Dog not eating

Can anyone help me figure this out. My dog hasn’t been eating regularly. I have been putting his food out on a schedule, as well as mixing it with water, heating it to make a gravy, or adding plain rice. When I told the vet, I had swtiched his foods, so I was advised to switch back. I did but he is still the pickest eater i’ve seen. One day he’ll eat 3 meals, the next day next to none. He isn’t sick, and full of energy as the next puppy. What do I do??? Or what is he doing?

He’s way past the three meals a day stage. I assume you give him de-worming pills regularly? (monthly) Is he free-feeding, or does he have a set schedule? (Labs should not free-feed.) Every meal should leave him wanting more. If he’s sated, he’s had too much. Is he getting enough exercise? What are his stools like? Does he ever rub his butt on the floor? Do you ever give him apples? broccoli? cabbage? How about meaty bones? These things are all good for a dog’s digestion. Variety is important. (Can you imagine eating mush day in and day out?) If you ever change a dog’s dry food, you have to do it in increments - mixing ever-increasing ratios of the new food into the old food until he’s completely used to the new stuff.

My dog was a very, I mean very, picky eater. He would not eat the same food for 3 days in a row. He’d rather not eat than eat something he didn’t like.

The procedure went as follows:
Mesheel preparing the food, dog waving his tail and waiting desperately.
Mesheel putting the food in the garden dog sniffing, licking and then turning away in disgust.
Dog watching the birds, who knew of the picky eater, eating said food and flying it back to their families.

If your dog is definately not sick, then there is not much you can do. We’ve tried everything, but he wouldn’t change. Was a picky eater and very slim dog for 15 years.

Who eats first in your house, Nama? You or your dog? It should be you.

Also, if your dog doesn’t eat, take his food away from him and try again at the next meal time.

Is your dog running a fever? Does he pee ok? (A bladder infection can bugger up his kidney function, which means he won’t want to eat.) Does he have a runny nose?

My Dad always used to say, “treat the patient, not the symptom”…

If your doggie is active and otherwise behaving normally… then he is getting enough to eat and isn’t hungry.

Boy, I read maoman’s posts and wanna say :“bad owner bad:” I eat first in the house, except for breakfast and his stool are firm and okay. De worming?!!! oh gosh no, i didn’t know about this. okay, will reread your post, and make a list of what i need to do. Any more suggests i’d love to hear. And thanks for your posts maoman and mesheel, they were very very informative and great!!!

I’d take him to the vet just to make sure he is OK. As far as I remember we de wormed our dog about once a year, just as a precaution.

Every dog has his own character, just down let him bully you! They are like little kids and are trying how far they can go. You have to show him that you are the master. If he doesn’t eat, take the food away and let him be hungry until the next meal. He might eventually start eating then.

Our dog didn’t though. He was very stubborn. He could go on not eating for 3 days in a row, just because he didn’t want to, so we did leave the food outside just in case :unamused: Oh, one trick was to invite the neighbours dog over. He would then eat just because it was HIS food and didn’t want to share it. :wink:

[quote=“Maoman”]Who eats first in your house, Nama? You or your dog? It should be you.

Also, if your dog doesn’t eat, take his food away from him and try again at the next meal time.

Is your dog running a fever? Does he pee ok? (A bladder infection can bugger up his kidney function, which means he won’t want to eat.) Does he have a runny nose?[/quote]

Yes, he has a runny nose…is that a sign of a cold or illness?

Nama, you dog is only unwell if his feeding habits change drastically. if its usual for him to be picky, then thats the way he is.
Signs of illness are listlessness, loss of appetite, high temperature, whitening of the gums (mucous membrains) and sometimes excessive mucous from the nose (it has to be off colour though as in green or white) and other more overt signs like runny tummy or vomiting. The stool should not have white flakes or worms in it, and a very dark coloured stool could mean blood. However any one of these signs & symptoms on their own doesn’t mean very much (except the stool situation). Please remember to have your puppy dewormed every three months and check the local vet for a vaccination program for this country which i’m not familiar with, but which should include rabies shots.

Hope that helps…

Namahottie, rice has no place in a dog’s diet. You only see it in processed dog food because it is a cheap filler. It only provides your dog with empty carbohydrates.

Someone mentioned worming the dog, but if you are giving heartworm tablets (the HeartGuard variety) that won’t be necessary, as that particular brand will also get rid of intestinal worms. Heartworm is nasty; all dogs here should be on preventatives. Should the dog get heartworm, the treatment is not something you or your dog will enjoy - it’s also something your dog may not make it through.

How’s the dog now, then?