Dog not eating - any suggestions?

J

JimO

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I have two dogs. A 10 year old Yellow Lab (my hunting dog) and a 3 year old Golden Retriever (nicest family dog you would ever want to meet, but just not from hunting lines).

My golden retriever has never been a big eater.. but ate well enough.. About a month ago he really stopped eating his food regularly and would just pick at it.. So I brought him to the vet, checked for everything.. he had a mild case of a tick born disease (not lyme but another one), so he was on medicine for quite awhile and his appetite never really came back, but I though that could be the medicine.

Well, he is still not eating, so I started mixing in some cold cuts from the fridge into his food and he ate like a champ.. the whole thing.

The only thing I can say is that it has been HOT here the past month and that could be part of the problem.. other than that, I would like my dog to just eat the dog food put in front of him, like my lab does (she eats like a champ, always has)..

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Jim
 
If your Golden is ill and the vet says it NEEDS to eat then, sure, put stuff in the food to get it too eat more. If your dog is not ill and you put stuff in the food to get it to eat you are only going to train a picky eater and probably an overweight one at that. Had a Golden that wouldn't eat for 3-4 days at a time and then would push all the food out of his bowl with his nose and only then would pick at it. We never forced him to eat - he ate when he felt he was hungry.

Some dogs, like my Chessie, think the world is coming to an end if I am 30 minutes late with his dinner (he tries to move up dinner hour just about everyday), other dogs really don't have that kind of eating drive. As long as your dog knows where his food is and can get at it when it wants it, seems to me it's all good.
 
My lab got dehidrated or the heat just plain got to him last summer. I gave him pedialite and power aid for a couple days as he wasnt eating either. After a day or two he got back to normal. Could just be the heat. He has always eaten half of what he does in the winter once it gets hot.
 
Coco has not been as energetic about eating during the heat of the summer.
She doesnt just suck here food down to begin with but in the summer she will sometimes leave it in the bowl all day and only eat when it cools down.

But If you are really worried, I would say another trip to vet is in order.
 
If your Golden is ill and the vet says it NEEDS to eat then, sure, put stuff in the food to get it too eat more. If your dog is not ill and you put stuff in the food to get it to eat you are only going to train a picky eater and probably an overweight one at that. Had a Golden that wouldn't eat for 3-4 days at a time and then would push all the food out of his bowl with his nose and only then would pick at it. We never forced him to eat - he ate when he felt he was hungry.

Some dogs, like my Chessie, think the world is coming to an end if I am 30 minutes late with his dinner (he tries to move up dinner hour just about everyday), other dogs really don't have that kind of eating drive. As long as your dog knows where his food is and can get at it when it wants it, seems to me it's all good.
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Pete:

Your description is perfect. Vet says my dog is NOT ill.. I agree with you, I do not want my dog to become a picky eater.. I think he is just not a big eater..

My yellow lab is just like your chessie.. If you are 15 minutes past feeding time SHE LETS YOU KNOW! Then the food is GONE in about 30 seconds..

I cannot leave my Goldens food out for him... my Lab will eat it!

Jim
 
Feel your dogs spine and ribs to see if it is under weight, over weight, or just right. Unless the dog is too skinny, don't worry about it.

My daughter raises market lambs for the fair and sometimes gets picky eaters. Luckily it's a fairly easy problem to correct. She simply gives the lamb his grain and walks away. Then come back 15 minutes later and take away anything not eaten. When they lose their ability to pick all day and get hungry, they learn to not be picky. Should work for your dog too.
 
I've got a 4 yr old Golden that gets fed once in the morning and once at night. He doesn't have a specific eating pattern at all. He will eat in the morning one day then the next when I get home his morning food is still around. When we had a hot spell a few months ago, it wasn't rare for him to go a day on only one feeding.

If he isn't lethargic I would say it's probably the weather.
 
What are they eating? Sometimes a bag of dog food will go rancid -depending on temp, etc. I've had my retrievers turn up their nose to a bag of food to later find out it was no good. A dog's nose is quite sensitive and if something just doesn't smell right, they'll refuse to eat. If it isn't the food, then I would suggest something a bit more serious as two dogs; not one; are exhibiting the same eating habits/symptoms. Maybe an internal parasite issue from bad water, etc.?
 
Guys

Thank you very much for all the help! They are eating Purina Pro Plan dog food. I have two dogs, eating the same food. My Yellow lab is eating GREAT. It is just my Golden that is off his food. Yesterday I added just a bit of Veggie oil and the golden ate all his food just fine. It has also been a bit cooler here the past few days.. so who knows, but it looks like things are getting better!

Thanks again!

Jim O
 
Dry food diet.Tyr adding a 1/4 cup of chicken or beef broth,just to dampen it.Same thing gets boring to smart dogs.LOL
 
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