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MY PET IS EATING MORE FOOD THAN IT USED TO - SHOULD I BE WORRIED ?

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk  


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Appetite is controlled by centres in the brain. Animals usually eat enough food to meet their energy requirements, and they should have a stable body weight. If your pet starts eating more food you should see your veterinarian. 

Increased food intake (called polyphagia) occurs for several different reasons ::

  • The food that the animal  usually eats could have changed in it's formulation or the  bioavailability of it's content has changed, so the animal needs to eat more food to maintain it's daily energy intake.
  • The hunger centre in the brain is being stimulated by changes associated with a diseases including :
    • Diabetes mellitus (common in cats and dogs)
    • Hyperthyroidism (common in elderly cats)
    • Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushings disease - common in middle-aged and older dogs)
  • The animal is unable to digest or absorb the food that it eats due to the presence of  gastrointestinal disease, examples :
  • Some diseases (notably various forms of cancer) cause weight loss due to energy wasting, and this may stimulate an increased appetite :
  • Some drugs will increase food intake - corticosteroids (commonly used as anti-inflammatory drugs), thyroid supplements (used routinely in the treatment of hypothyroidism which is very common in dogs), and diazepam - used as a sedative and to modify behaviour.

In summary, increased food intake can be the sign of a serious disorder so veterinary attention should be obtained.

 

Updated October 2013