Puppy Question....

[JG1]

I have a 17 week old male dobe, had him since he was 7 weeks old, and is gaining a consistent 3lbs a week...he's about 39-40lbs right now.

I've been feeding him 3 times a day with Nutro Large breed puppy kibble, cooked ground beef, and flax oil. Prolly around 1-1.75c kibble (wetted with warm water), and 2.5oz cooked ground beef per feeding. The flax I put in with his morning and night meals.

Here's the problem...the last week or so he's been eating like shit...went from eating good three times a day, to just picking a few bites here and there of his morning and night meal. It's getting a little frustrating because I make a big bowl of food for him and he doesn't want to eat it...then I stick it in the fridge and it gets soggy and cold....then time for the next meal and he wants NOTHING to do with it (since it doesn't smell as fresh I guess).

Should I stick with this and keep doing the two or three feedings a day and hope he'll get his appetite back? Or just switch over to open feeding and leave a bowl of dry food out for him all day? I know if I go with open feeding with the dry food only, he's not gonna like it at all, but I figure when he's hungry enough he'll eat.

I open fed my female dobe and never had a problem with it. I've heard that doing that with picky eaters though can cause problems, and they may become underweight.

 

[havoc]

Dogs need variety, change the food up. peace

 

[JG1]

Dogs need variety, change the food up. peace

Not an option.

He gets everything he needs in the food I give him...I'm not gonna change it everytime he wants something different.

 

[SouthernBell]

I would try the dry food and maybe try codliver oil instead of the flax. My dogs prefer the cod over the flax. I also add in some Mackrel in their dry food for the evening feeding.

 

[Delinquent]

damn your dogs eat pretty well

 

[JG1]

damn your dogs eat pretty well

You'd think the little cocksucker would appreciate it.....now on he's getting dry food only...not wetted, no beef, no flax.

 

[AustinTX]

Dogs need variety, change the food up. peace

I think it is just the opposite....

He may not need 3 meals a day any more, switch to two. If he doesn't eat it, put it up, and wait until the next feeding, it won't hurt him. You could wait and put the flax on once he's eating. He's a dobe, screw the warm water kib

Free feeding works for my dogs, but many don't like it.

Dogs won't become picky eaters unless you let them, if they don't eat, don't break down and cook them a hamburger, or else they'll keep holding out for the good stuff. When they're hungry enough they'll eat....

 

[Lostdog]

IS the dog eating at all?

 

[JG1]

I think it is just the opposite....

He may not need 3 meals a day any more, switch to two. If he doesn't eat it, put it up, and wait until the next feeding, it won't hurt him. You could wait and put the flax on once he's eating. He's a dobe, screw the warm water kib

Free feeding works for my dogs, but many don't like it.

Dogs won't become picky eaters unless you let them, if they don't eat, don't break down and cook them a hamburger, or else they'll keep holding out for the good stuff. When they're hungry enough they'll eat....

I stuck a bowl of just the kibble down this morning. I didn't think he was going to go for it, but threwout the day he's been nibbling at it here and there. I think I may just stick to doing it this way (I fed my female dobe this way and never had a problem).

I didn't wet the food today...just dry right out the bag.

 

[Lostdog]

My American BullDog had a allergy prob so I read into food allergies. It turns out most if not all nutrients found in dry dog food are burned up when cooked in factory oven. Also one of the main ingredients used for fill/bulk weight in bag dog food is corn. Corn has no nutritional value to a dog and can lead to gastrointestinal blockage and other digetive problems. I feed my girls a raw diet consisting of raw red meat, bone meal, flaxseed oil and various vegetables from week to week. Crazy, yeah maybe but they seem to like it.

 

[JG1]

IS the dog eating at all?

he's been eating a little bit today...last week or so his appetite has been down a bit.

 

[JG1]

My American BullDog had a allergy prob so I read into food allergies. It turns out most if not all nutrients found in dry dog food are burned up when cooked in factory oven. Also one of the main ingredients used for fill/bulk weight in bag dog food is corn. Corn has no nutritional value to a dog and can lead to gastrointestinal blockage and other digetive problems. I feed my girls a raw diet consisting of raw red meat, bone meal, flaxseed oil and various vegetables from week to week. Crazy, yeah maybe but they seem to like it.

Thats the BARF diet correct? I've read good things about it.

 

[theoak01]

My friend feeds his husky beef stew and he hasnt been healthier,the vet reccomended it