What this means
A bigger appetite can be perfectly harmless: your dog may be more active, young and still growing, the colder weather can make it want more food, or the food or portions may simply have changed. So the first thing to do is think back over whether anything changed, whether the food, the amount, the activity or the home.
It is worth worrying when your dog eats a lot yet is losing weight, when it suddenly begs for food without letup, raids bins or the table, or when other things change too: drinking and urinating more, bulky, greasy or soft stools, thinning coat, a pot-bellied look. That combination tells a vet more than the appetite alone.
It helps to write down for a couple of days how much and when your dog eats, what the stools look like, how much it drinks and what it weighs. If you can, weigh your dog and note the number, so there is something to compare against later.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Diabetes mellitus
A dog can eat a lot and still lose weight, while drinking and urinating more. Sometimes the eyes also turn cloudy.
About the condition: Diabetes mellitus -
A hormonal disorder involving the adrenal glands
The dog eats and drinks a lot, the belly becomes pot-bellied, the coat thins and the skin gets thin. Your dog may pant and tire more quickly.
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The pancreas not supporting digestion
The pancreas makes too few digestive enzymes, so a dog eats plenty but absorbs the food poorly. Stools are bulky, greasy or smelly, and the dog loses weight.
About the condition: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) -
An underactive thyroid
More often it shows as slowing down, weight gain and coat changes, but appetite changes can occur as well. A vet checks such cases with tests.
About the condition: Hypothyroidism -
Parasites
Intestinal parasites can take some of the food, so a dog eats a lot but does not gain weight. Sometimes parasites can be seen in the stool or around the anus.
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Changes in food or surroundings
Smaller portions, a less filling food, more exercise, cold weather or boredom can raise appetite in a dog that is perfectly healthy.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Whether your dog is also losing weight or gaining it
- Whether it drinks and urinates more than usual
- Whether the stools are bulkier, greasy or soft
- Whether the coat is thinning or the skin is thin or flaking
- Whether the belly looks swollen or pot-bellied
- Whether your dog searches bins or the table for food
- When the change began and whether the food or amount was changed
When to book a routine visit
If your dog has eaten unusually large amounts for more than a few days with no clear reason, especially if it is also losing weight, drinking and urinating more, or its stool and coat are changing, book a vet visit. Take your notes and your dog's weight.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Diabetes mellitus Hormones and metabolism Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body makes too little insulin or can no longer use it properly, so sugar cannot move from the blood into the cells and builds up in the bloodstream. The body's cells go short of energy even though the dog is eating enough, and blood sugar that stays high for a long time can harm various organs, such as the eyes. It is a long-term condition that needs ongoing monitoring together with a vet.
- Cushing's disease Hormones and metabolism Cushing's disease is a condition in which the body makes too much of a stress hormone. This hormone affects many of the body's processes, so an excess gradually changes a dog's appetite, skin, coat and muscles. The changes come on slowly, so they are easy to mistake for simple ageing.
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) Digestion and liver This is a condition in which the pancreas doesn't produce enough digestive enzymes, so food passes through almost undigested and the body misses out on the nutrients it needs. As a result, a dog can eat for two and still lose weight. A vet confirms whether it really is EPI with tests.
- Hypothyroidism Hormones and metabolism Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too little of the hormones that regulate metabolism. Because these hormones affect almost the whole body, a shortage gradually slows many of its processes. The changes come on slowly, so they are easy to mistake for ageing or simple laziness.
Body systems: Hormones and metabolism Digestion and liver