Change In Eating Habbits

[Guest UESBrindle]

Since we've had William (11 months) we have fed him 2 meals, breakfast and dinner, while we're home (before we leave for work and when we get home). We get it ready, bring it out, make him sit, and then we release him to eat. He would eat everything right away, and then go lay on the sofa. The time he didn't he had gastritis so his stomach was upset.

 

This past week he's changed. Initially I brought out the food, and he wouldn't eat so I thought a few things:

1. he has gastritis again (he has it last month)

2. he has a problem with the food (although it was a brand new bag)

3. he didn't like the fiber add in (although we've been using it for the past month)

 

so I figured between one of those things, he wouldn't eat it. Also, because we soak it for 10 min. before feeding, if it got too mushy I figured he wouldn't want it. So I would toss it because I didn't want to leave it out in case it attracted critters (we had a problem with mice before).

 

On Thursday of last week he wouldn't eat, but I decided to leave it out just to see. When I got home at 3, it was gone.

 

Friday morning after his walk I got his breakfast ready to feed him, and he doesn't want the food. I leave it in his dish, and at about noon he decides he wants it so he gets up and eats.

 

He is eating the dinner meal regularly.

 

I have a few concerns about leaving food out, so can someone please let me know if I should be worried:

 

1. If he eats while we're not supervised he may choke (sometimes he seems like he's choking and hacks stuff back up)

2. If he doesn't eat when I tell him to sit, is he thinking that I am less "Alpha" because he isn't doing what I tell him to do when I tell him to do it? I don't want him thinking he doesn't have to follow rules.

 

So I feel like I can take one of two paths:

1. Put food out as usual and then he can eat when he wants (which can be a problem when we go on trips where he won't have food lying around all day)

or

2. Put food out when I want him to eat, and if he doesn't eat when I want him to, take it away (the problem with this is I see a potential for a lot of wasted food since we wet it down) so he learns he has to eat immediately when food it given to him.

 

I just want to make sure I have a dog that follows rules and realizes that he must have manners.

 

Please let me know what you think!

Thanks in advance,

Elizabeth

Edited December 28, 2009 by UESBrindle

[Guest SusanP]

I wouldn't worry so much about the "alpha" stuff. I've free-fed 5 hounds now without rules, and none of them is trying to take over the house.

 

What we do is to keep dry kibble out at all times. The dogs eat when they are hungry. We don't expect much in the way of table manners, but they do wait in line on the occasions when more than two want to eat at the same time and there isn't enough room at the dishes.

 

Occasionally they gack food back up, but the dry kibble is not a solid mass, so I haven't worried much about choking. They just spew it out on the floor and then eat it again.

 

We eventually went to free feeding because it became clear that our dogs didn't all want to eat at the same time. We have one morning eater, two late-nite eaters, and some in-between eaters, so it seemed natural to let the dogs make their own decisions about when they are hungry. None of our dogs has become overweight in the 7 years we've had greyhounds.

 

Many folks here do not like the idea of free-feeding, and for some good reasons: It can be harder to tell when a sick dog is "off his feed".

[Guest scfilby]

If he is an only dog, there should be no worries about leaving the food out. I would let him eat when he wants.. You can still monitor his consumption..

[TheFullHouse]

Bebe tries this every once in a while. This morning for example, she didn't eat so I take up her food, now tonight she will be really hungry so I will give her a little extra so she gets her evening meal plus more. Tomorrow morning she'll eat again.

[Guest UESBrindle]

Bebe tries this every once in a while. This morning for example, she didn't eat so I take up her food, now tonight she will be really hungry so I will give her a little extra so she gets her evening meal plus more. Tomorrow morning she'll eat again.

 

That's what I was thinking of doing, but because I wet it, it would go to waste. I guess I could try feeding him dry food and see if he'll take it.

 

Saturday morning we had to go for a day trip and he came with us, so I fed him about half a cups worth as treats before we left.

 

My dog walker just called and he didn't eat any of his breakfast and was throwing up bile when she got there to walk him (and as a result of not eating he didn't poop...

 

We're also wondering if maybe he's just bored with the food. We went through a number of different foods before settling on Iams because we had a tough time getting good poo. I still have 3/4 of a 40lb bag left, so we could probably do some mix-ins to shake things up, but what would be a food that has the same type of "structure" nutrition/beet pulp/etc. wise?

 

I guess this is where I head to the Food & Diet area

[inugrey]

Hey may be sick. There is a bug of some sort in my house right now and this morning Salem didn't eat her breakfast and ask to go out where she promptly threw up. I gave her a pepto and she ate breakfast about an hour later.

[TheFullHouse]

It could be a tummy bug. If he's throwing up bile, his tummy is definitely empty. I recently switched Gee to Taste Of The Wild Prairie because she has some allergies. I'm really happy with it, she loves it and it makes for small, firm poops.

[Wendie]

My two are not big breakfast fans. They will piddle around and make their breakfast last for hours, but always eat their supper in just a few minutes. Never have figured it out, but as long as that bowl is empty by like 2:00, I never get too concerned.

[greysmom]

I have several thoughts, in no particular order.

 

>Are you giving him a Pepcid in the mornings before breakfast? I had trouble with Cash not eating in the morning - she's picky anyway, and her spookiness gets in the way sometimes too. So I started giving her a Pepcid about an hour before breakfast and she's eating really good in the mornings now. Especially if he had an upset tummy, he could be a bit wary about eating in the mornings. Try this for a week to see if it helps before you try switching foods.

 

>He's an only dog so free-feeding isn't that big of a problem. The critter issue is though. Only you can gauge if free-feeding is worth the chance of mice. I also wouldn't worry about the "alpha" thing. He's a very well-behaved grey and not having him sit before meals is not going to change his relationship to you.

 

>If you don't want to waste the food, pick it up and put it in the fridge until dinner. Pop it in the micro for 25-30 seconds to take the chill off (make sure the metal bowl doesn't touch the sides and it can just go in). Mine don't care if it's mushy or not. You can also spike it with a few crunchy kibbles.

 

>He's not going to waste away if he misses a meal, but he has problems with barfing if his tummy is too empty, so he needs to eat something before you leave in the mornings. If he's not into eating his breakfast meal - and there are many greys that just don't like breakfast that early - see if he'll eat some nutritious cookies or biscuits, or some bread, instead and have your dog-walker feed him at noon. The free-feeding thing might also work if it's only a sour stomach that's causing him not to eat, which the Pepcid will help.

[Guest UESBrindle]

>Are you giving him a Pepcid in the mornings before breakfast? I had trouble with Cash not eating in the morning - she's picky anyway, and her spookiness gets in the way sometimes too. So I started giving her a Pepcid about an hour before breakfast and she's eating really good in the mornings now. Especially if he had an upset tummy, he could be a bit wary about eating in the mornings. Try this for a week to see if it helps before you try switching foods.

He hadn't thrown up from not eating until today. Tomorrow if the same thing happensand he doesn't eat before i leave I'll give him a pepcid before I leave for work.

 

>He's an only dog so free-feeding isn't that big of a problem. The critter issue is though. Only you can gauge if free-feeding is worth the chance of mice. I also wouldn't worry about the "alpha" thing. He's a very well-behaved grey and not having him sit before meals is not going to change his relationship to you.

Ok- I'm glad that a few folks have said this, and that's fine by me-- I just wasn't sure because he's our first dog...

 

>If you don't want to waste the food, pick it up and put it in the fridge until dinner. Pop it in the micro for 25-30 seconds to take the chill off (make sure the metal bowl doesn't touch the sides and it can just go in). Mine don't care if it's mushy or not. You can also spike it with a few crunchy kibbles.

 

Can you really put metal in the micro?! I was always told not to, but I'll check and see how big ours is and if it fits it's worth a shot.

 

>He's not going to waste away if he misses a meal, but he has problems with barfing if his tummy is too empty, so he needs to eat something before you leave in the mornings. If he's not into eating his breakfast meal - and there are many greys that just don't like breakfast that early - see if he'll eat some nutritious cookies or biscuits, or some bread, instead and have your dog-walker feed him at noon. The free-feeding thing might also work if it's only a sour stomach that's causing him not to eat, which the Pepcid will help.

I actually think we were finally able to plug the entry holes the mice were coming in, so I'm happy to try leaving it out and giving him a biscuit before we leave. What would be a good nutritious cookie? He loves milkbones, but I don't know how healthy they are. He also likes the Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cookies, but again, I don't know if that's the dog equivalent of having ice cream for breakfast...

[RobinM]

When Beau started this type of thing, he had some serious stuff going on and we know William doesn't because he doesn't have all the other symtoms.

 

Teddy does this once in a while and when he does- I honestly do not feel he is playing games- I feel he is "off". Try sprinkling a little parmasean cheese on his food. Don't let it sit for 10 minutes, but more like a minute or 2.

 

Being that you only have one dog, I see nothing wrong with leaving it out to free feed him.

[greysmom]

[Can you really put metal in the micro?! I was always told not to, but I'll check and see how big ours is and if it fits it's worth a shot.

 

I actually think we were finally able to plug the entry holes the mice were coming in, so I'm happy to try leaving it out and giving him a biscuit before we leave. What would be a good nutritious cookie? He loves milkbones, but I don't know how healthy they are. He also likes the Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Cookies, but again, I don't know if that's the dog equivalent of having ice cream for breakfast...

 

 

My husband freaks when I put her bowl in the micro too! As long as it DOES NOT come in contact with the sides of the micro it's OK. Also, don't nuke it too long because the metal does get very hot very fast.

 

I'm not sure about the breakfast cookie. Maybe check around at your local pet store??? Or someone might have a sugestion.

 

Oh yeah! Is ice cream for breakfast bad!!!!!!

[Batmom]

Check his mouth and teeth and make 110% sure there's nothing wrong or sore there.

[Guest UESBrindle]

When I got home this evening he ate up all of his breakfast that was left out... ten we went for our walk, but then was too full to eat the dinner I put out once we got back.

 

I think I'll give him a milk bone before I leave for work tomorrow and a pepcid and leave the food out, so if he doesn't eat it, he's covered, and if he does, he gets a little extra.

 

As for his teeth, we brush them every night and he hasn't indicated that anything bothers him when we brush so I don't think that would be it.

 

I guess I'll wait and see when he eats his dinner tonight....

 

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions!