Behaviour change post-spay - was not expecting it to be this stark!

[OnlyHerefortheBiscuits]

My dog has always been a nortoriously fussy eater. Not food motivated at all, couldn't be less interested, eats only to survive, stops when she's full etc

She was spayed two weeks ago and for the last ten days she cannot. stop. eating.

Begs for more food when the bowl is empty. Nose bops me when it's dinner time. It's not even dinner time and she's spent the last ten minutes (after treats) licking and pushing the magic bowl, ever hopeful.

It's like they swapped her ovaries for a giant appetite!

Will be interesting to see if she responds better to training with treats....

This happened to my dog! She went from having to be hand-fed her dinner, to a dog who will eat anything, beg, bark for food, and very easy to train with food rewards! Seven years on and she’s still the same!

My cat's appetite seems to have tripled since spaying. She's not gained weight AFAIK but she does come to tell me she's hungry.

My dog was castrated 2/3 weeks ago and the exact same has happened. He was the pickiest eater. Now he inhales food.

And this is how they get fat after spay/ neuter you see…

Ddog had zero interest in food prior and often left his dinner. Afterwards he was much much more food motivated but it did make him so much easier to train.

We cut his food by a third as advised by the vet but he still put on weight and we wound up having to switch to a diet food and feeding him much less even of that than is on the packet instructions. We also weigh out his treat allowance daily and include it in his calories.

It made me feel a bit better about my own post menopause weight gain ie that it is biological reality not just being weak willed about chocolate

I know it's The doghouse but DCat isn't fat despite either always eating or asleep. I'm past child-bearing age and not fat but since Cadbury's changed the Dairy Milk from delicious to unpalatable, I no longer eat slabs of it.

What is she fed? Is it a decent quality / high protein diet or is it an inexpensive kibble with lots of filler in it?

Might be time to review what's she's fed and adjust quantities?

I need to get my dog spayed , he eats like a bird ! He’s soooo picky and whether it’s treats , pieces of chicken , his own food , biscuits all get sniffed and left . His biscuits he literally nibbles a few a day . But he sits staring at me when I eat anything and I feel so bad but he just won’t eat anything and he’s sooo skinny ! I would LOVE for him to inhale his food and turn into a pig right now !!!

Dog just the same. He was entire and a measured eater - ate what he wanted, then walked away. Same adult weight from about 18 months up to 9.5 yrs, then had to be neutered due to other medical issues. He now inhales food, is on a diet and carries a list of everyone he knows who has treats in their pocket. Vet says it's a normal metabolic change.

I wouldn’t say that either the dog or I are fat but we both need way less calories than we used to and both have to watch what we are eating in a way that was never the case before despite both of us doing loads of exercise. Sad times.

Main meals food:
She's raw fed 80/10/10. Hates any and all fruit/veg. Loves tripe so that is usually stirred in. Feeding 2% body weight mark is a tiny 75g per meal! While this will reduce my food bill it seems sooooo tiny.

Treats are Only 100% meat that is ideally air dried. If it has anything else in it (glycerin, vegetable starch etc) then I don't buy it. Organic Greek yogurt in her licki is a regular feature also. Ditto eggs.

Other her little face and nose bops when I'm eating something she could have that won't kill her instant like cooked meat, cheese or bacon ... this is what I will have to change the most.... but I want her to love me 😂😭