9 Reasons Whippets Are Always Hungry

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If you find your whippet is always hungry it can be quite alarming. No matter how much you seem to feed your pup they’re always asking for more shortly after. Is it normal for whippets to always be hungry or is something wrong?

Why Are Whippets Always Hungry:

When a whippet is acting like they are always hungry it’s because they’ve learned that acting hungry will always get them more food. It’s more that they enjoy eating and feeling full than being hungry. It could also be because they’re growing, lacking vital nutrients or an underlying health issue.

In this post you’ll discover:

9 real reasons why whippets are always hungry
When a whippet always being hungry is something to be concerned about
5 tips to help when a whippet is hungry all the time (Tip #3 can help the quickest!)
And much much more

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

9 Real Reasons Why Whippets Are Always Hungry

1) Growing Puppy

When a whippet puppy is growing into their teenage/adult body they need lots of food to fuel that growth.

This phase of their life is the most intense for their body.

Muscles are growing, bones are growing, organs in their body, everything.

Which makes them always hungry in order to help their body grow.

They can get away with eating all kinds of food without putting on extra body fat because all the food they’re eating is being used to help them grow.

This is also why as your whippet gets older you don’t have to feed them as much.

Because their growth is done for the most part, there’s no need for so much food.

The only time they’d need more food is if they were exercising a lot.

Then they’d need more food to help their muscles replenish & rebuild.

But between the ages of 3-5 months it’s totally normal to see your whippet always be hungry because this is where they have their biggest growth spurt.

[Nothing brings peace of mind quite like speaking with a vet – click here to chat with a vet online now]

2) High Energy

The more energy your whippet uses the more fuel their body will need to keep them going.

Just like a fire needs more wood in order to keep burning bright.

If your whippet has high energy and is constantly moving they’ll be burning more calories than if they spent most of their day resting.

And because of this they’ll be eating more than you might think is normal.

While there’s recommended amounts of food that each dog bag suggests, if your whippet has high energy and they’re active for most of their day, they’ll be hungry for more food.

It’s a good idea to speak with a vet about how much food is the right amount for your pup if they have high energy.

So long as your whippet isn’t putting on unhealthy weight, the fact that they’re always eating is likely because their body needs it.

3) Learned Behavior

If you’re not careful, your pup may develop a bad habit when it comes to eating.

Some dogs don’t know their limits and will simply continue to eat until they’re filled to the brim.

And if everytime you feed them you give them as much as they want, they’ve likely gotten into the bad habit of eating until completely full.

Instead of eating the amount of food necessary for their body to function properly.

If they’ve learned that giving a puppy dog pout, or the puppy dog eyes gets you to feed them they’ll act like they’re always hungry.

Simple because they know it’ll get them more food so they can get full again instead of being content.

4) Blood Sugar Problem

If your whippet has a problem with their blood sugar levels it can cause them to be always hungry as well as thirsty.

Diabetes is a problem that can unfortunately affect your pup as well.

What happens is their body becomes unable to produce or use insulin which makes using glucose (sugar) difficult for their body to process and use as energy.

Which means they will always feel hungry and low on energy.

Not because their stomach is empty, but because their body isn’t using a portion of their food’s energy source to give themselves energy.

If your whippet is moving into their senior years and always hungry it’s a good idea to have a vet take a look at them.

5) Potential Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is when your pup’s body is kicked into overdrive and increases their metabolism because of an overproduction of thyroxine in their thyroid.

This is a more rare reason for your whippet to always be hungry but is definitely a possibility.

As your pup gets older there are a variety of medical conditions they could develop and hypothyroidism is one of them.

If your pup’s increased appetite is new and they’re getting a little older it’s a good idea to have a vet look at them.

6) Following Instincts

Some whippets may act hungry all the time because of strong instincts.

Let me explain.

Some dogs act always hungry and are greedy with their food because they have a 100,000 year old brain that’s wired for survival.

Their wolf ancestors would need to eat whenever food was available because they could never be certain when their next meal would be.

Which means your whippet might not fully understand that they’ll have food each day.

And this makes them act like they’re always hungry to ensure they’re full just in case their next meal doesn’t come.

7) Intestinal Worm

When a whippet has an intestinal worm it will result in them always being hungry.

The reason being is, if they have this type of parasite, everytime food enters their body the worm eats it leaving nothing for your pup’s body to use as fuel.

Which makes them feel like they need to continuously eat.

If you notice your pup is losing weight even though they seem to always be eating, it’s important to take them to the vet.

8) Too Many Treats

If you treat too much, your whippet may beg for food more often, not because they’re hungry, but because they love the taste of your table scraps/treats.

In this situation it’s not that they’re always hungry, it’s more that they want tasty treats regardless of if they’re full.

Also, if they’re used to being full from getting too many treats throughout the day, as soon as they feel slightly hungry they’ll want to act hungry to get back to being full.

It’s hard to say no to your fur baby.

But when you share your food too much or give too many treats, you’re training them to always act hungry.

Even when they’re not.

9) Food Allergy

Whippets are known for having sensitive stomachs, which means they could potentially have a food allergy.

If this is the case their body won’t be properly absorbing important nutrients in their food.

Which makes them want to eat everything in an attempt to get those nutrients.

Sometimes they’ll even eat poop if their body is really having trouble absorbing nutrients.

And this makes it look like your whippet is always hungry, but it’s more that their body is missing important nutrients and they’re doing whatever they can to get those nutrients.

If you suspect your pup has a food allergy it’s important to consult with a vet.

5 Tips To Help a Whippet That’s Hungry All The Time

1) Test a New Food

Sometimes it’s the food you’re feeding your pup that isn’t giving their body what it needs and causes them to always be hungry.

If it’s a low quality grain-based food their body could be missing vital nutrients.

Or, if they have an allergy to one of the ingredients it could make them always feel hungry.

This is because they’re attempting to get the nutrients their body isn’t able to absorb because of the allergy.

When it comes to testing a new dog food it’s never a bad idea to chat with a vet first.

High quality dog food will always have an animal based protein as one of the main ingredients, contain no preservatives and say ‘highly digestible’ on the bag.

Important note: Whenever changing up your whippets food be sure to gradually transition from their old food to their new food over the course of a week.

2) Resist Puppy Dog Pout

If your whippet is in otherwise good health, the reason they’re acting hungry all the time is likely from a bad habit or because they’re bored.

Which means the best thing you can do is resist/ignore their puppy dog pout asking for more food.

They don’t need more food, they want more food.

And the more often you give in to their cute face the more they’ll act like they’re always hungry.

3) Smaller Sized Meals More Often

Instead of giving your pup 2 meals (or more depending on their age) per day, give them 4-6 smaller meals per day.

This way their body will get used to not being filled to the brim after eating their meal.

The smaller portions will help them get used to being content with having less food in their system at any point in the day.

They should still get the same amount of food in total over the course of the day.

But this will help your whippet stop acting like they’re always hungry in two ways.

One, they’ll be eating more meals throughout the day which makes them feel like they’re getting more food.

Two, their body will adapt to not needing to feel completely full to go on with their day.

4) Treat Dispensing Toys

To help them get more bits of food throughout the day to curb their hunger, try treat dispensing puzzle toys.

Most of these types of toys help with mental stimulation as well with their built in reward system.

Sometimes your pup may not be hungry, they’re simply bored.

And like some people do when they’re bored, they eat.

So if you can give your whippet a treat dispensing puzzle toy, not only will you help with their boredom but they’ll also get a snack to hold them off until their next meal.

Related Reading: 13 Best Mind Stimulating Dog Toys