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Cold weather = more appetite?


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​Gibbs goes through phases of wanting more to eat. He's pretty steady at 40 lbs. Yesterday it got a bit colder - not talking blizzards & ice storms here, just going from a low of low 40s to a low of 38 or so.

 

Gibbs was picking up little bits of things off the carpet to eat. I had just fed him. It struck me that maybe there's a correlation between the colder weather and his appetite.

 

He gets a measured half cup in his bowl with a couple supplements 2x/day. Then he gets another half cup in a kong or other treat toy. He also usually gets training treats every day.

 

Does anyone else's dog respond to colder weather with increased appetite? His coat hasn't changed, and he's an inside dog, if that info is helpful. And I just had a senior panel done and everything is normal.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

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Tess has very varying appetite. During the summer she ate very little, then ate very well from september to november and during december ate very little again. No she's full of appetite. Not sure if it's related with the cold or not, she seems to self control her body needs. Whenever I´m begining to think she may have a tiny bit of extra weight, she goes into a not-eating-much phase all by herself. She's always been like this. She isn't free fed but could be as she only seems to eat what she needs.

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Like Mara, we spend a good bit of time outside and it gets cold here, and I do feed my dogs a bit more in winter as they seem to need it and use it well. I start in the fall, knowing their coats are growing in for winter and a little extra nutrition will not go amiss. Especially for the old dogs, I don't mind a little extra body condition on my otherwise quite lean dogs as cold weather approaches and we can be out for a couple of hours a day.

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Thanks, everyone. Our winter is pretty mild compared to many of yours! And the swings are usually only a difference of 10 degrees.

 

His exercise is a bit reduced right now, I sprained my knee so the 45 minute to an hour long jaunts just aren't happening for another couple weeks.

 

The low is predicted to be in the mid 30s today and tomorrow, and I'll pay attention to his food seeking. Reporting back Thursday or so.

 

Ruth & Gibbs

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