[Rich0086]

My Male Brittany Spaniel since day I got him back when he was 6weeks old, and hes now 8months would eat his food the second it hit the bowl.

I dont know why but lately, when you put his lunch down and sometimes dinner he looks and dont care its there. He does eat it but not right away.

I was thinking of taking his 3 meals a day and combining the total to only 2 meals a day.

Hes being fed Native Performance Level 3
http://www.nativedogfood.com/energy-level-3/

He was eating Taste of the wild, but since Diamond foods took over i couldnt stop the nasty stools. Switched to this brand which was 3$ cheaper that TOTW his stools are solid and better. And when they arent, I know he got something he wasnt supposed to.

 

[kafkabeetle]

How much are you feeding? It might just be a little more than he needs. Otherwise, if you want him to eat when food is given, I would implement the 15 minute rule. Anything not eaten in 15 minutes is put up until the next mealtime. It won't take long for him to realize that if he wants to eat, he has to eat when food is given.

 

[Rich0086]

He gets 2 cups total per day over three meals 7am 12pm 5pm. I had him on 1.5 cups a day but he seemed really hungry as he would go to other side of house and eat the other dogs food. When i upped to 2cups he dont touch her food anymore, but he also dont touch his right away. My guess is 2 cups is too much for him right away to where his belly is content with the previous meal still.

I could drop back down to 1.5cups a day, and see how he acts. Hes about 38lbs now might be more but not much

Ive never followed what the bags tell you, its just a way to make you over feed and buy more food. The bag encourages at his size and age to eat 3cups a day, and thats just insane

 

[Rich0086]

Figured Id add a video of him as well. I know everyone likes videos
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=575732990155&set=vb.84400514&type=2&theater

 

[Kathyy]

If he doesn't want lunch maybe he is ready to eat twice a day? Try offering breakfast and dinner only.

 

[kafkabeetle]

Figured Id add a video of him as well. I know everyone likes videos
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=575732990155&set=vb.84400514&type=2&theater

Look at all that happy puppy energy.

I would feed feeding the same amount, but in two meals instead of three, and start the 15 minute rule if you still have problems.

 

[Rich0086]

Look at all that happy puppy energy.

I would feed feeding the same amount, but in two meals instead of three, and start the 15 minute rule if you still have problems.

I think the 2 meals with each meal being a cup would be best, as hell be hungry for both. His breakfast he dont wait, He goes insane waiting for me to give it to him. I let him out for morning duties, and he runs around at times pissing cause he wants back in to eat.

As for being hyper, That video is nothing. As most know Brittanys are like ADD on energydrinks.

 

[InkedMarie]

Welcome to the forum. I have a 2yr old brittany, that video was just like watching Ginger!
I'd cut back to two meals a day and do the 15min rule. My brittany eats anything that doesn't eat her first!

 

[Rich0086]

Today was first day starting only Breakfast and Dinner. Breakfast was put out and this time he didnt even eat it right away till a hour later.
He wont be fed again till Dinner and if he dont eat it ill be taking it away.

My guess is he dont like the food anymore and is tired of it. Day i started using it, he went nuts for it. I do notice if i put food in, and play with his food, he comes right to it and then eats it.
Hes like a Diva lol

 

[Sibe]

You could try making it more fun for him. Scatter the kibble across a hard floor. Or fill a Kong or other treat dispensing toy with it.

 

[Rich0086]

I think hes tired of this food. He did it again for dinner. Put it down came to it, sniffed and walked away. I started taking pieces and sliding them at him, he ate them. THen he came over and ate the whole bowl.

 

[Rich0086]

Well, after 3 days With only getting 1.5-2 cups total in breakfast and dinner only He is eating. At First he was still hesitant, so i moved his water bowl to the right of his food bowl, and BAM.

It was like i striked him into wanting his food now and waits by his bowl at 5pm

 

[Kathyy]

That is interesting. He needed an excuse to eat!

I will have to remember that one. If a dog isn't thrilled about dinner time not only make sure the number of meals and amount fed is changed, move the bowls around!

 

[Rich0086]

Well, hes back to doing it again. 4 weeks ago he injured his leg playing and had a limp for 3 weeks. I had him on prednasone to help and well he became a pig and so on. After weaning him off, he still continued to eat well without the meds in system.

Now past 3 days hes back to watching my put food in his bowl and not touching it. Hes half way through the bag of food, as i bought a new bag as i found better source $15 cheaper for quality grain free. Did my regular feedings with lil bit of new food in it and still dont phase him.

So as it sits today hes ignored breakfast and lunch both times. Hell pick up a kibble i drop on floor and spit it back out. So hell have to get hungry cause after 20 mins i been taking the bowl away.

 

[Graco22]

A healthy dog won't starve themselves. I agree with the others. Offer the food, if in 15 minutes, its not eaten, take it away until next feeding time. If you aren't careful you are going to end up having a very picky dog that you have to cater to every time, in order to get him to eat, cause he will have learned that you are going to make it more fun, or taste better, or play with him while he eats, etc. Just put the food down, and walk away. In 15 minutes, go pick it up. It may take him a few days to figure out you are over the shenanigans ;-) but he will start eating when he is hungry.

 

[georgiapeach]

A coupld of thoughts: How old is the bag of food? It may be stale, or the oils in it may have become rancid. Also, how do you store it? Kibble should be stored in the original bag, even if you use a plastic storage container (I put the original bag inside the storage container). If you pour the food into the container, the plasic can leach chemicals into the kibble. The plastic can also absorb the oils in the food and become rancid.

 

[Rich0086]

The bag was under 2 months old, and was always stored in the bag in closet. I have since stopped doing that cause the entire closet would smell like his food and contaminate other stuff in it with the odor.

Its now in a plastic bin thats solid plastic not see through that was disinfected. Normal 40lbs bags only last him 2-3 months, which is not enough time for plastic that is 80% air tight to chemically react to it. But he ate his dinner tonight, and tomorrow will be mixed with his new food which is beef/rice and chicken/rice till hes gone of the old. As soon As I opened the new bag his nose went to town and dripping wet. He was eating it as i was filling the bin. So needless to say he lost the taste for chicken/rice formula.

 

[Rich0086]

But I truly believe hes tired of the Chicken and Rice, as thats what i been feeding him since he was 6 weeks old.

The new food beef n rice whcih is quality food no fillers an so on is making him extremely excited to smell. So breakfast will be way to tell for sure. I have mixed his meals alredy 80% old 20% new.

 

[Rich0086]

Ended up taking him to the vet today. Put his breakfast out at 7am. I went back to bed and it was still there at 10am. And he threw up Bile in his crate.

Vet gave him a Exam of the mouth, a cpL Snap Test that was normal, a Cerenia Injection.

He also this morning had redness to the right eye, then it started swelling all around in the white part. I was given Neopolydex and after first application redness and swelling gone. Im also now putting Fortiflora Canaine on his food to calm his gut down as its trashed right now out of no where.

All in all hes calming down ate dinner great, now just hope everything settles the Gut so he no longer has Diarrhea