So I read all about your pups and their insatiable appetites....but Bella has never really been like that... ??? She mostly could just take it or leave it...eats a few bites here and there, but doesn't just scramble excitedly to be fed. The only exception was when she was on the week of Rimadyl which I suspect upped her appetite. I wouldn't say that Bella is thin, but she is NOT a rolly polly chubby puppy at all...She is offered 3 full meals of kibble every day....along the quantity guidelines on the bag...and she often doesn't even take a bite of it. We are able to leave it out for her to "fee feed" as she wants...but she hardly ever finishes everything. I have a baggie in my pocket of training treats and I mix it about 50/50 with the kibble, and she eats it readily that way. She will sometimes eat a few kibble at a time out of my hand too...but mostly it's just a one at a time thing. This past week, in an effort to get her to eat I've taken to playing games with her to encourage her to eat...since she otherwise doesn't eat at all....dry kibble and a bit of peanut butter in a kong, extra training sessions, and then our latest game is me sitting on a short stool and tossing kibble across the kitchen floor that she chases and grabs up...I can get her to eat her whole ration that way....but otherwise she is completely uninterested in eating. I can't decide if she doesn't like the kibble....or if she just has me well trained.... 8) 8) 8) But she certainly doesn't have the EAT EVERYTHING IN SIGHT lab appetite.... :
Re: Appetite Well, some aren't the voracious kind. Hopefully that means your kitchen counters are safe It is possible that she doesn't really like her kibble that much... Does she like things like raw meat? Is there anything that she will really hoe into enthusiastically? If she is a healthy weight (even though not roly poly) then I wouldn't worry too much though
Re: Appetite Harley isn't a big eater either unless it's doggy cake! After months and months of only dry food, we decided to mix it with wet. Nowadays she usually eats her breakfast in 2 sittings and her tea in one go. If she leaves anything, it will be the dry. We tried several different foods over the past 14 months but have to go careful due to her sensitive tummy, I tend to mix the dry in a kong with natural yoghurt or something liquid (sardine liquid, tuna liquid etc) and freeze it. She loves this. Personally I leave her breakfast down and she eats it when she's hungry. I used to feed her in a kong wobbler which she enjoyed, even though she did leave quite a few kibble spread all over the room ???
Re: Appetite Maybe you are giving her too much food and she just isn't hungry enough? I think it best to put some food in the bowl, less than you normally would, put it down for 10 minutes and pick it up until the next meal. I have two Labs, one looks at his food and says 'do I really have to eat that' and one of his meals is raw! The other one hoovers up his food in typical Labrador fashion. They are all different.
Re: Appetite Thanks for the replies...I know I'm not feeding her too much...she is right at the brink of too thin if anything...I've got and have had fat dogs in the past...and she is quite the slender girl. I don't mind slender honestly, but I just want to make sure she is getting enough. She is 13 weeks, and I got her at 7 weeks, and over her time with me she did a complete food change when she got here out of necessity, and then got soft poo...so we added pumpkin...she loved it....for a while. Then we went to the vet and got treated for a UTI - so meds and like I said the rhimadyl. She ate great...until we got the cooked pumpkin from my mom - she liked the commercial canned stuff better. : so no more pumpkin...and she didn't eat great...so I added some good yogurt...first couple times she had that...she liked it, and then left it...wouldn't eat it. I do think it's possible she isn't really fond of the kibble...its a chicken and brown rice premium brand. My last 3 dogs have done great on it (aka fat and sassy all of them), but I was thinking maybe she would like the lamb and rice flavor better... She does like treats - and I try to ration them out....a bit of roast turkey, roast beef, soft/smelly training treats, cooked veggies, raw carrots, a bit of thanksgiving stuffing, cheese....a little of this each day - not all at once or all in one day...just a few bites here and there. When I'm training her and doing click and treat...I have a mix of things in my bag and it's usually about half kibble and have the training treats....she gets equally excited and grabby about whatever treat it is. And like I said...she loves the "roll the kibble across the floor game" and eats it well...but I think it's more the game than the I'm hungry and should eat thing. I've tried the offer it for 10 minutes and take it away thing...but if I do that...she just doesn't eat at all. :-[ So I've tried to be creative and find ways to encourage her to eat - goodies on top, games, kong, etc trying to get her at least close to the recommended feeding amount. Yesterday at 13 week she tipped the scale at 21.2 pounds...that's 9.6kg. She seems of good weight and overall healthy...she just doesn't have the lab zest for eating.... <shrug>
Re: Appetite From what I've heard on here, the recommended amounts on the bag are normally on the high side, so if she's not getting quite as much as they recommend, I wouldn't stress it. To be honest, I don't even weigh my pups' food since they have a different amount of treats and raw each day, so I just go on what feels right and how they look. Also, as puppies, they have growth spurts which make them look skinny - Shadow was a bit too skinny when we got him, so we fed him up and at one point he looked just about OK, but 2kg heavier and his ribs are starting to stick out again, because all his growth is going upwards! Willow is a completely different shape and is more like her other two brothers, who are quite stocky and broad (although she has long legs). I'd say don't sweat it and just do what feels right. My sister's cocker spaniel - who are also supposed to be voracious eaters - leaves most of his food and goes back during the day to have a taste here and there. If you're happy to leave the food down, I don't see a problem with it.
Re: Appetite I really wouldn't worry too much. My dog Poppy is an absolute pig, but my old boys were very picky eaters and I used to worry about them... but it really is not necessary. Bella will NOT starve herself! You are making sure she gets enough food, and she is just picky about what she likes and prefers roast turkey and roast beef to kibble - honestly, are you surprised?? ;D Try not to make too much of a rod for your own back by hand feeding her other than training treats. But do remember to factor all those treats into your computation of what she is eating each day. If you add it all up, I am sure you will find she is eating enough. Are you planning to have her spayed later? Many dogs suddenly gain appetite after being neutered, and the opposite problem suddenly becomes a factor.. :
Re: Appetite Thanks for all your replies and opinions...I appreciate them. I'll try not to obsess so much. : Yes, I do plan to have her spayed...my vet wants to do her around 5 months...so that's the plan for now. These growth spurts are crazy...and go so fast...seems like she changes overnight!!
