Restless when hungry?

[soldi3rofgod]

I am working on getting my girl's weight down before an operation.

I have noticed in the last couple weeks she has seemed more restless, and less likely to settle down and nap.

Is this likely to be associated with hunger? It seems likely, but I wondered if anyone had experience with this.

p.s. I am going to try offering her green beans for filler, but I'm pretty sure she won't have it. Already tried baby carrots. Tried with cooked carrots last night. She just spits out the carrots (except for one my dad gave her that was covered in olive oil so it doesn't really count)

 

[danzeal]

@soldi3rofgod May I get some information? What food are you using, how overweight is she, how old is she, how much are you giving versus how you used to feed her, how much exercise does she get, and does she settle after you've fed her her meal?

My dog definitely is restless when the schedule changes, I've never seen it associated with hunger (personally). We used to feed at 7am and 6pm on the dot, but it got moved to 8am and 7pm due to life schedule changes. His walks also changed from 8am to 10am for his morning walk and 7pm to 9pm for his evening walk with our lake and hiking times moving from daily to every other day. He was restless cause his routine was different. Once he got used to the new routine and the life we had, he became very settled and now doesn't deal with the restlessness. So if the schedule is different that could be causing her restlessness.

During periods of restlessness, we'd give him his treat toys (normally a ball with some of his kibble inside, a snuffle mat, one of his bones, or a frozen kong) to occupy his brain as well as something to tide him over as we focused on our responsibilities. That also helped us a good deal!

 

[soldi3rofgod]

@danzeal What you say about mental stimulation though is probably on point here, I was doing more inside games with her but I'm struggling because of reducing her food/treats with ideas for that. Her meal times are already play based, she find/chases/catches or does tricks for her kibble which she loves.

I was doing other supplementary activities like with a food ball toy and kibble.

So I suppose it could just as easily be lack of stimulation since for her food and play/stimulation are very much intertwined.

Also I do believe the schedule has been irregular, but not every day - so I suppose I thought at least on the days where the routine was the same she'd settle. But maybe she just isn't sure about the schedule anymore.

DETAILS:

She is 4.5 years old. She needs to lose at least 6 lbs (Assuming she was 71lbs - she needs to be at 65lbs). I need to take her to the vet this week for a weigh in. She is having hip replacement surgery in the first week of May.

I feed her Purina Pro Plan for Large Breeds. I began by reducing her from 2.75 cups to 2 cups a day. Since she had been slowly gaining weight - due to reduction in activity with arthritis flairs this winter - that was not enough for weight loss.

Also been transitioning in Purina Pro Plan's weight loss version of her food - started at 25% and now at 75%. She also gets sardines in a frozen kong every evening. Sardines in olive oil, last week I started draining all the oil and patting down the fish before making the Kong. (I have sardines in water, but in the past she hasn't liked it frozen)

Usually after I complete a routine she settles down, the day time is when she has been most restless. The morning routine ends with her getting fed so maybe she wasn't settling due to being fed at all. The time has changed, though I have never been very on the dot.

She has been feeling better with the weather warming up. I am happy she is not in as much pain, but still isn't supposed to be having long walks or much running at all. I have been trying to do 3 1/2 to 3/4 mile walks a day and I do some mild, as in a slow bowl, ball play. Anyways, since she feels better she wants to do much more.

 

[danzeal]

@soldi3rofgod Oooo hip replacement does make the exercise really dang hard, poor baby.

It sounds like you're doing a lot, and that's really all you can do. I would suggest getting on as much of a routine as you can to try and help her feel secure in what's happening next. If energy is an issue, we actually had some joint issues due to my boys size (he wasn't bred for size but is a lil anomaly), and for a few years and to this day to get him exercised with less strain on his joints we do a lot of water exercise. Low impact and water exercise is a good full body work out while being easy on the joints!

With such a small amount of weight loss needed and a small decrease in food, it's probably not hunger or the expectation of more food that's causing restlessness. Without knowing the dog though, I can't one hundred percent be sure. Just my experience with dogs and GSDs (though I have never had a girlie pop GSD only the laddos)

 

[soldi3rofgod]

@danzeal My last girl was very different in the food department than this one. Neither weight nor joints were an issue.

So am a bit at a loss myself. I will tighten up the routine. I've been looking at getting a small above ground pool for the reason you mentioned.

I cannot afford anything large though.