Dogs are not shy about being eager eaters. Offer them some food and they will gladly chow down after a few precautionary sniffs. The cost of the food doesn’t matter as long as your pet is happy.
Feeding time with your dog is often a fun experience, but you may have noticed something different about it lately. Your dog may seem more fixated on their food. Your dog may even bark whenever you approach them while they’re eating.
It almost seems as though they’ve grown obsessed with food.
Don’t just treat that behavioral change as a personality quirk. There could be serious underlying issues that are causing it and you must address them.
Find out how to deal with your food-obsessed dog by continuing with the rest of this article.
Why Are Dogs Obsessed with Food?
Your dog’s newfound obsession with food did not come out of nowhere. It’s could very well be symptomatic of something wrong with them or a byproduct of changes they’re currently experiencing.
Listed below are the common explanations for why dogs become obsessed with food. Check them out and see if one of them fits your pet.
Health Disorders
The sudden change in your dog’s attitude towards food could be explained by some kind of health issue.
For example, parasites inside their body may be depriving them of adequate nutrition. Your dog may not be obsessed with food. They may just be hungry all the time because parasites are messing up their body.
Diabetes is another potential explanation for your dog becoming more fixated on food. Their illness may cause them to grow hungry faster. Usually, dogs with diabetes eat and drink more because of their illness.
Issues with your dog’s thyroid gland can also change their appetite. To be more specific, dogs with low thyroid levels are the ones who tend to eat more.
Once you address the underlying issue, your pet’s obsession with food may gradually wane. Unfortunately, some conditions may stay with your pet permanently so the changes to their appetite may be harder to reverse.
Old Habits
Did you just adopt a new dog who seems to be obsessed with their food? Their obsession could be born out of their old surroundings.
Previously, your dog may have had to fight for their food. They had to wrestle it away from other dogs who were desperate for any kind of sustenance.
Suddenly just getting food without fighting for it may be a new concept to your adopted pet. They may not understand that shielding it from others is no longer necessary. Give your pet some time and they will understand that they no longer have to be protective of their food anymore.
Changes to Your Household
Your dog may have gotten used to being the only canine in the house. Now that you’ve brought a new pet in, your old dog may not know how to react. All they know is that they need to protect their food.
This can be a complicated issue because you want your dogs to get along, but you don’t want them fighting either. In this case, separating them for a while during feeding time may be your best option. You can socialize them during other times of the day so they get used to each other’s company.
Age
Lastly, age can explain the shift in your pet’s attitude towards food. Dogs get hungry faster as they age. Adjusting their feeding schedule may be necessary at that point.
Why Is My Dog Hungry All the Time?
There’s a difference between your dog becoming obsessed with food and their feeding desires changing. If the real issue is related to your dog seemingly being hungry all the time, there are only two possible explanations for that.
As we noted in the previous section, health issues can explain your dog’s increased appetite. Do something about those health issues as soon as possible because the problems can get worse than just your pet being hungry all the time.
Aging can also be the reason why your dog wants to eat more than they did previously. You don’t want to overfeed your dog, but some changes to their feeding routine are certainly warranted.
Why Does My Dog Always Want Human Food?
Some dogs may develop a kind of selective obsession when it comes to food. They may not care much about the food you’re serving them, but they seemingly always want a taste of what you’re eating.
Is it normal for dogs to crave human food? No, it isn’t, but there are some explanations for that behavior.
Increased Appetite
It may only seem like your dog is more obsessed with your food, but that may not be the case. Truthfully, they may just want more food no matter where it comes from.
If that description describes your dog currently, then their appetite has changed.
We’ve already touched on why a dog’s appetite may change so check if the issue is related to an illness or their aging body.
Your Dog Likes Something about Your Food
Your pet may want a bite of your food simply because they find it appealing. They may find its smell to be particularly enticing. Don’t be surprised if your dog is drawn to your plate if you just whipped up a treat that they absolutely love.
Your Dog Wants to Try Something You Enjoy
Dogs trust their owners wholeheartedly. They don’t believe that you will ever steer them wrong.
That’s why when they see you enjoying food so much, they may grow curious about how it tastes. It’s up to you to decide if you want to satisfy their curiosity.
What to Do if My Dog Is Hungry All the Time?
Your dog’s increased appetite is not just something you can ignore. Taking action is a must if you want their appetite to normalize.
The best thing you can do is to take your dog to the veterinarian. Let the veterinarian examine your pet so they can check for any illnesses that could explain the change in appetite.
If your dog’s increased appetite is due to an illness, the veterinarian can work on treating that.
Old dogs that are growing hungry faster need a new eating schedule. Consult with a veterinarian and ask what kind of feeding schedule you should follow for your pet.
Start following that new schedule. Your pet will eventually adjust to it as well.
How to Get My Dog to Be Less Food-Obsessed?
Apart from treating an illness your dog may have or changing their feeding schedule, there is not much else you can do for your food-obsessed dog. As long as you’re feeding them well, they will be fine.
Spoiling your pet by giving them food whenever they ask for it is not a good idea. They may just ask for food all the time if you’re willing to provide it. You should stick to the vet-approved feeding schedule because that is best for your pet.