Why My French Bulldog Eat So Much?

We all know how attached we can get to our pets, and French Bulldogs, being one of the best companion dogs to exist, are no exception to this fact. Frenchies do not need a lot of care and maintenance as some of the other dog breeds, but sometimes they may start to over eat.

In this article, we will talk about the reasons why your French Bulldog might be eating excessively and what to do in such situations. If you are the proud owner of a French bulldog, you probably know that they may eat very quickly and may start to choke. We will give you some solutions to tackle this problem too.

Besides the elephant in the room that is overeating, you should also take a look at everything you need to know about feeding your beloved French Bulldog. Sometimes it may be us, the owners, who are making a mistake while feeding our pets. Let us address these common mistakes as well.

But before we get into those topics, let us dive into the main issue:

The Reason Why your French Bulldog is Eating so Much and What to do When this Happens

We can trace the rationale behind why a French Bulldog may be eating too much, for the same reasons as to why other dog breeds overeat. There are several reasons why a dog may be excessively eating, and they are as follows:

1. Damaged central nervous system

Although this might be unlikely, sometimes dogs who have had damage caused to their nervous system will start to overeat food. This reason is that they fail to recognize or identify when they are full. And they will keep eating as long as there is food on its plate.

CNS damage happens when there is trauma to the head or has parasites living in them. One way to figure out whether your dog has damaged CNS is to observe your French Bulldog’s movements. If they shake uncontrollably or make weird movements, you might want a professional vet to check it out.

2. Prolonged hunger

It is evident that a hungry dog will eat more than one, which is not feeling as hungry. If you feed your dog only once a day or keep a long period in between each mealtime, your dog is likely to overeat when you give it food.

To avoid this problem, you can feed your Frenchie two times in a total of 12 hours. If possible, keep a 6-hour gap in between the meals. Young French Bulldog Puppies need three meals a day.

3. Giving the dog too much food

Yes. It is quite possible that you may be overfeeding your French Bulldog. Dogs are opportunistic feeders by nature. They will keep eating as long as you give it food. This behavior might make large amounts of food normal to them, and they may start to need more than required to satisfy their hunger.

There is no need to feed your French Bulldog more than two times in 12 hours. The amount of food per meal will depend on the age and needs of a dog. However, the rule of thumb is that feeding it more than 3 times a day is not necessary. In fact, this routine may lead to fatal consequences because obesity in French Bulldogs does not end well.

4. Imbalanced hormones

Hypothyroidism and diabetes are both hormone-based problems which may affect the appetite of a dog. Sometimes a hormonal imbalance in the body of a French Bulldog may lead to overstimulation of its appetite.

To return the hormone levels to normal, you will need to consult a vet and take the necessary measures that he or she provides. It is almost impossible to cure hormonal imbalance using home remedies.

5. Stress and boredom

Just like humans, our dogs may also start to overeat when they feel stressed. The best way to reduce overeating due to stress is by allowing it to live in calm environments. Quiet places away from sudden bursts of noise may help solve this issue.

Read article about French bulldog calming treats here.

French Bulldogs are usually very cool tempered dogs who do not require a lot of physical activity to keep it fit. However, sometimes, your dog may get bored and eat more than usual to keep itself busy one way or another.

How to Make your French Bulldog Eat Slowly

Sometimes, eating too fast may be the cause of eating too much. Here are some tips that you can follow to let your dog eat slowly:

• Get a slow feeder bowl so that the dog cannot eat too quickly, even if it wanted to. Find slow eating bowls here.
• Give lesser amounts of food at one go
• If you don’t have a slow feeder bowl, putting the food on a flat surface will help in slowing down the gulping.
• If push comes to shove, spread out the mealtimes throughout the day, and feed your dog in fewer quantities compared to before.
• Get your hands on an automatic French Bulldog feeder so that you can set specific times for the meals. You do not have to worry about feeding it too much or too little.
• Feeding your French Bulldog with your hands will also significantly reduce its eating pace.

Common Feeding Mistakes

French bulldogs do not need a rich diet, but they do have a few demands that we all need to follow. It requires a balanced diet with enough proteins and vitamins to stay healthy and fit. There are some things we should keep in mind while feeding Frenchies:

• Refrain from changing its dog food brand abruptly
• Try to stick to the diet requirements chart
• Over rewarding will not create any positive response
• Giving it too much “good” food will cause an imbalance in their diet and have health-related consequences
• Give your French Bulldog some privacy while it is eating its food

Final thoughts

Overeating may cause obesity in dogs, which will have fatal effects on it. Although you might think your dog is hungry, stick to the recommended feeding routine. In the case of hormonal imbalance and damaged central nervous system, you might have to consult your vet first before proceeding.

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