Though the immense popularity of Golden Retrievers overshadows their crazy food obsession, owners cannot deny their pets’ love for food. Along with this, the family-friendly and playful attributes of the dogs somehow manage to please their owners to give them excess food. However, sometimes the appetite of your pet increases to an unmanageable extend. So, you may wonder- why your Golden Retriever is always hungry.
Generally, CNS (Center Normal system) abnormalities increase the appetite of your pet. Moreover, several influencing factors make your Golden Retriever always hungry and harm the CNS. Some of them are age, medication, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, bacterial infection, Cushing diseases, exocrine disorders, etc.
Apart from this, ignorance of the owner, lack of nutritional food, environmental temperature, overfeeding, etc., also make your Golden Retriever always hungry.
Since a hungry pet can be aggressive, you need to manage the hunger of your pet. Furthermore, a Golden Retriever that is always hungry deteriorates its health. And it affects the owner financially.
Hence, I will disclose some tips for managing hunger along with some tips further in this article.
But before that, do you know what you should feed your pet and what not to feed?
Feeding Guidelines For Your Golden Retriever
However, the age of the Golden Retriever influences a lot in the amount of food it needs. Generally, the growing puppies require more calories than the older ones.
Thus, you can follow the following guideline for feeding your Golden Retriever:
| Age | Number of meals per day | Calorie requirements |
| 8-12 weeks | Four times | 1300-1700 |
| 3-6 months | Three times | 1200- 1400 |
| 6 months – 1 year | Two times | 1000-1200 |
| After 1 year | Once | 900 |
How old is your puppy?
How many meals do you give to your pet?
Are you happy with the feeding habit of your pet?
What Are The Food You Should Give Your Golden Retrievers?
After you know about the feeding schedule, you may want to know the best foods for your pet. Do not you?
Moreover, since the physiology of the Golden Retriever is different from humans, the food beneficial for you may not be helpful for your pet. However, some of the human foods best for your pet are:
- Salmon and sardines
- Shrimp and tunas
- Seafood
- Green peas and beans
- Carrots and pumpkin
- Apples, watermelons, and banana
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Spinach and asparagus
- Cooked chicken
Along with this, you should include an adequate number of fibers in the food of your pet. Moreover, if you have a puppy, add more protein and fats to the diet.
Furthermore, all human foods are not for your pet?
Do you know milk can cause serious health issues in the Golden Retriever?
What Are The Restricted Foods For Your Golden Retriever?
Since the appealing behavior of your pet can easily, please give them what you have. However, some foods are very harmful to your Golden Retriever. Instead of promoting healthy life, these foods degrade the health of your pet.
Hence, the food that you should restrict in the diet of your pet are:
- Grapes and Raisins
- Chocolate
- Macadamia nuts
- Onions and garlic
- Avocado
- Coffee and tea
- Raw eggs and uncooked meat
- Xylitol
- Nutmeg
- Lemons and limes
- Mushrooms
- Bakery items
Despite empowering the pet, all these foods induce health issues like constipation, allergies, diarrhea, bloating, etc., in your pet. Thus, never these to your pal.
Are you giving these foods to your pet? Stop it from today.
Why Is Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry?
If your Golden Retriever is showing excessive hunger, this condition is polyphagia. Moreover, this condition is troublesome and may lead to fatal health consequences. However, some of the causes that make your Golden Retriever always hungry are:
Lesion In Center Nervous System
Since the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus contains neurons that express proteins or peptides, this triggers the appetite by increasing energy expenditure and reducing the urge to eat. Furthermore, the lesions in the CNS of your pet activates the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is present in the midline of the brain between the eyes.
As a result, the hypothalamus of your pet produces the sensation of hunger. Therefore, your Golden Retriever is always hungry.
Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry Due To Hypoglycemia
Generally, hypoglycemia is low blood sugar in the body. And your pet cannot utilize the body glucose for producing energy. Thus, due to the lack of energy, your pet always demands food to balance its energy level.
Furthermore, low blood sugar also releases the stress hormones (epinephrine) that make your Golden Retriever always hungry.
Calorie-Deficient Diet Makes Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry
On average, the Golden Retriever needs about 990 to 1270 calories to function daily. Since the Retrievers burns the same amount of calorie, it needs to overcome the burnt calories through diet.
However, a sudden decrease in the food makes your pet calorie deficient. As a result, your pet cannot balance burnt calories and calorie intake. Thus, your Golden Retriever is always hungry and trying to balance its calorie level in the body.
Your Golden Retriever Is Always Hungry Due To Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your Golden Retriever needs to eat for more than one individual. So, it needs more energy and food. Furthermore, there are frequent fluctuations in the hormonal (estrogen and progesterone) level in pregnant dogs.
Along with this, during lactation, the pet burns around 300 extra calories. Therefore, the appetite of your pet increases during pregnancy or lactation. Hence, your Golden Retriever is always hungry.
Low Temperature Makes Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry
However, if you live in a cold environment, you may experience that your pet is frequently hungry. Since the Golden Retrievers are the dog breeds that prefer a moderate climate, they need more energy to cope with the extreme conditions.
Thus, to generate more internal energy, your Golden Retriever is always hungry or demands more food.
Your Golden Retriever Is Always Hungry Due To Stress
Since the nervous system activates in stress, it produces triggers to help the pet fight in fright. Furthermore, the most common chemical releases during stress are adrenaline.
As a result, it triggers the appetite. Thus, your Golden is always hungry.
Some Medications Increase The Appetite
Generally, you may observe that your pet that was sick for several days after receiving treatment now eats everything. Since the medicines used in the treatment boost the brain chemicals, they trigger the appetite while relaxing the pet.
Furthermore, the chemicals that break down the body calories of your pet. Thus, your Golden Retriever is always hungry.
Hence, some of the medicines that increase calorie breaking chemicals in the pet are:
- Thyroid supplements
- Corticosteroids
- Sedatives
- Anticonvulsants
Your Golden Retriever Is Always Hungry Because Of Age
Since puppies are in a growing phase, they require more nutrients and food. However, sometimes fail to realize this and serves the puppy Golden Retriever with an adult diet. As a result, the appetite of the puppy only gets half full.
Moreover, due to the enthusiastic and active attributes of the puppy, it utilizes the food energy faster. Thus, the need for more amount of food makes your puppy Golden Retriever always hungry.
Apart from this, your pet undergoes several behavioral or physical problems after a certain age. Thus, it may increase the appetite and makes your pal hungry.
Your Golden Retriever Is Always Hungry Due To Illness Or Disease
The disease condition makes your pet nervous and anxious. So, it wants more food to generate energy. But the several diseases disturb the normal physiology of the pet.
As a result, your pet fails to absorb the nutrients of the food. Eventually, it leads to overdrive in the appetite of your Retriever.
However, some of the diseases that trigger the appetite are:
- Cancer
- Pancreatic atrophy
- Diabetes mellitus
- Cushing disease
- Parasitic infection in the intestine
- Hyperthyroidism
Since these diseases starve your pet, it starts eating to compensate. Thus, your Golden Retriever pet is always hungry.
Your Ignorance Makes Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry
Proper care and attention influence a lot in the eating habit of your pet. Moreover, your negligence, like overfeeding, feeding unhealthy treats, giving nutrients deficient food, etc., promotes reckless food habits.
Since these unhealthy foods do not fill the appetite, your Golden Retriever is always hungry.
Do you know more factors that influence the appetite of Golden Retriever?
After you are familiar with the cause of excessive hunger in your pet, you would want to know how to manage this problem. Do not you?
But before that, let us discuss the consequence of excessive eating of your pet.
What Are The Consequences When Your Golden Retriever Is Always Hungry?
However, the appealing features of the Golden Retrievers can easily please their owner. Since you cannot resist the lovely attribute of your pet, you always tend to give your Golden Retriever more food than it needs. Thus, your Golden Retriever is always hungry that results in various consequences.
Hence, the consequences of excessive hunger of your pet are:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Osteoarthritis
- Degeneration of joints
- Constipation
- Aggressive behavior (when it cannot get food)
Do you want all these health issues in your pet?
I guess you do not. Therefore, you should be cautious in the care of your pet.
What To Do When Your Golden Retriever Always Hungry?
Besides being frustrating, the excessive hungry of your pet deteriorates its health. Furthermore, the pet shows several physiological and behavioral changes. Thus, this further leads to aggression and destructive behavior of your pet.
Therefore, here are some tips for the hunger management of your pet:
Make Feeding Schedule
Since scheduling the activities helps to manage all the activities, it disciplines your pet. Moreover, giving food to your pet at a specific time prevents you from overfeeding your pal.
Besides this, a routine diet includes sufficient portions of all essential nutrients in the meal. Therefore, it helps to manage the hunger of your Golden Retriever.
Consult With The Vet
If you frequently visit the Vet, you can know about the health situation of your pet. Apart from this, the Vet advises to manage, treat and eliminate various susceptible diseases. Thus, this ultimately promotes a healthier and longer lifespan of your Golden Retriever.
Besides this, the suggestions from Vet help to manage the nutrients required for your pet based on its health condition. Hence, it controls the appetite of your Golden Retriever.
Resist The Begging Behavior Of Your Golden Retriever
I know it is hard to resist the appealing eyes and softness of the Golden Retrievers. However, you somehow fall into their trap and give them what they want. But this is not good for your pet.
Therefore, you must resist and give your pet commands that it cannot get the food. Since your rejection may make the pet aggressive sometimes, you can read the following articles to manage the aggressive behavior:
Include Fibers In Diet
You can satisfy the craving of your pet by including more fibers and vegetables in its meal. Moreover, the natural snacks (carrots, greens, beans, etc.) are high in fiber content and more filling. Thus, these foods satisfy the appetite of your pet without increasing calories.
As a result, you can eliminate the chances of obesity without inducing aggressive behavior in your pet. However, before you give the fiber-rich foods to your pet, you must grind and slightly cook them. And since these foods can lead to flatulence, diarrhea, or constipation, you must give in moderation.
Distract Your Golden Retriever
Sometimes your pet may be hungry due to boredom. Therefore, instead of giving your pet treats or snacks, take your pet on walks and rides.
Since the Golden Retrievers are fond of people, taking them in social gatherings diverts their minds. Thus, it decreases their urge to eat.
Furthermore, due to the action attribute, your pet can play all day without interference. Hence, playing and exercising prevent your Golden Retriever from overeating.
Use Food Desire As Training Opportunity
However, it is natural that food excites your Golden Retriever every time. Instead of frustrating and scolding your pal, you can positively use this to train your pet.
How about giving treats as a reward during training?
Besides disciplining your pet, the use of food as a reward can promote your relationship with your pet. Thus, it makes the training convenient and fruitful. And using natural snacks as a reward can be more helpful for the health of your Golden Retriever.
Give Your Golden Retriever Frequent Small Meals
Since the Golden Retrievers love food, they cannot resist the food that approaches them. Thus, instead of giving your pet a big full meal, you can opt for small meals multiple times throughout the day.
In this way, it manages the hunger of your pal by relaxing the triggers of appetite in your pet. Along with this, small meals also prevent you from overfeeding your Golden Retriever.
Do you know some quick tips to manage the hunger of your pet?
What Are The Tips For Feeding Your Golden Retriever?
However, if you want a healthy lifespan for your Golden Retriever, you should be conscious about its diet. Moreover, you can follow the diet guideline to ensure that your pet gets all the essential nutrients.
Along with this, there are some tips to manage the hunger of your pet. Hence, they are:
- Consult with the Vet and manage the health issues that are affecting the eating habits of your pet.
- Follow a routine for the amount and types of nutrients for feeding your Retriever.
- Do not break the routine. However, if your pet insists on overeating, try distracting your pal through playing and walks.
- Include nutritious and filling food in the meal of your pet.
- Avoid giving your Golden Retriever human food (coffee, chocolate, sodas, ice-creams, etc.).
- Trim the meal of your pet into fewer and multiple portions.
- Seek advice from professionals and give the right amount of food.
Moreover, a pet that is always hungry is not easy to manage. Along with this, the pet is susceptible to more diseases and illnesses. Thus, for a longer and peaceful life with your pet, control the eating habit.
I hope all the above tips and tricks were helpful for your pet.
Do you want to add anything to the above ideas?
Please share your suggestions in the comment section.
