was out of the ordinary. The vet had no advice for us. Our doggy acts like he is uncomfortable, tense, and with the weight loss, we upped his food, he now gets 4 meals/day. And he still acts hungry, and is not gaining too much weight, maybe 2 lbs, even with doubling his food intake. He continues to act like he’s starving. Sleeps hard when he does sleep, he is getting up there in age, but much of the time he’s so agitated, makes many more sounds, low growls, whimpers, also much piercing (which is the norm his whole life, being a chihuahua) barking, it seems to us that he just wants more food. Follows me into the kitchen, stares at me when he’s not barking. I just am very frustrated that we have not gotten anything helpful from either vet. We figured out to start feeding him more on our own, and it has helped, as he will sleep after eating, and we get a break, and he rests. Some vet somewhere should be able to say - it’s due to age; it’s dementia, or a further complication of the kidney disease, or maybe all of the above, but we are left wondering, and as he doesn’t seem to be enjoying life much (doesn’t like walks anymore, looks distressed when he is awake, and all the sounds he makes seem to indicate something’s going on), we are thinking it’s probably time to let him go.
Meginao
Mutt
2 Years
Serious severity
0 found helpful
Serious severity
Has Symptoms
I've had this female mutt for about 2½ years now and she recently gave birth to 4 pups. But right after the birth she started showing a serious increase in appetite. She would literally eat anything that was fed to her and she would search for food all the time. Also she's showing some signs of stress too. If anyone could tell me what could be the cause it would be really appreciated.
Charlie
Labrador x Bull Arab
1 Year
Fair severity
0 found helpful
Fair severity
Has Symptoms
In the past week my dog has become increasingly hungry. We normally feed her a little bit of biscuits in the morning and a bit more at night. Lately when you feed her at night it is like she has not eaten in days and moves her bowl to get us to give more.
Minnie
Pug cross
11 Months
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
I have an 11 month old Pug cross Pit Bull who is nursing 7 puppies who are now 5 weeks old. We have dewormed her each time we have dewormed the puppies and have increased her meals slightly as we noticed her appetite increased when she started nursing. I am concerned however that there is another issue at hand. She has been ravenous the last few days, opening the trash, climbing on top of our tables, stealing food from our hands and even aggressively knocking our other dog out the way to get at his food before he can. She is also losing weight alot more in the last week than when the pups were born. She only feeds them for 2 minutes twice a day at the moment so I am battling to understand why she is still so hungry? She has also had diarrhea since the puppies were born.
Oska
Mixed
9 Years
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
I have had my rescue boy for 5 years but do not know his exact age because he was a stray (he is a minimum of 8 years old). He has never been a greedy or food driven dog but since about September last year he has had a considerably increased appetite and weight gain. He has been back and forth to the vets but I still have no answers. His skin has got quite flaky, his coat has thinned and dulled and he is very lethargic. He has mobility issues after a cruciate operation last year and I give him joint supplements and cbd oil. After trying everything to get him to lose weight so that he could move better, and his tests for Cushing and thyroid drawing a blank, I put him on a raw diet with very few treats in between his meals. I am feeding him for his ideal weight but he is still not loosing. His appetite continues to increase and he has for the first time ever started eating cat poop if he finds it! He continually goes into the kitchen begging for food and sits drooling while we eat even though he’s fed first. He has become very reluctant to go for walks (which were his very favourite thing), and his tummy is very gurgly and swollen after eating even though I use an anti-gulp bowl and feed him small meals. I am very worried and don’t know what else to do for him as it just seems to be getting worse despite my efforts. He is up to date with his worming and flea treatment.
Increased Appetite Average Cost
From 121 quotes ranging from $500 - $3,000
Average Cost
$1,600
Protect yourself and your pet. Compare top pet insurance plans.
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