Dog not eating...getting worried.

angiesample · 06-01-2010

Hey all.. My dog, Ella, currently 10 months old. She is also spayed. Hasnt been eating for 4 days now... I have her on a raw diet and she had been doing pretty great!! But since Friday it has been such a challenge to get her to eat. She eats a little if i sit down and hand feed her but shes still only eating 1/4 of her food, probably less. She has been drinking plenty of water and has been very active, like always.

Just to clarify I have ALWAYS had problems getting her to eat she just doesnt care about food and she has had blood work done in the past and everything checked out. She is up to date on all her shots and she just had her annual heartworm test and it was negative. I use Revolution monthly for heartworm/flea preventitive. I switched to a raw diet about two months ago and up until friday she would eat some at least everyday. She must be the only dog on the planet who doesnt get excited when its dinner time.

Anyways, Im just wondering how long i should wait to take her to the vet. Im starting to get very worried but the fact that shes acting fine is really throwing me off. I took her to petsmart on Monday and she has lost .3lbs. She was 24.7 and now she is 24.4lbs. Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

cigwyllt · 06-01-2010

I know it isn't so easy with raw food - you have to prepare it or defrost it - it's not as easy as tipping it out of a box. But I would start by giving her half the amount she normally has and taking it away after 15 minutes. I know it's a waste, unlike kibble that you can put down again later, but it is the only way she will learn to eat on schedule. The best way to create a fussy eater is to make a fuss when she doesn't eat. A healthy dog will not starve and you have done all you can to establish that she is healthy. I would simply feed her two or maybe three times a day, no fuss, no pressure. If she doesn't eat then the food is taken away. No treats, no food rewards - nothing but her food in her bowl until she is ready to eat. Don't try a different diet or adding something to her food, just give her the same stuff and wait it out.

angiesample · 06-01-2010

Thanks for ur advice!! I do the 15 min. rule. Ive always done that, i read about that before i got her but i will keep trying. Shes just so picky when it comes to food.. I mean before the raw diet i had tried so many dry dog foods but she had been doing a lot better on this raw diet, its just discouraging. Thanks!

cigwyllt · 06-01-2010

Even those of us who are determined not to treat them like children still worry when they stop eating. But it is a question of will power. Don't believe her if she looks at you and acts as though she is starving. If she is starving she will eat what she is given. You've just got to be strong.

Todd · 06-01-2010

I feed a raw diet too. What type of raw diet do you feed? Ground meat or the entire piece of meat, bone and all? Do you pretty much always feed the same type of meat? Some dogs are just really picky and don't have great appitites. Consider changing up the type of meat you feed for variety. Let's say you feed chicken every week. Try using some beef, fish, and turkey as well to vary it up. This is healthiest too. Is the dog too skinny or in an ideal body condition? If so I wouldn't worry too much. If she's getting way too skinny I'd begin to worry. You say you already had her checked out and she was fine. When did u give the recent dosage of flea meds? A side effect if it was given recently can be loss of appitite. Consider trying natural flea control. It's much safer anyhow...

Natural Flea Control

nattiej1976 · 06-02-2010

My favorite saying.......which can be associated with human and furkids alike....."a fussy child is not a hungry child"

Given her fit bill of health from the vet, I would try not to worry too much, if she is maintaining a healthy weight and energy levels, the raw diet is doing its thing.

Not all dogs, will demolish the food infront of them in the blink of an eye, many will only eat until satisfied and then leave the rest (we have a eat until satisfied dog, who often leaves large ammounts of his dinner too)

I would certainly be concerned if she is unhealthily skinny, and lacking energy, this would then suggest perhaps that she is not eating enough to sustain her.

Remembering too, that because of the wholeness of raw or high quality diets, they actually dont need so much, cheap supermarket pre packaged foods with a lower nutrients require your pet to eat sooooo much more to start getting close to meeting their daily dietry requirements, filling your pet up with mass ammounts of fillers along the way. High quality balanced pre packaged foods and raw diets meet the reccomended daily intakes of their vitimins and minerals etc with physically less food, satisifying the nutritional needs of your pet much more quickly.

Certainly if you want your dog eating at set times only, as suggested before, remove remaining food after a period of time, she will not get to the point of starvation through this process, yes might spend a few days hungry, but she wont starve, it shouldnt be long and she will eat what you give her when you give it to her.

I would also encourage you not to hand feed her, this could become a very tiring habit for you as time goes by.

GSDS4Life · 06-02-2010

If this was my pup not eating for 4 days, I would be making an appt, especially if it was sudden. I would also have more blood work done along with a stool sample. But that's just me.

When was the last time blood work was done?

Is this the first time your pup has been on Revolution?

angiesample · 06-02-2010

Todd- i usually switch what meat i feed her week to week... this week its turkey so i do not feed her the bones when i do poultry because they can choke on it.. but when i do beef or bison or whatever i do keep the bone in. I measure everything out so i know shes getting the right amount or organ meat and some fruits and veggies. Also she gets a fish oil supplement. Ive had her on this diet for 2 months and i feel she had adjusted great to it..

She is still a really good weight. Shes very solid, meaning all muscle.. I took her to her agility class last night and i mentioned her lack of eating to the instructor and she said i shouldnt worry either as long as she has energy and maintains a good weight. She was running around like a crazy dog last night at agility, it was pretty entertaining.

Anyways thanks everyone for ur input, i have a tendancy to overreact and think the worst. But u guys have made me feel a lot better. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSDS4Life

If this was my pup not eating for 4 days, I would be making an appt, especially if it was sudden. I would also have more blood work done along with a stool sample. But that's just me.

When was the last time blood work was done?

Is this the first time your pup has been on Revolution?

Thanks for your response! As i said before i am getting her to eat just not very much...

She had her annual blood work done about 2 weeks ago and everything checked out.. She has never been very interested in food and i have tried several different dog foods and finally switched to a raw diet and had been having such good luck with it. She was finally eating what she should be eating! But now she could care less... its just very discouraging. She maintains a healthy weight and has a ton of energy, like always. She had her agility class last night and had more energy then all the dogs there.. but she is a Aussie, Border Collie, Heeler mix.

I have had her on Revolution as soon as she weighted enough to be put on it. I have a cat that gets very sick if he gets fleas, he had them once about 4 years ago and i cant risk him getting them again. He was so sick the vet thought he might have feline leukemia, it scared the heck out of me and so if i went natural i would at least have to wait until it the first frost and all the fleas are dead. But her lost dose was put on about 3 weeks ago and we have never had a problem with the revolution.

DoggieVogue · 06-02-2010

Yeah she sounds like a fussy eater, I wouldn't be overly concerned. If her health is checking out fine and she has been to the vet so recently I'd say she's just being picky and to wait it out. She'll eat when ready and if you notice a change in health, body weight, etc.. then I'd schedule an appt with the vet. Good luck!

Todd · 06-02-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by angiesample

Todd- i usually switch what meat i feed her week to week... this week its turkey so i do not feed her the bones when i do poultry because they can choke on it.. but when i do beef or bison or whatever i do keep the bone in. I measure everything out so i know shes getting the right amount or organ meat and some fruits and veggies. Also she gets a fish oil supplement. Ive had her on this diet for 2 months and i feel she had adjusted great to it..

She is still a really good weight. Shes very solid, meaning all muscle.. I took her to her agility class last night and i mentioned her lack of eating to the instructor and she said i shouldnt worry either as long as she has energy and maintains a good weight. She was running around like a crazy dog last night at agility, it was pretty entertaining.

Anyways thanks everyone for ur input, i have a tendancy to overreact and think the worst. But u guys have made me feel a lot better. Thanks!

Thanks for your response! As i said before i am getting her to eat just not very much...

She had her annual blood work done about 2 weeks ago and everything checked out.. She has never been very interested in food and i have tried several different dog foods and finally switched to a raw diet and had been having such good luck with it. She was finally eating what she should be eating! But now she could care less... its just very discouraging. She maintains a healthy weight and has a ton of energy, like always. She had her agility class last night and had more energy then all the dogs there.. but she is a Aussie, Border Collie, Heeler mix.

I have had her on Revolution as soon as she weighted enough to be put on it. I have a cat that gets very sick if he gets fleas, he had them once about 4 years ago and i cant risk him getting them again. He was so sick the vet thought he might have feline leukemia, it scared the heck out of me and so if i went natural i would at least have to wait until it the first frost and all the fleas are dead. But her lost dose was put on about 3 weeks ago and we have never had a problem with the revolution.

Poultry bones are fine if they are raw. Only dangerous if they are cooked. If you don't use the bone you are running a risk of an unbalanced calcium/phospherous ratio. When you give meat without the bone you need to at least add calcium. Some will come from veggies but more is needed to balance out the ratio. The exact amount would depend on how much you are feeding. The best alternatives to bone to use are bone meal or ground egg shells. A calcium supplement may work as well or even a calcium/phospherous supplement designed to balance the ratio.

Calcium & Phosphorous in DogsI LOVE DOGS! - Chinaroad Lowchens of Australia -

GSDS4Life · 06-03-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd

Poultry bones are fine if they are raw. Only dangerous if they are cooked.

Very true Todd.

My boys get a whole raw chicken and they love it. Raw chicken/turkey bones are actually softer so they actually break down easy. The cooked ones will splinter and cause problems. I don't use fish oil for a supplement, I use the real thing, whole raw fish.

Todd · 06-04-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSDS4Life

Very true Todd.

My boys get a whole raw chicken and they love it. Raw chicken/turkey bones are actually softer so they actually break down easy. The cooked ones will splinter and cause problems. I don't use fish oil for a supplement, I use the real thing, whole raw fish.

I tried a whole raw fish before but Lucky didn't eat much of it. i tried cutting it up on the deck outside, what a mess

, but she didn't eat much. Wasn't sure what to do with it. That was only a month into raw feeding though. Now after about 4 or 5 months of raw feeding maybe I should try again. Do all your dogs eat raw whole fish with no problem? What was their first time like and what type did you use?

GSDS4Life · 06-05-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd

I tried a whole raw fish before but Lucky didn't eat much of it. i tried cutting it up on the deck outside, what a mess

, but she didn't eat much. Wasn't sure what to do with it. That was only a month into raw feeding though. Now after about 4 or 5 months of raw feeding maybe I should try again. Do all your dogs eat raw whole fish with no problem? What was their first time like and what type did you use?

Some dogs like it, some don't. Go figure. LOL

Try again and see if she she likes it.

Honestly none of the boys have ever had a problem with it. Nitro, Hemmi and Russo went crazy the first time I gave it to them. Artex(our youngest at 2) played around with it before he decided to eat it.

. But he's our clown. LOL

I started with Mackeral. But they also get Sardines and Trout.

Todd · 06-05-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSDS4Life

Some dogs like it, some don't. Go figure. LOL

Try again and see if she she likes it.

Honestly none of the boys have ever had a problem with it. Nitro, Hemmi and Russo went crazy the first time I gave it to them. Artex(our youngest at 2) played around with it before he decided to eat it.

. But he's our clown. LOL

I started with Mackeral. But they also get Sardines and Trout.

Thanks for the advice! I'll be sure and let you know how it turns out.

Todd