Gideon's girl Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Many beagles are known for not having the mechanism that lets them know when they have eaten enough, so it's up to their humans to figure out what is the right amount and stick to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Many beagles are known for not having the mechanism that lets them know when they have eaten enough, so it's up to their humans to figure out what is the right amount and stick to it. That has been the case for most of my dogs, none of which were beagles. The last picky eater I had was five dogs ago. I'd be afraid to leave a bag of dog food around any of my guys, even the ancient Sheltie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 That's why beagles are used for doing studies on dog obesity. I was reading something on studying dog obesity (one of the dozens of papers I have on the computer that I will eventually get 'round to sorting) about how beagles are used for studying obesity because they are nearly guaranteed to get fat if you let them. Labradors aren't used so much because it's too easy to get them fat- they may not be as representative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I've had lots of animals that would overeat if you let them, but my beagle was the only one that literally ate more than his body weight, vomitting when he got too full, and still continued to eat more. He ate a 25 lb box of dog biscuits while I was at work one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Labrador ate a tray of rhubarb crumble, an entire shoulder of pork (bones cracked and polished clean), and 2.5kg of cat food. Not all in one sitting, thank god, this was on three separate occasions. The first one took her less than twenty minutes. Ours get fed twice a day, it generally takes them less than 10 seconds to finish so there is no worry about stealing each other's food. If you hand-feed the labrador she will get close to eating your hand as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 I'd be measuring out the beagle's food and not letting her eat more than she needs, not as much as she wants. IMO, it's your responsibility to limit food for the dog that won't do it herself. I have a couple dogs who would probably be quite obese if I let them eat what they wanted to. Exactly. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 At the moment we don't have a single dog who can be trusted to regulate themselves, so in the morning and evening out come the weighing scales to measure out each portion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogrsqr Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 We used to feed only once a day until we had two dogs bloat (one a BC the other an Aussie mix). They both thankfully survived. Now all dogs at my house get fed three times a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 I really think the beagle has been over eating just to eat, it is hard in our house do to the heeler to have set feeding times, but I have started to just pick up the bowl after the beagle eats, then when the heeler is in the kitchen I will set it down, if he eats good if not I just pick it up and try again later. Its working out pretty well, I tell the beagle to eat oh no problem she eats all she wants, the BC shes not a problem she lets me know when she is hungry no problem down goes the bowl. It seems that any time someone eats the beagle thinks she needs to finish up the bowl, she is a very food motivated little girl always has been. So far so good no one is going hungry. I don't think you're getting our point. You should measure the beagle's food and let it eat just that, no more. Don't let her/him eat until s/he's done. THAT is how he's fat. Of course he's over eating just to eat! That's what fat dogs do. We have the big brains. It's our job and our responsibility to manage our dogs' health and that definitely includes their weight. If I put a bowl down and let my Aussie eat all she wanted, we'd soon be rolling her around like a wheel of cheese. Beagles are prone to obesity for the very reason that they eat all they want. Unless you simply don't care that your beagle is fat, I don't see why you don't give her measured meals. Our Aussie weighs about 35 pounds and gets 1/2 a cup of kibble twice a day, for a total of 1 cup a day. Plus a tablespoon of moist canned food on top for flavoring. That's all. A beagle should eat even less for their frame and your dog's apparent inactivity. Sorry if I sound grumpy, but fat dogs are a big pet peeve of mine and I just had a lopsided conversation elsewhere on the internet about overweight and obese labs. Fat dogs are fat ONLY because their humans fail to manage what they eat. It's completely unnecessary and unless there's some underlying medical reason for a dog's weight gain, it's entirely preventable. Obesity carries with it a host of health problems for dogs, and again, it's almost always the humans' fault. /soap box. ~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d112358 Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 Along with all the other good responses, there's a tendency for people to overestimate how much their dogs need to weigh or eat. I've seen borderline-obese dogs described by their owners as a healthy weight, and people adopting dogs from the shelter in perfect weight talking about how they need to fatten them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 I just had someone give me a talking-to about how my lab is starving because 'you can see her ribs!' (when she takes a deep breath.) The vet says she's perfect, her spine and hips are well-covered. But no, clearly starvation. That wasn't the first person today to approach me about this. "You'll just have to feed her more. She wouldn't try and steal food if she was well-fed!" I have to go find a lab forum to post a pic for some validation/reassurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 Dear Doggers, For many years I fed my sheepdogs once daily and still feed my sheep guarding dogs once. Wendy Vollhard (who is an expert canine nutritionist) warned that when trialing, if I fed in the early morning, the dog's blood sugar would be pretty low should we run in the late afternoon so I started feeding twice on the road. Routine is an important part of my dog management so I started feeding my sheepdogs twice at home too. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 I've read that often the bile regurg is due to diet. Water content of the food triggers pepsin production and pepsin triggers the release of hydrochloric acid. Stomach acid at the right level encourages the valve at the top of the stomach to close completely. I don't know how true it is, but there you go. Slightly backwards. Gastric secretion is stimulated by the thought, taste, smell, etc of food. Cells produce pepsinogen, which is activated BY the low pH (and by active pepsin) into pepsin, which digests protein. Secretion is mostly under hormonal regulation. Water content of food shouldn't have much to do with that, except that more water could equal more volume which would stimulate stretch receptors in the stomach wall. Food entering the stomach causes the pH to rise, which triggers the release of more HCl & pepsinogen... It's all one giant loop cycle. The pyloric sphincter is mostly controlled from the top- it's opened by a bolus of food from the esophagus pressing on it. Otherwise, it's generally closed. When it goes wrong is when you get acid reflux... or barf, although the vomit reflex is more complicated. The stomach secretions have a low pH, period- mostly to help kill off bacteria & other protein-based bugs. The stomach does very little in terms of actual digestion & absorption- it's a storage compartment to hold food & mix it with gastric juices. Most digestion occurs in the small intestine. This has been your physiology nerd PSA for the day. I feed my dogs twice a day, although Hoot has gone through periods when he only eats every third meal or only half his meals or... for his entire life. Nick is the only Border Collie I know who could out-eat a Lab & and a Beagle, and then eat them, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 He and Twist must be kindred spirits.... J. Nick is the only Border Collie I know who could out-eat a Lab & and a Beagle, and then eat them, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmbmarohl Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 have you tried changing food? my dogs eat 2X a day (mostly bc of my lab...as someone said they are prone to gluttony lol) and when my collie starts eating like a bird and its not a health issue i switch the flavor of the food. or add a gravy to it a couple times. and he eats all up. i figure if i wouldnt want to eat chicken and rice everyday they might not want to either. i use the same brand of food just switch it back and forth from chicken to lamb when i need a new bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizabeth Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 I just want to update and thank all for the great advice, I had an issue feeding 3 dogs, beagle was over eating ballooning up heeler forgets to eat and bc guarding food dish. Happy to report their are no more problems in this department. Food bowl is now just there no need to fight for it or eat it all before its gone. Water bowl has upgraded to 2 water bowls. No fights no growls no problems at all. Beagle is back to eating when she is hungry not eating because it is there. Again thank you all for your input. I am so happy to have peace around the food bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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