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Topic: Not eating propery
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shumanclan
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posted December 03, 2003 01:38 PM
I am in need of some input. I have a 6 month old Labrador, who has decided not to eat like he should. He used to have a very healthy appetite and now he just picks. I used to feed Nutro, now we have switch to Pro Plan, I have put chicken soup, I have put gravy, I have put in Science Diet canned food with his dry food, and no difference. I am not realy keen on changing his food all the time, but I do want him to eat. This is driving me crazy. I know dogs change, and I know appetites change, but he is at a crutial stage in his life and he needs that nutrients. ANY help would be great. The only thing I haven't done yet, is take the food completely away from him for a day.
Thanks ahead of time
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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BreeZy/sheltiepups
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posted December 03, 2003 02:49 PM
I think u should feed him for 10-15 minuets and then take the food away. This will help make him understand that if he doest eat when u give it to him then he won't eat @ all. My dog has a sensitive stomach, we switched to wet and dry food mixed w/ some meat mixed w/ it. hope this helps ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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this is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
when the world was younger and you had everything to lose
Posts: 147 | From: PA | Registered: Oct 2003
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shumanclan
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posted December 03, 2003 03:21 PM
I definately do that. If he doesn't start eating, I take it away from him. Then try again later. When we had him outside in the run with my other dogs, he ate GREAT! Now we have him in the house, crate training him, and he hasn't eaten as much. I wonder if he just wants to eat with the rest of them??? Crazy isnt' it? ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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mojo
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posted December 03, 2003 04:23 PM
i've had the same problem with my 4 month old american bulldog for about three weeks. she had a healthy appetite but she just isn't eating right now. whats funny is she was also eating nutro in the beggining i don't know if its coincidece or a linking problem. i've tried everything from gravy train to a wet and dry food combo and now she is teething so i soak the dry food and mash it up with the wet food and also i've bought this gravy in a bottle thats made for dogs and there is still no change. i have her on eukanuba lamb and rice mixed with eukanuba large breed puppy formula wet food and still no change. does anyone know if its because of her teething or should i change her food brand again, if so would you please recommend one.
Posts: 52 | From: queens | Registered: Oct 2003
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Dawn
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posted December 03, 2003 04:52 PM
Usually what happens is the dog doesn't eat for a day for what ever reason (stress from a new environment, just doesn't feel good, whatever.) Then the owner freaks out and adds something yummy to the food. Then the dog figures out that if he stops eating, he'll get something new.
Posts: 428 | Registered: Nov 2002
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punkytail
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posted December 03, 2003 05:06 PM
I have Dachshund and he's a picky eater,he's been that way since he was a puppy, Cowboy is 4 years old now, and still picks at his food.
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Posts: 28 | From: las vegas, nv | Registered: Nov 2003
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mojo
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posted December 03, 2003 06:37 PM
i fully agree wih you dawn. i keep thinking that its my fault for adding the canned food. do you think her teething has anything to do with it
Posts: 52 | From: queens | Registered: Oct 2003
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Dawn
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posted December 03, 2003 06:41 PM
They will definately come off their food while teething because it's painful. What you can do to keep from spoiling them is to mix some water into the kibble to soften it.
Posts: 428 | Registered: Nov 2002
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shumanclan
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posted December 04, 2003 03:11 AM
I have done the softening of the food, and adding something on top of that for more flavor, and still nibbling. I know he is not teething right now either. He is past that. He would rather lay around or play. Like I said before, we used the Nutro, and has been thinking of changing because I noticed their stools were not as solid as before, and noticed some of my dogs not eating it like they used to. Exspecially my 6 month old. Today, I am not even going to show him food unil tonight, and if he doesn't start to eat right away, I am taking it away from him. Maybe this will work. ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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bearsmom
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posted December 04, 2003 09:46 AM
Why did you switch food? Does he still pick when you feed him Nutro? It could just be that he doesn't like the food you're giving him.
When my dog was younger, I got 3-4 samples of higher-end dog food and did side-by-side tests. I marked the bowls so I knew which food he was eating the most of. I also switched the bowls around, so I knew that it wasn't just the location. Maybe that's something you could try.
Good luck!
Posts: 90 | From: Oregon | Registered: Dec 2003
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Dawn
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posted December 04, 2003 04:20 PM
Have you had him checked to make sure he's not sick? If he's fine, then you should really just leave him with the food you want him to eat. He'll eat when he gets hungry.
Posts: 428 | Registered: Nov 2002
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shumanclan
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posted December 04, 2003 04:27 PM
Yep, we have had him check out. He is in great shape. He just slowly stopped eating the Nutro, and a couple of my others had slowed down too, so I really was thinking it was the food. So I switched to the Pro Plan and now nothing! He barely nibbles. I have taken the food completely away and will see if he will eat tomorrow night. I wish the answer was simple and he would start eating again, but as we all know they always give us some kind of challenge. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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Dawn
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posted December 04, 2003 04:33 PM
How long had you had the bag of food? A lot of people buy the huge 30 lbs bags trying to save money, but you should really never buy anymore than you'll use in 2 or so weeks time as once it's open it looses not only flavour but nutritional value as well. What type of Nutro do you have? (Natural choice, max) And which type of that? (puppy, large breed, active...)
Posts: 428 | Registered: Nov 2002
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shumanclan
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posted December 05, 2003 03:41 AM
I bag of dog food last us about 5-6 days. I have 5 younger ones that eat it. I was feeding the Natural Choice Large breed puppy to them. I know for sure it wasn't old. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) He hasn't had any food all day yesterday, and will see if he eats later today, if not, I just don't know what else to do. This is so frustrating. He would eat treats like they are going out of style, this is why I wonder if maybe I need to do a different food. Well, we have, we have changed to the Pro Plan. I was advised to do this. Not real sure if that was the thing to do?
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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mojo
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posted December 05, 2003 12:30 PM
i've put my pup on a time schedule. i feed her at 12noon, 7pm, and 6:30am right befor i leave for school. i dont give her anything with the dry food now. she still isn't eating as much as i think she should but its more than she was before so it seems to be working i'm going to keep her on eukanuba but i'm afraid that if i switch from lamb and rice to the large breed. any input?
Posts: 52 | From: queens | Registered: Oct 2003
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shumanclan
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posted December 05, 2003 12:46 PM
If you have a large breed puppy, you should ween her slowly into a large breed puppy dog food. If you do it gradually it will not affect her. The scedule is good. How old is your puppy?
Posts: 6 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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mojo
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posted December 05, 2003 02:08 PM
she is 4 months old
Posts: 52 | From: queens | Registered: Oct 2003
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Judy
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posted December 05, 2003 09:09 PM
I have a 9 month old Brittany and she is also a very picky eater. I've tried sev. different foods and have figured out that she soon needs to go to once a day feedings. I give her dry food in a treat ball and she will eat in the morning. It is the same food (Science Diet) that I would put in her bowl and she would ignore it. Maybe a treat ball she rolls around would encourage your dog to eat. She will also eat if my older dog goes near her bowl and starts to eat her food. Judy
Posts: 10 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Nov 2003
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mojo
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posted December 06, 2003 05:17 PM
just an update. she is eating great now. she has what i consider to be a healthy appetite. i didn't think that the time schedule would have worked because she has had a loss of appetite for about three weeks now and i've tried everything, but hopefully she will continue to eat. thanks for all the help.
Posts: 52 | From: queens | Registered: Oct 2003
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