Dog eats almost nothing

[Loganmike]

Hi Gang,
I have an almost 3 year old setter that will go weeks with eating less than a cup per day. And i run her a lot, both field and off bike, etc.

For example, we spent the weekend out hunting and running in the mtns of Idaho and in the past 4 days she literally has eaten 3 cups of food. Lotsa water tho. She will not binge for the next week either, she really just eats very little. I am only concerned bc this is the first time that I have seen her actually exhausted after a day of rest. I am sure it is nutrient related.

Is the old adage, she will eventually eat when hungry true? or should i add some "taste good" things to her eagle pak performance food. I am happy with the food.

I feed at night, My wife has noticed that when I am gone on work trips she will let her free feed and Lucy will eat all 3 cups offered to her throughout the day. i am not a fan of free feeding as we are dealing with a pooping in the house issue which isn under control as well as the possibility of exercise on a full stomach.

As a side note, she is less than knee high and in season weight of 27 lbs. So, she is a LITTLE LITTLE girl.

DO I need to be concerned or follow the she will eat when hungry routine.

thanks gang

me

[shags]

How's her overall health? Bright eyes, nice coat, good body condition, plenty of energy? If anything is awry or seems off, I'd have a vet check and some bloodwork done.

If all else seems fine and nothing has changed over the last while, maybe she's just not into eating a bunch. Be aware that sometimes changes in digs are slow and subtle, so really think back when you consider whether her condition or attitude has changed.

FWIW, a couple of my dogs were always kind of self regulators...they'd hit a certain weight then cut back on their food all by themselves. They seemed a little thin to me but they were otherwise healthy, so I let it go, not wanting to create bigger food issues by coaxing them to eat.

Maybe think about free feeding on her days off if she orefers and eats more that way.

Good luck, hope she's fine.

[Doc E]

I'd have a FULL THYROID PANEL Done just to make sure.

.

[nevermind]

Setters are weird when it comes to eating. I can throw a cup of food in the dish and it might be there for a day. Take them on a hunting trip and you can hardly get them to eat....I take a tube of Nutri-Cal with me hunting and give my dog a couple doses to keep energy up. Your dog weighting in at 27# 3 cups in 4 days doesn't surprise me....I'm with Shags on this.

[ccarol]

Have you ever tried a completely raw diet? I highly recommend Oma's Pride. I have used this for 10 years + with excellent results.
http://omaspride.com/

[fishvik]

I'd add some tasties. I've got a very picky eater and it seems it boils down to dry kibble. When I add a little boiled pork scraps, that I can buy at the store, and the "broth" to her food she gobbles it down.

[fuzznut]

don't know if this will work or not... instead of feeding her in a bowl, try tossing a handful of kibble on the floor in the kitchen or wherever she eats. Just toss it out there and let her go looking for it kibble by kibble. I have done that with picky eaters.. seems like if they have to work for it- it peaks their interest.

[Meller]

My dogs would not want to eat, when hauled a long way on hunting trips and staying away from there familiar beds, couldn't get them to eat; so I made them some Satin Balls and fed while hunting, never had them turn them down and kept their energy level up during the whole hunting trip. If energy level drops
might want to give it a try. Worked for mine.

[Sharon]

don't know if this will work or not... instead of feeding her in a bowl, try tossing a handful of kibble on the floor in the kitchen or wherever she eats. Just toss it out there and let her go looking for it kibble by kibble. I have done that with picky eaters.. seems like if they have to work for it- it peaks their interest.

Good post. That often works well - crate the other dogs first though.

[gamekeeper]

You are what you eat.Dry food is what the corporates say is proper diet,myself after 50+ years professionally in dogs suggest it is not even close.Common sense is the answer

[ezzy333]

You are what you eat.Dry food is what the corporates say is proper diet,myself after 50+ years professionally in dogs suggest it is not even close.Common sense is the answer

And after 60+ years in dogs I will suggest you are wrong and we have the tests and trials to prove it. I like the common sense part and when I use it I look at the thousands of dogs that have been fed on dry feed and seeing those same dogs perform the way they do tells me it must be OK.

Ezzy

[frontline]

You are what you eat.Dry food is what the corporates say is proper diet,myself after 50+ years professionally in dogs suggest it is not even close.Common sense is the answer

I'm with you on this!

[Vision]

My GSP is like this. I pour a little vegetable oil on her food and she gobbles it up.

[gamekeeper]

We keep a mixing bowl in the kitchen counter and all plates are scraped into it ,vegetable peels ,bones ,drippings from pans ,no citrus fruit,half .
Keep a hot plate in the kennel with a large pot.A farmer up the road raises organic chickens,many of his customers have the birds filleted.and he gives me the carcasses and blood these are added to the Shea stew.This is put on Purina Chow a real balanced diet.Also 60 years but 50 professional.That is real common sense not corporate brainwashing.

[ezzy333]

We keep a mixing bowl in the kitchen counter and all plates are scraped into it ,vegetable peels ,bones ,drippings from pans ,no citrus fruit,half .
Keep a hot plate in the kennel with a large pot.A farmer up the road raises organic chickens,many of his customers have the birds filleted.and he gives me the carcasses and blood these are added to the Shea stew.This is put on Purina Chow a real balanced diet.Also 60 years but 50 professional.That is real common sense not corporate brainwashing.

I am quite sure we would like to hear how and what you feed. And I am also sure we understand the marketing that goes on but I am also sure we aren't quite stupid enough to be brainwashed or to even believe the big bad corporations decided one day to make a feed that isn't good for dogs and sell it to dog owners knowing full well if the company is going to survive those same people are going to have to keep buying.

I also note that you are using your age an experience as the basic reason that you know all of this. Though I agree with you that those are good characteristics for many things there are two things wrong with your premise. Many people on this forum are either older or have more experience and a few probably have both. So if you will allow us the privilege of deciding on our own about the amount of common sense you have it will relieve you of the awesome responsibility of telling is about it with every post. What do you think? Just let us continue to be stupid and feed our dogs what every research test and feed trial tells us works. And we will let you feed what you like without telling you that you are brained washed.

Ezzy

[gamekeeper]

The same companies tell us that Special-K is 100% nutricianally complete but my 5 kids had a lot more than cereal.

[ezzy333]

The same companies tell us that Special-K is 100% nutricianally complete but my 5 kids had a lot more than cereal.

And most of us understand that something can be nutritionally complete without thinking that means they won't or shouldn't eat something else.

We probably should get back to what the original poster asked about instead of this rather silly banter.

Ezzy