Dog isn't eating enough

[tessa_s212]

It has been a few days since I brought Marq home. He is supposed to be eating at least three cups a day, but he is very consistant with NOT eating that much. The first day we brought him home he ate nothing, second day we actually managed to get 2.5 cups in him, and tonight he has only eaten one cup.

He is already skinny(field condition), and I'd really like to put some weight on him. But, that wont' happen unless he EATS!!!!.. Arg, I've NEVER had a dog that DID NOT totally dig into its food, and I am SO MAD and FRUSTRATED at this dog!

I am feeding him Nutro Natural Choice Lamb Meal and Rice. He only weighs 62-63 lbs right now, and I'd like to at least get five on him, or however much it takes to get him looking nice, but still lean.

[golden_k9s]

you could buy some wet dog food (in the cans) and mix it in with the dry food that you're currently feeding him. (i know my dogs LOVE can dog food... it's their special treat that they don't get very often.) so if he smells it, and loves it, then he should eat it pretty fast! then, every day start to decrease the wet dog food little by little, and by the time he is just on dry-- he should be at the weight you want him to be at.

that's my opinion.

[Owned by Lucy]

First, the serving sizes on the bag are just a suggested starting point. Any given dog may require more or less to stay healthy. Were he mine, I would worry less about how much he is eating and pay more attention to how he looks and behaves. If it has only been a couple of days since he came home with you I would give him more time to adjust. I wouldn't worry as long as he is not losing weight or looks emaciated. In addition, some digs will always be thin. I had a boxer once that no matter what he ate he was always a waif.

A couple of things you could try if you are not comfortable waiting him out for a bit

1. Feed him in an area isolated from the other animals in your house. (Since he is the newbie he may feel uncomfortable eating when others have access to him.

2. Feed him multiple meals in one day (1.5 cups in the morning and night) If the food expands alot when soaked in warm water for a few minutes then it may be filling him up too fast. This will also help to get more into him if he is one of the dogs that only "eats to live" not "lives to eat" like other dogs.

3. He may just not be crazy about the food. Dogs have food preferences just like humans and the particular food you are feeding may just not "float his boat". So you could try another food.

[tessa_s212]

golden_k9s, thankyou for the advice. I don't believe I will add canned to his meals, as I would hate for him to become dependant on that to eat.

I did add a little piece of lunch meat and bread into the bottom of his filled bowl, and he did eat a bit more of his food(about 1/2 cup), though.

Owned by Lucy, he is thin. You can see some of his backbone, his last few ribs, and you can even slightly see his hipbones. He is not emaciated at all, he is simply a picky eater that is very active(which produces a very lean but healthy dog). Now, if he weren't a show dog, I wouldn't mind so much. But in order to be successful in the ring, the dog has to have some weight to him, and he cannot be in this condition.

He is now eating in my room without any other dogs. I also place him in his crate when the other dogs are eating and leave food with him(sometimes this encourages him to eat because the others are eating as well).

I did find when I fed him twice a day I could trick him into eating more. The only problem with that is that his feeding schedule woudl not be consistant. It depends on the day on how early I get up.

As for him not liking this food, he has to eat it. He will not eat Chicken Soup, and Nutro is the only other quality food in my area. And, it states in the contract I must feed a good food, which I will do anyway.

[Shadowkins]

Tessa, is there a treat ( biscuit ) that he likes? Sometimes when my boy is fussy I just wet his kibble and drain it , then I crumble one of his favorite treats and mix it up...it seems to help. It's worth a try or maybe even just a teaspoon of salmon juice or other meaty juice you have available. I think he just needs time to adjust to his new environment...it's a big change for him. Good luck.

[GreenleafGreyhound]

Isn't Marq a new addition? I believe you acquired him just a few days ago. If so, don't worry because his behavior is absolutely normal.

When I first brought Giselle home, she refused to eat her breakfast for three days. On top of that, she had explosive Big D so I force-fed her handfuls of rice and chicken and Pepto Bismol. It was completely frustrating because I would stuff rice into her mouth and she'd spit it right back out. And, mind you, this dog was supposed to eat four cups of Nutro (that's what her foster mom was feeding her, but I switched to EVO/raw) AND she was at racing weight. Believe me, it's absolutely normal for a new addition to forego multiple meals. They'll nibble here and there, but they generally don't start wolfing down their meal until they've become acclimated to the new enviornment, which could take weeks. Giselle is a P I G, but I didn't find that out until it was her second month in. Or, perhaps, I created a pig That seems a likely answer as well.

As for suggestions to eat, just be patient. He'll come around soon enough. I agree with the above posters and you should certainly wet down his food since there's been speculation that it makes the food more nutritious and appetizing. Additionally, you can add healthy "people food" like steamed veggies, steamed/plain boiled chicken, beef, lean hamburger meat, turkey, etc. Plus, since you're going to be using him in the ring, I would highly suggest adding "human food" and supplements because that will boost his coat and muscle condition. Raw/lightly steamed eggs, olive and Cod Liver oils, raw meat, and steamed veggies are popular add-ins as are natural yogurt and even the occasional slice of cheese. Good Luck with him!

[tessa_s212]

Thankyou for the advice everyone.

I had emailed Marq's breeder with my concerns, and she stated that he is normally a very good eater and loves his food. Hopefully he will adjust better and start eating regularly.

[Novel]

I think it's just nerves, and he will adjust soon.

I would also split up his meals. My guys all eat two meals a day, except Jazz, who is on three. I think one meal a day is awfully difficult for them. Could you imagine only eating once a day? Was he on Nutro with his breeder?

Also, how old is he? Topper hated to eat for about a year, and we used Satin Balls and Mac&Cheese to get him to show weight.

[tessa_s212]

Actually, Novel, in the summer I really only do eat one meal a day

We have been feeding him(or trying to) twice a day.

No, his breeder was feeding him Pro Plan.

Marq is five years old.

[poodlesmom]

Here is something a friend of mine did when she got a GSD she was having a heck of time getting to eat. She made up a bunch of small meatballs & froze them raw. When it was time to prepare his food she'd take 1 out & cook it in the microwave, crumble it up & put it and the juice on the kibble. This solved the problem. It was too much that it was taking away from the kibble but the aroma & juice made it much more tempting to him.

[Novel]

Well, it's not healthy to only eat one meal a day... take good care of yourself Tessa, he's going to have you running all summer long!

Did you switch him cold turkey to the Nutro? It should take about two weeks to switch him from his Pro Plan to what you all want to feed him. He may have an upset stomach, which is why he's not eating.

[tessa_s212]

Lol. Novel, in the summer I end up being so busy and doing so much I actually *forget* to eat! Trust me, I do love my food

Yes, when he first came and we did the cold turkey change he had diahrea. He's starting to eat more of his food, but my mom has to hand feed him it(and she usually tricks him into eating them as "treats" after he sits for her or something of the such).

[Novel]

I would give him a day off of the food. Since you cold turkey switched him like that he is probably suffering from a great deal of indigestion and stomach upset. Give him one day without food, or just some plain boiled rice, and then the next day start with the food you are going to feed him. You really shouldn't have switched him like that. Poor boy.
Also, don't hand feed him, unless you want to do this for the rest of his life. He won't starve to death in a few days. He's not eating because his stomach is upset. Just let him clear out his system, and then begin anew.

[tessa_s212]

Well, I sure wasn't going to feed him that icky Pro Plan, nor did I have more than a days notice to even buy the crap to slowly switch him.

My mom is a big baby and when I tell her to just take the food away, he'll eventually get hungry, she babies him by adding stuff or hand feeding him.

Now, if my mom was simply training him and using his kibble as treats, that would not bother me.. I just hate it when she actualy hand feeds him.. The last thing I need is a very picky skinny pointer on my hands.

BTW, he has gained three lbs! He is now at 65 lbs! Yay..

[Novel]

He's gained 3lbs in less than a week?? You definitely don't need to be hand feeding him then. Tesss... you're flat out worrying me here!
And I don't mean to get inbetween you and your mom, but who is responsible for the dog? You should be feeding him if you are going to be showing him. Also, she should respect your wishes for the dog, if you are taking full responsibility for him.
You are absolutely correct. You don't need a picky skinny dog on your hands. You need a well mannered, healthy dog, taken care of by a mature, reponsible person, who has his best interest in mind.
A few days on crappy Pro Plan and switching him over correctly, basic dog care!!! would have saved him a severly upset stomach and diarhea. It was not a good choice on your part to upset him like that. You are lucky that he is only refusing to eat.
If you had needed more time to prepare, you should have told the breeder that. Stopping at Wal-Mart only takes about 5 seconds though. I am not just a little bit disappointed in how this is going.