Before Eric (17 weeks) was poorly we bought a slow feeding bowl as he was gulping his food so fast he was being sick. Since being poorly (he seems fully better now) he has been hit and miss with the bowl. It does take effort and I thought it was just that he couldn't be bothered or was just too tired to eat. Occasionally if he ate most we would tip the last bits on the floor and he ate it then. However the last few days he just isn't keen to eat the kibble at all. Breakfast is 7am (he gets up about 6.30 and has a wee and 2 poo's then calm play in garden or kitchen) He just doesn't want it no matter which bowl we put it in. Today he wouldn't take it off floor either. Lunch is usually about 1pm but today he hasn't eaten it. My son was looking after him but had to out at 1.30 so put as much as he could in a kong and in the cage with him. It's still half full. Ideally supper is around 7-7.30 but he has been asleep the past few nights at this time so has been eating later (8 -9pm) Last night he showed no interest so i put it in a kong and he ate most of it. He's not off food altogether and will happily eat treats such as chicken, hotdogs and cheese. We are not giving him alot of these and mostly use some of his kibble allowance as treats/rewards Is the fact he's eating too late having a knock on effect the next day? Should I be putting his meals out and fully removing them after 20 mins? If i do this what do I do about reward food? Just use kibble so he';s at least getting some? 2 days a week he goes to daycare (mon and Thur) and as much as the lady is lovely and good with him, she looks after other dogs too (good for his socialisation) but it also means he doesn't sleep! and on an ordinarily day with us he might be awake and active for an hour then sleep for 2 Is this lack of sleep having an effect? I really do think his health is fine. His wee's and poo's are good. His eyes etc look healthy and he is active when he wants to be. I do think he's probably teething as he is biting wood (kitchen cupboards/doors/chairs etc) as though they are going out of fashion and nothing deters him! I just don't know what to do for the best about his food
I'm sure that is frustrating! He may just not like kibble (some dogs don't) or there may be something wrong with that particular bag (it can happen....was it a new bag by any chance?). Giving it in a Kong is good, if he will eat it that way. He doesn't need to have meals in a bowl - it is totally fine to feed the entire diet from things like Kongs or as training treats. You could try adding a bit of warm water to the food, if you do want to keep using a bowl. One option, though it's more effort, is to switch to a raw type food (you can get pre-prepared versions) that he will probably enjoy eating. You can try taking away the kibble after 20 mins but if if has lost interest by then or doesn't care about the food anyway that won't have much effect - it's not a valuable resource that he cares about losing. Don't attempt to remove food while he's eating, as that will just make him stressed (you weren't suggesting that but just thought I'd mention it ). I don't think that the full, busy days at daycare would be having an effect, so I wouldn't worry about that.
Well the Kong tricked worked for 2 meals then he refused to eat it again! Then when giving him a belly rub we noticed that he is starting to lose some teeth and his gums had little red marks where they should be! So possibly sore gums? Anyway we added a bit of warm water as you said and Bingo! He ate the lot. Needless to say we have one happy boy again
Good to hear that Eric is enjoying his kibble again. Teething can be so painful for them - just like babies
And he's off it again It's as if he just can't be bothered with it. He is still putting on weight (20kg now) so he is obviously getting something. Most labs love food but he just doesn't seem that bothered with it :/ he does take it when I hand feed him! So needless to say lots and lots of training goes on. I don't want him to think I will just hand feed if he doesn't work for it lol
My lab is a fussy eater and likes an element of variety. He's pretty much always been like that. I'm now on my fourth brand of kibble and it seems to suit him, it's good quality and doesn't break the bank. Sometimes he gets it dry, sometimes wet. I occasionally put a spoonful of defrosted tripe mince on it and sometimes some decent quality wet food. I decided I could cope with those different options without much difficulty. Some people think there's something terribly wrong if dogs choose not to eat. They may well be right....Riley is a sensitive soul though and any change can put him off his food so having those options means I don't have to worry and 99% of the time he eats
