For any GSD owners - is it normal for a 24 month old to have a sudden and sustained increase in appetite when all other conditions are relatively unchanged? Type of food has not changed, nor has his exercise.

Only change that did occur was that he was neutered last month and this increase in appetite occured immediately after the neutering.

Anyone know if this is a coincidence? Anyone know if it's more related to his age, kind of like a growth spurt maybe? I have no issues with him and the increased appetite, I'm just curious what it might be related to.

His average weight was 76 to 79 lbs. over the course of the last 12 months, usually more toward the 78 to 79 lb. range. He now weighs 81 lbs.

Anyone have any similar experience?

Judy

Hi Judy,

I'm not a GSD owner, but as far as my research goes, there can be an increase in appetite after neutering - it doesn't mean that he needs more food, just that he might be more interested in eating. There is a theory that suggests testosterone keeps a dog primarily focused on reproduction (even if he isn't actively seeking out a female - his hormones are prompting him to always keep an eye out), take away the testosterone and the animal's second most important drive - eating - becomes number one. In the wild, reproduction and food are a double-edged sword - if you don't reproduce, you can't pass on your genes, but if you don't find food and eat, you won't live long enough to reproduce.

The decrease in testosterone might also slow his metabolism a bit, so you may actually want to decrease his food slightly to keep him from gaining weight, especially if you're already seeing a change (assuming you haven't started to feed him MORE than before, in which case, just go back to what he used to eat, even if he looks hungry).

My dog is CHOW HOUND, always has been, so I didn't notice any huge difference in appetite (he already ate like horse!), though I was careful about food quantity and watched him very closely in the weeks after neuter to see if his weight changed. We've been feeding raw for a year now with almost no fluctuation in weight, no matter what different types of food or extra treats he got - I really think the natural diet has a way of balancing everything out. I initially decreased his meals slightly, right after the neuter, but he started looking a little thin, so we went right back to normal portions and he's back to his healthy weight. Either his metabolism didn't change, or his diet just gives him everything he needs, and nothing more.

Sorry I don't have a more breed specific response.

~Natalya

Hi Natalya,

No problem on the lack of breed specific info. I probably shouldn't have included that in my post. The only reason I did was because I thought it could be a "GSD" thing.

Anyway, what you say makes sense I suppose. He's been on raw for maybe a year now. And his weight didn't fluctuate much but he would, prior to neutering, go through phases where he seemed he wasn't hungry and would skip meals and such. He was much pickier before the neutering.

I've always fed him twice a day but, since the neutering, I give him a little more in both meals.

I think I'll keep tabs on his weight and make sure he doesn't gain much more. I don't think a lb. or two will make any difference. You can't see his ribs but you can feel them so I think we're good.

Thanks Natalya for that info.