Tiger isn't eating as much.....

[TigersMommy.]

My 5 1/2 month old puppy, Tiger, started last week not eating as much. We have been feeding him once in the morning and once in the evening, as directed by our vet. He was devouring both bowls, no questions asked. But last week, he started not to be too interested in his morning meal. Our vet said that around 1 year we should cut back to one feeding, but while he is growing that we should keep it to 2. Should I be concerned that he is only eating 1/2 of his meal in the morning? Or is this just a stage? Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

 

[tiboy]

My dog is the same...she used to eat her food in no time at all but recently, she is not keen on eating her food. Jamie is 4 months old.

What i know is that deep-chested dogs should be fed twice a day to lessen the chances for bloat (life threatening disease). Also, my vet adviced me to feed the dog 4 times daily up to 4 months and 3 times a day up to 1 year. After 1 year, I should make it twice a day.

What i try to do is I make the food more appealing. I add canned food or some liver to the kibble. Sometimes, i would add parmesan cheese or cottage cheese on top. So far so good, but still she does not finish the bowl.

I would like to hear more from the other members.

 

[Kurika]

I have a 7 month old female ( the name is Duda) that does the same thing in the morning meal. In fact, she did it in every meal and still does if I give her only dry food. What I do now is that I mix some canned dog food, just for the flavour and she eats much better. But the morning meal remains a problem, I never know if she is going to eat or not. So, i do another thing when I see that she's not very interested in eating. I mix a little bit of cottage cheese (she likes it very much) with her normal dry+canned food in the morning meal, and it's been working so far. I think that, in fact, she gets bored of eating always the same thing, the picky little girl...

Hope to have helped you...
Kurika

 

[Billysmum]

Tommy has been the same too. Sometimes he doesn't eat at all for a day and then the next day eats everything. A kennel owner I spoke to said she used to have a dog who only ate every 2 or 3 days and was fit and healthy!

We have tried not to liven the meal up by adding gravy and cheese etc, because then this might make him even more of a fussy eater.

So long as he is healthy then he'll eat if he's hungry. the vet confirmed to us that his size and weight were fine and not to worry too much.

 

[Jan]

Tiger's growth may have slowed down and he is just not as hungry right now. As Tiboy said it is important that boxers eat two meals a day as they are prone to get bloat. You might try cutting back the evening meal a bit so that Tiger is hungrier in the morning.

 

[JulieM]

Sometimes dogs just aren't hungry. Wild dogs and wolves do not eat two meals a day every day - they gorge at one meal and then often don't eat again for several days. (Hard to imagine with a Boxer, I know!) Two of my dogs would frequently skip their morning meal when we were on kibble. (We've been on a raw diet for 6 months now, and they haven't missed a meal yet!) I agree - if he's acting fine, drinking and eliminating, no other signs of trouble, and he's not refusing all food for several days, I wouldn't be too concerned. I also agree that adding various "enhancers" to the meal will lead to a fussy eater (I know of several dogs who trained their owners that they could only eat a certain meal out of a certain bowl - or out of the owner's hand!) Leave the food down for 15-20 minutes - if he doesn't eat it, throw it out and feed him again at dinner.

 

[Christy Burden]

Dallas got ahold of a hot dog from my daughter one day and her eating has become quit picky now that she got her taste of people food, but she will just have to get over it! I know her growth spurts come and go and some days she is a little piglet and others not a bite. Hopefully she will quit begging me when I am cooking now that she had that weenie!It sounds so pathetic!:(

 

[TigersMommy.]

Thank you so much for your help everyone. I cut back on his evening meal, and he has started eating his morning meal without any problems. And the begging while I'm cooking!!! I cannot tell you how many times I have falling on my hiney from trying not to step on him. And he has never had people food! Everytime I am cooking ground meat or a steak, forget it.....right there whining at the oven! Crazy!!

 

[bxr_lvr]

How is Tiger doing? I know that our Emma is not always a good eater. Sometimes she will go two or three days without eating all of her food. The breeder said that her mother was the same way. She is healthy and happy, but food isn't #1 in her life. She will be one year old next month. Sometimes she just isn't interested in eating. Unless Tiger starts to lose weight, then he should be fine and will eat when he gets hungry. I like the idea of cutting down on the evening meal.

Also, I have taught my two that the kitchen is off limits when I am cooking. I don't want to pick up a pan of hot grease or boiling water and trip over one of the dogs. This is dangerous for them and you. Be safe.


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