[viktoriastubb]

My dog Lincoln is 3 months old and as long as i've had him he has been a great eater. However, within the last two weeks, he has had a significant drop in the amount hes eating. He will just sniff his food and walk away. I have started to mix his food with a LITTLE bit of juices from a wet can of dog food but I really didn't want to start him on the mixture since he was doing so well with just dry food. Any suggestions? Also , IF recommended that I start a dry/wet food mix can you guys recommend a high-quality wet food for dogs? TIA!

 

[3GSD4IPO]

I had a young dog do the same thing. Turned out she was allergic to the food.

I have an older dog that is now doing this. I have changed her food up and now am transitioning to Raw Blend at night and kibble in the morning for convenience.

I listen to the dog. In the former case I was feeding a very high end granular food. The dog simply could not eat it.

In the latter case with the older dog (she is 8) the formula was changed and she was OK with it for awhile (went from potato base to pea base) but then started to refuse the food. I changed the food and she was better, but at 8 who knows. I am practical enough to realize she may have something else going on (kidneys or whatever) and also that at 8 years old I am not going to spend large money finding out what or trying to cure her spending even more large money. With the Raw she has been much happier and I will run with that. If she starts to refuse that I will take her in and get blood work done just to see, but considering her medical history and age I will extend to her palliative care only and keep her happy and comfortable.

You can try getting canned salmon and adding a heaping tablespoon of that to the kibble and mixing it in or just waiting the dog out OR you can change the food OR you can take her to the vet for blood work and see if there is something else going on (assuming she is healthy acting in every other way).

 

[LeoRose]

Has he been to the vet? If not, then start there, and make sure he's healthy.

 

[viktoriastubb]

I had a young dog do the same thing. Turned out she was allergic to the food.

I have an older dog that is now doing this. I have changed her food up and now am transitioning to Raw Blend at night and kibble in the morning for convenience.

I listen to the dog. In the former case I was feeding a very high end granular food. The dog simply could not eat it.

In the latter case with the older dog (she is 8) the formula was changed and she was OK with it for awhile (went from potato base to pea base) but then started to refuse the food. I changed the food and she was better, but at 8 who knows. I am practical enough to realize she may have something else going on (kidneys or whatever) and also that at 8 years old I am not going to spend large money finding out what or trying to cure her spending even more large money. With the Raw she has been much happier and I will run with that. If she starts to refuse that I will take her in and get blood work done just to see, but considering her medical history and age I will extend to her palliative care only and keep her happy and comfortable.

You can try getting canned salmon and adding a heaping tablespoon of that to the kibble and mixing it in or just waiting the dog out OR you can change the food OR you can take her to the vet for blood work and see if there is something else going on (assuming she is healthy acting in every other way).

Thanks for the advice. The canned salmon is a GREAT idea!

 

[viktoriastubb]

Has he been to the vet? If not, then start there, and make sure he's healthy.

Yes, he's been and recieved a clean bill of health. I will give the canned salmon a try like mentioned above. TY!

 

[sydneynicole]

If you're able to afford to feed him canned food (mixed or not mixed with kibble) there is no harm in that! Just make sure if it's all you feed that it has all of the essential vitamins and minerals.

Like 3GSD4IPO, I stock up on sardines, salmon, canned chicken and the occasional low sodium tuna when they're on sale at the store. I also cook up large batches of ground beef, pork, beef liver, chicken livers, etc and put 3 days worth into baggies. My dog eats that at night and has kibble mixed with some sort of fresh food in the morning (can't have him on raw right now for practical reasons). A couple of times a week he'll get a raw meaty bone to keep his teeth clean and keep him busy.

My dog will starve himself for 2 days - that's the longest I ever let him before intervening and giving him the 'good' food. I wouldn't want to eat dry cereal every meal every day, so since I can manage adding in fresh foods, I do. It's up to you how you want to handle your dog, of course. If the lack of interest in food extends to 'yummier' foods, and/or is accompanied by other symptoms of potential illness, I'd see a vet.

 

[Pomom]

One question that hasn't been asked...what are you currently feeding him? Brand? Formula? Ingredients? Since you have already seen a vet there must be something up with the paliatability of the food or perhaps it has not been agreeing with him. If he gets gas or diarrhea it could be an ingredient in the food. You may not even know that he doesn't feel good after he eats but he does! Try a limited ingredient food with a single protein source to try to narrow down what is bothering him. If you think it's simply the taste, there are gravies and powder toppers you could try though I've seen some poor quality in some of these so the salmon idea may be better and do the same trick. Also ask yourself what your role in this is. Do you offer him something better if he doesn't eat? Could he be playing you? I've also noticed for myself that when one of my dogs goes off their food, I get nervous, and that makes them not want to eat all the more. It's a vicious cycle. Is the environment calm? And like was said above, there is nothing wrong with canned food though you have to make sure you are choosing one that is meant to be a stand alone diet and not a supplement. Some canned foods have so much moisture that they can fill a small dog up before they get enough nutrients. I made that mistake myself. Check the protein percentage on canned food as it can be quite a bit lower than dry food. My Sybbie lost weight on canned because she was full before she had enough calories. It was so loaded with water that she never even had to drink. Not to say canned is bad, you just have to read your labels.