# Am I starving her?



## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

I've been feeding Helena the same amount of food for a long time. She's at her ideal body weight, very healthy. No bones showing, but can feel the ribs under a small padding, with a waist and tuck. Anyway, sometimes I'll feed her and she'll go back to her bowl and lick it. She just made me feel bad so I gave her a second helping. She got so excited when I went back to the closet to get the food. Should I increase her feeding? Or is she just being a hog?


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## Pitwerks (Nov 18, 2009)

You can always try this, Lets say you give her 1.5 cups and feeding. Mark it up by a 1/2 a cup and she if she starts putting on any weight or if she just puts on a tad bit and then stops. Kind of depends how active your dog is. Less food less energy


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## meganc66 (Mar 6, 2009)

Rudi does that as well. She will lick her bowl after she eats it, and then she will go across the room to Belle's bowl and lick hers too after Belle's done and is already gone in the other room. But I know that Rudi will eat and eat and eat until she is huge and bloated, because she would get into my boss's food bin when she was littler and i'd have a huge balloon puppy for the rest of the day. i am confident in what I feed her, regardless of how she acts, and that's just how i feel about it LOL.

belle on the other hand, since I've been working her a bit more lately than usual I've been feeding her a 1/2 cup more. 

so helena might just be a rudi, and she's just happy to get some food no matter what. lol


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

What type of food are you feeding. She could be acting like that if she is lacking something in her diet.


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## outlaw josey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm sort of new to all of this, but I've noticed Josey licks the bowl after food is gone and sort of walks around looking to see if any spilled on the floor. It seems to take about 20 minutes for her to realize she is satisfied and all is well. Sort of like they say for people - stop eating before you feel full. It takes the body a little while to realize they hunger is satisfied.


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

MY MIKADO said:


> What type of food are you feeding. She could be acting like that if she is lacking something in her diet.


I usually feed Taste of the Wild, but I had to get a bag of Dog Chow the other day because my boyfriend was working and my dad would only take me to wal mart down the street.


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## HappyPuppy (Oct 11, 2007)

*the other day*

oops - wrong thread


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## thaim (Feb 6, 2009)

my dog does this as well... but if i refill his bowl with 1 more cup. he'll take 1 bite out of it and then leave it alone for the rest of the day.. LOL!


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## aimee235 (Apr 29, 2007)

Well I definitely don't think your starving her. Some dogs will continue to eat even though they don't need too. My moms dog will eat as long as there is food put in the bowl.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah Chino will eat until he's sick. I even tried putting stuff in his bowl when he was little, he ate just as fast...


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

lol So if I were to keep feeding her she'd probably turn into a lard on legs! She is spayed and she does put on the pounds easily. Thanks everyone. I just feel bad when she gives me those eyes. lol


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## Batmanmom (Nov 24, 2009)

I always tell people never go by what the dog food package recommends, but always go by how your dog looks. We change our dog's food proportions constantly based on how much they are working, how they look, etc. But, dogs are opportunisits. If there is more food around or if they think they can get more food, they will try it. As long as your dog as the proper energy level and the right look, then she is probably just fine.


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## AdrianVall (Dec 16, 2009)

Man, my dogs will eat and eat and eat. I have such meat heads! I definitely have to monitor how much they eat or else they'll be fat for sure. 

I take them all out for a walk every night for just about a mile. They are usually quite worn out after that. They seem to work off the food as well! LOL.


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## Sampsons Dad (Jul 4, 2008)

With Dog Chow you will have to feed more than you do with your other foods.


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## gh32 (Dec 22, 2007)

If she's at the weight you want her at,I wouldn't worry about it.


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## money_killer (Apr 14, 2008)

AdrianVall said:


> Man, my dogs will eat and eat and eat. I have such meat heads! I definitely have to monitor how much they eat or else they'll be fat for sure.
> 
> I take them all out for a walk every night for just about a mile. They are usually quite worn out after that. They seem to work off the food as well! LOL.


same my dog will just keep on eating ...


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

if she looks fine then she is a hog, most dogs would eat themselves to death if you let them!! My dogs are always hungry but are in perfect shape and that is the way a dog should be. I would worry more if your dog was not eating her food.

resist those puppy eyes!!!


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

my dogs lick their bowls and smell the bag of dog food after they've already finished.. 

i usually feed them 2 cups/each in the morning.. and sometimes at dinner i'll give them another cup/each at dinner, but not all the time


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## Carriana (May 13, 2008)

Loki is the same way, he will eat until he pops. I have to keep an eye on him too because Brutus won't always eat his food at mealtime and Loki has no problem eating his AND Brutus' food too.


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## piteazy (Dec 14, 2009)

i just leave my pups bowl full of puppy chow all the time.. he is a pig tho and its hard to keep it full.. but he runs so much it doesnt really matter


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