Charlie is 8th month old healthy and very naughty lab ;-) He used to love his food like anything but suddenly he is least interested in his food :-/ If i dont add anything extra to it he wont eat it at all :-/ So I sometimes add coconut oil sometimes i add something else anything which is not bad for him. Also whenever i add his liver syrup he doesn't eat his food at all. And as per my vet liver syrup is a must but how to make him take that? Whewww Now my question is how can i make him eat his food normally again? And how can i make him take his liver syrup nicely?
Sorry to hear that he isn't eating up his food as normal. But good to hear that everything else is going well What is liver syrup? What is it supposed to do? And what is his normal food?
So I googled 'liver syrup'. Seems like it is a kind of vitamin supplement for dogs. Is there any reason why your vet has recommended this? Usually a healthy dog that is being fed a good quality kibble won't need any other supplements. I definitely do not give vitamin supplements to my dog, for example. Do you happen to buy it from the vet?
Thanks for replying. Well his regular normal food is dry kibbles which are 100% wheat and corn free and are of greater than 40% chicken etc. He used to eat them nicely but not anymore. And since i dont have any kid and he's my only kid i cant let him stay hungry so i add some extras like i have written earlier. Yes liver syrup is actually a liquid supplement that is to be given to him for his healthy liver. Im also giving one multivitamin and 2 calcium tablets a day. These all are prescribed by his vet as he said labs are prone to liver disease and other issues so we need to keep them giving these supplements till 6 months (which i have extended till a year) and liver syrup for full life. It's my first dog and i dont know much so im continuing as per his advice. May be in India these breeds are prone to such issues i dont know i just want him to be healthy thats why continuing woth this all.
It is not wise to add calcium supplements to a pups diet. As far as I know, Labs are not prone to liver disease. Too many vitamins can be dangerous. A good quality kibble should be sufficient. He maybe going off his food as he has finished his rapid growth rate and therefore needs less food. I am like you and do add a little tasty extra to their kibble, but only about a tablespoon. I would reduce his food a little and see what happens. However, a dog that goes off his food can be a sign of illness. Is he pooing and urinating as normal, not being sick, or lethargic?
I agree with Stacia, you really shouldnt need to be adding extra vitamins to kibble, and adding calcium is actually dangerous. There is nothing wrong with adding a bit of meat stock or a bit of oil to his food, if it helps him eat. But it is possible he just isnt hungry, and that you are actually overfeeding him a bit! How does he look to you, is he too thin?
Really?? I mean labs are not prone to diseases? I mean here in India every second person is like "oh labs are weak and they get so many diseases when they grow up they need hell lot of exercise blah blah" And that is the reason i was adding these supplements as per my vet coz i was concerned. Ummm he doesn't look over eated as he keeps lingering on any food item he see but not his kibble. Im feeding as per his keeble feeding chart thats 2 cups twice a day. No he isn't sick or lethargic he is full on active and weeing and pooing normally as he always been. The food that im giving is drools focus puppy food. And i think it's pretty decent as per the reviews here.
Now im really scared i have been giving him these supplements since 2 months of age :-0 Should I continue or should i stop immediately? No he is not thin as you can see in my avatar pic. He weighs around 28-30 kgs which i think is normal for an 8.5 month old lab and he is very active and naughty.
OMG, how long have you been giving him calcium supplements? What is the calcium level of his food? We've known for years now that too much calcium for puppies promotes too fast growth and can result in stress injury to muscles, tendons, ligaments that cannot keep up with and support too rapidly growing bones. Here, and I imagine the UK as well, most food meant just for puppies will have levels that are a bit lower than some adult foods for just that reason. http://ivcjournal.com/feeding-large-breed-puppies/ Yes, stop the supplements. They are not necessary for a healthy puppy and may even upset the nutrient and vitamin and other ingredients that was so carefully by the manufacturer of his food. This of course dependent on the food he is getting. What food is it? Is there a link to an ingredient list? AT his age he may need his food decreased a bit as his growth slows. Try a little bit less food. Also try the yummy, yummy, eat it now or its gone trick. Mix up his food (fake if it doesn't need mixing) making yummy, yummy sounds yourself, draw it out. Then put the food down for 20 minutes, if he doesn't eat it throw it out, no food at all till next meal, repeat. It will not hurt a healthy dog to miss a meal or two.
Im giving these supplements since 7 months started when he was 2 months old. Though missed for a few days in between. This is the link of the food that im feeding him with - https://www.drools.in/products/focus-puppy Im already giving him less food than written in the feeding guide of his kibble. Should i give even less? Oh god I'm feeling so worried for my baby now
First of all try not to worry, you were only following your vets advice. I would stop giving the supplements as most growth phases are just about finished. With the food I would reduce to one cup morning and evening and see how he goes. Leave it down for 15 to 20 minutes and then just remove it with no fuss. The guides on the packs frequently suggest more than many dogs need. If he's hungry you can always add a little more. Juno only has around 2/3rds of the manufacturers recommended amount and she's doing fine
Yeah right i should stop giving him supplements- should i wait for the bottles to be finished or shoul i stop immediately? Well I tried that yummy yummy food and fake mixing and it workeddd :-D He ate all his food without any extras at all :-D Thats why i love this forum that we get to learn so many new things here for our babies
I would slowly lessen the supplements you are giving him, give him a bit less each day. And you are welcome about the advice, that's what we are here for!
28-30 kg is quite a lot for an 8 month puppy! My nearly four-year-old weighs 25 kg - she is quite small though. I shouldnt worry too much if he wont eat all his food, as has already been advised just feed him a little less. When I just feed kibble I feed my girl 1 cup in the morning and 1 in the evening. That is plenty for her.
I am sure you are doing your very best for your dog and maybe in India there are not the health tests which Labs have here before breeding, though of course some slip through even so. Labs are liable to hip and elbow dysplasia but otherwise healthy, they do tend to be 'good doers', my Labs, both 30kg (one just 4 and one almost 10 years old) have half the amount my GSPs ate and were a much lighter dog. My Labs have one coffee mug of kibble twice a day and I feel the older one is slightly overweight even on that small amount!
They do have all the tests here in India too and its all registered under kennel club i mean the whole pedigree is there but still people think like this here. May be because maximum people give their dogs home cooked human food like chapati curry etc may be that is the reason they get such issues. I m giving dog food only and nothing else as per his vet and also because I have learned here that for dogs their food is best either dry kibbles or home cooked dog food but no human food.
The kibble you are giving is all he needs, and you are doing the right thing by using a good dog food, not chapatis and things like that. Personally, I would just cut out all the supplements immediately, not gradually. But if you want to do it gradually then do it within a week. That is long enough. After that don't give them anymore, even if you have some leftover. Don't feel bad that you have been giving the supplements. You were just doing what the vet said to do and you are just trying to care for your dog the best you can. I don't know why the vet would want you to give all those supplements and usually we would not say to ignore the advice of a vet but in this case I don't think the vet has given you good advice. Charlie will be fine though, so don't worry
I think you are right there ana. Its easy to go along with what the majority of people do. There is nothing wrong with giving extras now and again, but not instead of kibble. You are totally right to use a good quality kibble, and I think the Drool Focus and Royal Canin seem to be the most easily available in India from what others have said, and I think are good choices. I agree with the others in that you shouldn't need any supplements with good quality kibble and can cause problems because they can mean some of the ingredients are out of balance. You obviously care about Charlie - please don't worry I am sure you haven't caused any harm. He looks like a lovely dog
