Is my dog eating enough? Please help!

alundy · 08-17-2006, 01:58 PM

I have a 4.5 month old shepherd mix. She is lean, definitely must have something like greyhound in her background. Anyway she is 31 pounds.

I feed her Nutro Natural Choice lamb puppy formula 3x per day. She only eats 2-3 cups total per day... some days more than others, no less than 2 cups though. She shows limited interest in the food, I usually have to coax her a bit into eating and when she does she is easily distracted.

Is it possible she's just not that crazy about it? I dont want to turn her into a picky eater by switching all the time.

OwnedBySix · 08-17-2006, 02:21 PM

Ask the vet what he thinks...I had a border collie that was very lean for the first 2 years of his life. Vet said it was simply metabolism. And if she has a dog like a greyhound in her, it is very likely it's just the way she is. At her weight, that seems like an adequate amount to be feeding. I would ask the vet though, to be sure. Maybe he can help determine what other breeds are in there.

ritabooker · 08-17-2006, 09:47 PM

Your pup sounds alot like mine. Abby is 10 months old. She started out on Nutro puppy food. She started getting very pickly about 2 months ago. The doc says she is fine. The most I get her to eat is 2 cups a day. She just seems more interested in just about everything except her bowl. She will eat lots of different things if they are hand-fed. I think it is important for her to get her belly full before snacking. I tried different foods, but she had to be practically starving before she would really eat with interest. I discovered natural style peanut butter. It is oily and easy to mix into a bowl of kibble. Abby weighs 45 lbs. I mix in a scant tablespoon. I mix it a while so that every kibble gets at least a molecule of peanut butter on it. This never fails. She cannot resist it. Even so, the most volume she can handle is 2 cups a day. She is energetic, happy,
doc says health, does not vomit, and has good stools. Some dogs are just this way. It is good to be concerned until you learn what is normal for your pup.
2-3 cups a day is not at all bad consumption for a 31 pound pup. Sounds like you are a good puppy parent. Good on ya.

alundy · 08-18-2006, 06:08 AM

Well I went to the vet yesterday, because of a minor eye-goo issue, and asked him about her eating habits. We weighed her, and she has gained a couple pounds, so it sounds like everything is fine. I suppose what's listed on the back of the food bag really is not set in stone for every dog.

Thanks for the advice!

ritabooker · 08-18-2006, 10:16 AM

Even our two large lab mix females (RIP) did not consume the volume of kibble recommended on the bags...and they were definitely not picky eaters. The charts on the bag are a guideline, but it seems to me their recommended amounts are excessive. We had never had a dog who ate as little as Abby, so it was a source of concern, but we are adjusting to living with a dog who does not "Hoover" her kibble.

alundy · 08-18-2006, 12:15 PM

Well, I cracked and decided to try a new food. After watching her sniff and walk away from the Nutro Natural Choice today at lunch, I just thought I had to give somethign else a shot. I gave her a sample size of Performatrin Ultra Chicken formula, and what a difference! She ate it all up, every kibble, and even ate around the Nutro that I had left in the bowl. She didn't walk away from the bowl once.... I guess that solves my problem! Maybe she prefers the chicken flavour over the lamb, I don't know....

Anyway this makes me feel much better. Hopefully her enthusiasm for the food lasts.

daisy · 09-02-2006, 12:49 PM

my jack russ cross is the same way she is on chicken soup for the dog lover adalt dog fourmula (she is 3) e just started time feeding and she wont eat!!! i dont know what to do my grandma wont by eneything but chicken soup to day i am going to try mixing it with alittle watter to make it soft (she doesnt like to chue i am worried she has a problum with her teath) if that doesnt work i dont know what will she hates penut butter exept JIF what do i do if she doesnt eat? how moutch should i feed my lab cross she is around 5 mouns old i have no clue how mutch she ways but i am feeding her 1 cup right now reding this i have no clue what to feed her i guess i will try 3 cups today becouse she eats all of her 1 cup and yesterday i gave her 2 cups and she ate it all is she just being a pig or does she relly need more to eat? i posted the same problum under how moutch should i feed??? dog not eating!!! but i didnt git an ancer i am feeding the puppy 3 times a day allredy and the jack russ 1 time daly

Alpha · 09-02-2006, 12:54 PM

I fed Performatrim, I can't remember exactly it's ingredients if it's a good food or not... Hmmm

But as for how much your dog eats, as you said the bag isn't always whats best for your dog. Remember, exercise has a lot to do with appetite. Try feeding her after an hour long run, or games of fetch.

Roxy barely eats for an 80lb dog. My vet and trainer don't believe me when I tell them, that she eats less than 2 cups a day. She is only really interested in her food if it's mixed with canned. (She does get a lot of treats and table scraps though)

You'll soon find out what's best for your dog. Now, my guys don't get fed a "set" amount everyday. They get their normal breakfast, and depending on how much activity they've had in the day, will determine the size of their dinner.