# Am I starving him?



## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We had the opposite problem with Scooter...Murphy is a chow-hound!!! This little guy inhales his food so fast that he burps, quite loudly, after he eats. He's done before Scooter even begins to eat! He's getting 1/4 cup of Merrick Buffalo kibble mixed with about a tablespoon of Merrick Turkey or Chicken twice a day. He goes crazy and spins in circles while waiting for me to mix it up, but I do make them both sit before I put their food down. 

He's growing and the vet is happy with his weight gain, I can feel his ribs, yet he's sturdy, and he's playful and happy. Should I leave well enough alone or am I starving this little guy??? He weighed 4.1 pounds at 16 weeks.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Ann, Scooter is a little dog and has a little stomach. I fed Dexter this morning, his usual 1/2 cup of kibble and he probably ate 8-10 pieces. Some days are like this....as long as your pup appears healthy, peeing, pooping, running around, playing, drinking water, he is ok.

Scooter will eat when he wants to eat.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

It's not Scooter I'm worried about! :laugh: It's Murphy! Scooter does eat his food, he's just slow. I'm worried that Murphy isn't getting enough food because he acts like we're starving him to death! He goes crazy when the food comes out. Maybe it's just different personalities?


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Ann- after meeting them, I would lean towards different personalities as my first answer but he is also a puppy so should eat more than Scooter right now as he is a growing boy. You could put it up it to 1/3 of a cup during the morning feeding and see if he eats it all. But my advice might not be good too-I have never really had an issue with my dogs becoming overweight. Dora has been my heaviest (both size and overweight and already down a half pound since winter!)


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

He goes for shots tomorrow so I'll ask the vet too. Poor little guy loses his mind when the food comes out and then just inhales it. He finishes whatever Scooter leaves behind! We're calling him Piglet! I think I'll add a bit more and see how he does.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

Ann, both of mine like to act like I am starving them. Mine are both food hounds. I feed them both 1/3 cup of dry food 2xs per day with some boiled chicken and sweet potatos mixed in. They also get treats throughout the day as my husband does not listen to me and constantly dishes out the treats. Dugan jumps and jumps while I make his food. 

I will tell you that I was concerned about Bacca (my Mom's hav) when she first got him. He seemed so skinny compared to my boys and Linda's havs. The vet said he was good as far as weight, but when my mom left him with my breeder for the night while we all went away, she was very concerned about how thin he is and hungry he seems. He is worse than my boys when it comes to going crazy over food and she thought it was because he was truly starving. Mom increased his food to 1/2 cup 2xs per day and a 1/3 cup at lunch to try to put a little weight on him. He is always hungry, so that was not the problem. He does not seem as skinny and she will probably cut back on the food a little bit soon.

I think you may want to increase your 1/4 cup to a 1/3. Just my gut feeling.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Ann, maybe you could bump the amount up a little. 4.1 is on the smaller side at 16 weeks isn't it? Gabby weighed 4.4 at 11 weeks but they are all different, I know, so maybe I'm wrong. I remember Lulu only weighing 3.7 at 16 weeks and that was very small.
Carole


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

:doh: Sorry! When Dexter was finishing up meals quickly while he was growing, I slowly increased the food. Dexter can finish off a 1/2 cup of kibble if he is hungry and not even touch it on some meals. I thought about increasing the food again, but I changed my mind because Dexter was not consistently finishing off a lot of meals. 

Dexter is still about 9 1/2 pounds and he will be 7 months on the 18th.

I can still feel Dexter's ribs and he is very healthy and playful.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Ann, Abby will be two next month and has weighed 7 1/2 lbs. every since we got her at 8 months of age. We give her 1/4 cup of kibble twice a day and she is satisfied.

We used to have a peek-a-poo that was a big chow hound but I do think it is personality. Since you're going to the vet tomorrow I'm sure he will be able to see if he's truly starving. I think that little boy just loves to eat!!

Kathie


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm probably the wrong one to ask since I'm aways afraid the dogs will be hungry so I put out two cups of food morning and evening for each of the girls and one cup each for the boys. Milo is a delicate eater, except when it comes to table scraps, then he's a piranha. Bailey is a little tank and he's definitely a chow hound. He's my chunky monkey.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Ann, Hitchcock and Kubrick sound exactly like Murphy and Scooter! Hitchcock INHALES his food - he didn't even used to chew it at all until just about a week or two ago when he finally started to slow down enough to chew. Still, he's always done at least 5 minutes before Kubrick for every meal. I was also afraid I was starving him - as Kubrick would always stop eating when he wasn't hungry anymore - but I've come to realize that they are just very different in the food area and that if I let Hitchcock eat more he would soon blow up like a balloon, LOL. I've stopped worrying about how hungry he acts and now just check his ribs and make sure that he's gaining weight still - he's a puppy and should be gaining weight - and feed him accordingly.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

LOL! Sounds like Oliver and Comet as well.
Comet eats fast and then watches Oliver :hungry: to see if he can get more.
Oliver usually leaves a small amount of kibble for Comet:hungry:


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Murphy doesn't chew either, that's why he burps so loud! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a dog who inhales his food.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I almost bought one of those bowls that slow their eating.......I think it is called the "break-fast bowl" but it only was available in plastic


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I'm thinking about it too! I'll ask the vet tomorrow and see what she says.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I spoke with our Vet. She liked it but said "No plastic bowls!"
PS-here is a link......
http://www.brake-fast.net/


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Why not? They'll chew up the bowl?


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Ann,

Murphy is still a baby and growing fast, it seems to me that he is not getting enough food. I agree with previous posters, try giving him 1/3 cup and see how he does.


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## sweater32 (Dec 12, 2008)

It is so hard not to worry about them eating too much or not enough....:help: it can drive you nuts!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Scooter's Family said:


> Why not? They'll chew up the bowl?


No she says you can't really get plastic stuff (like that) clean and bacteria can grow


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I didn't think of that! We use stainless steel for water and glass plates for food.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I'm going to give him a little more tonight and see if he seems more satisfied.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I just remembered that when Bugsy was a young puppy he got a little less than 1/4 cup of kibble with some home cooked mixed in 3 times a day.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

How was supper tonight?


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Inhaled! LOL We gave him a little more but he was still going after Scooter's food too. After dinner I had them do tricks for baby carrots.


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