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Post by dek on Oct 18, 2010 21:49:29 GMT -5
Tomorrow will be one week we have had our new 3 yr old male APBT and he is still not eating right. The original owners were feeding him Eukanuba and he was eating 4 cups per day. Well after reading about all the different foods I decided to feed him TOTW instead of Eukanuba but he's not eating it very well. He'll eat about 2 cups per day and that's it. The original owners also fed him once a day and I wanted to try to feed him twice a day. He acted very scared when we first brought him home and I assumed this was the reason he was not eating well but he has gotten over most of that but his eating has not gotten much better and I am getting concerned about it. The way I got him to eat tonight was I poured the soup out of a can of Chicken Noodle soup over the food and he ate the whole two cups of food. What do I need to do?
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Post by adoptapitbull on Oct 18, 2010 22:07:17 GMT -5
If you switched from one food to the other with no transition, it could be a big shock to him. He may have an upset belly from the switch, or he may just not like the new food. Try moistening it with just a bit of water; it will make the food smell better. Canned soup, while it tastes good, has soooooo much sodium that the poor guy will be drinking till he wets himself. Try mixing in a bit of cooked chicken, or some cooked ground beef. If you have to, put him back on what he's used to. Sure, some foods are better than others. But if he doesn't eat it, that food may not be good for him. Do what works for him. The most expensive isn't necessarily the best!
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Post by dek on Oct 18, 2010 22:14:40 GMT -5
Ok I think I might just try the food he was eating before and see if he will eat that. I did put some hot water in with the soup and that worked. I was just wondering if he's not eating because he's at a new place or maybe he doesn't like the food. Thanks for the reply!
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Post by emilys on Oct 18, 2010 22:39:36 GMT -5
Tomorrow will be one week we have had our new 3 yr old male APBT and he is still not eating right. The original owners were feeding him Eukanuba and he was eating 4 cups per day. Well after reading about all the different foods I decided to feed him TOTW instead of Eukanuba but he's not eating it very well. He'll eat about 2 cups per day and that's it. The original owners also fed him once a day and I wanted to try to feed him twice a day. He acted very scared when we first brought him home and I assumed this was the reason he was not eating well but he has gotten over most of that but his eating has not gotten much better and I am getting concerned about it. The way I got him to eat tonight was I poured the soup out of a can of Chicken Noodle soup over the food and he ate the whole two cups of food. What do I need to do? what does the bag of TOTW say to feed him by his weight? 2 cups of a high-end dog food sounds about right for a 40 pound dog. The Eukanuba, which is a lower end quality, will tell you to feed more. The general recommendation for switching foods is to do it gradually, by mixing higher percentages of the new food over 7-10 days. You may see some stomach disorders/diarrhea after a fast switch. Stress will definitely alter eating habits. He won't starve to death by eating lightly, or even not eating at all, for a few days. I would not pamper him with adding people food He doesn't need it. |
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Post by dek on Oct 18, 2010 23:15:31 GMT -5
The bag states 4 cups per day for his weight of 65 pounds.
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Post by suziriot on Oct 18, 2010 23:16:36 GMT -5
Yeah, I agree with Emily. 2 cups of TOTW may actually be just right for him. Although it's also true that changing the food suddenly, being in a new home, etc might have decreased his appetite somewhat. Like Emily said, try a gradual introduction of the new food. ETA: Oops, just saw your update, dek. Since the bag says 4 cups is normal for his weight, I would do the gradual introduction of the new food with his old food, and work your way up to him getting 4 cups of just the TOTW.  |
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Post by maryellen on Oct 19, 2010 5:59:53 GMT -5
once you switch from a lower quality food to a higher quality the intake will lower as well. never go by what the bags say as to how many cups a dog should get, instead go by body weight .. TOTW at 2 cups is right for his size, the better the food the less intake. the crappier the food the more intake
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Post by loverocksalot on Oct 19, 2010 6:31:57 GMT -5
BTW I feed my dog Rocky a higher quality food. It also says about 4 cups. Rocky is almost 70lbs and he eats 2 cups a day. Otherwise he would get fat. He would eat 10 cups if I let him.
1 cup morning
1 cup eve.
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Post by adoptapitbull on Oct 19, 2010 6:58:37 GMT -5
4 cups for a 65lb dog?! That's a lot! My 65lb dog gets 2.5 and her weight has remained steady for the past year.
The bag of any dog food says, "feed to ideal body condition". If your dog eats what the bag says and gets fat, then that's too much for him. If he eats it and loses weight, then he needs more. Different dogs have different metabolisms and energy needs. Find out what works for him and keep up with that.
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 19, 2010 8:03:29 GMT -5
I agree that 4 cups sounds like a LOT of food for a high quality brand like TOTW.
Everyone gave great advice above - just want to reiterate do NOT add extra food to the bowl to try and entice him to eat. This will only create a fussy eater. Set the food down and if he doesn't eat it all within a set time (maybe 5 or 10 min) remove it until next feeding.
Has he had any diarrhea? Vomiting?
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Post by dek on Oct 19, 2010 22:29:58 GMT -5
Ok, to the last question, no. He has not had any diarrhea or vomiting. Seems that most thing that 2 cups per day is about right so I'll just feed him the two cups and keep an eye on his weight. Thanks again to everyone for all the help.
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Post by adoptapitbull on Oct 19, 2010 22:38:07 GMT -5
Mary's right, adding extra yummies will make them fussy. But if he's not getting enough food for whatever reason (stress, illness, etc) then I'd still entice him to eat something like chicken breast or beef.
My mom's St. Bernard is picky that way. They mix cheese or leftovers into her food to get her to eat. When I fed her, I just moistened it and walked away. She fussed when I was standing there, but when I left, the food disappeared. She knows now that when I feed her, she gets her food and that's all. They learn quickly!
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Post by loverocksalot on Oct 20, 2010 6:28:04 GMT -5
His weight will probably be fine because he is eating healthier food. Although the fact that he is new to your home he has a possibility of loosing weight because of stress. If that is the case just increase a small amount until you see less rib. This can happen rapidly so be careful. You should be able to see a little ribs or at least feel ribs when rubbing his side. My vet is always impressed with Rocky's body composition. Considering I do nothing with him exercise wise, I attribute it to the food he eats. I was told to keep doing what ever I am doing. So I will not be changing his food unless he becomes Allergic to it.
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 20, 2010 8:34:48 GMT -5
Sounds like you've got it under control, Dek! Sometimes it really is just about listening to what the dogs have to say, and what they say is often right. |
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I look forward to learning much here