Advice Needed

[Guest Samantha]

OK, past few days Maddison has got extremely picky with her food, only eating weetabix and milk . Also, she goes to bed around 11pm and has done since we got her, but the past few days hasnt wanted to get up in the mornings and was content to lie around not even wanting her breakfast, but still wanting her cookies or doggy chew. She still trots along happily on walks and has the odd mad 5 minutes. I wormed her yesterday and she pooped afew worms and had dihorea, but her poops were fine today. Shes drinking plenty aswell.

 

What im asking is,is it normal for a grey to just want to lie about ALL day, i know they are lazy buggers but hey surely not this lazsy lol.

 

Also on the food front, ive bought some james wellbeloved kibble as she wasnt keen on any other, but now wnt touch that or any kind of canned dog food, ive tried mixing the dry with nice stuff but she doesnt want to know, i cooked steak last night and she wouldnt eat tht only her weetabix, yet today she snaffled 2 cooked chicken breasts off the bench!!!. She seems to eat stuff afew times then decideds she doesnt like it...am i giving her too much of a choice?

 

Any advice would be appreciated, i worry shes not eating enough.

 

 

Heres what our days consists of.

 

6am wake up and turn out

 

6.30am breakfast (sometimes she eats, other times she wont)

 

7.30am leave to take son to school which consists of a 30min walk

 

8am-3pm shes at my mums house with me and lazes about

 

3pm walk home

 

door is left open for her to wander round the garden as and when she pleases

 

5.30pm dinner time (same again sometimes she eats others she doesnt

 

8pm she usually has alittle play

 

After that she's content to lie about, i usually leave her food down sometimes she eats it later if not i remove it.

 

11pm lights out bedtime

 

If anyone can see anything in that day that could be changed please say.

 

Worried Mama here

[Guest bonniesbullet]

My Bullet just turned 12 and that's how his day goes. He started to do the same thing many years ago, I think once he realized he doesn't have to compete with any other dogs for food or attention, he has just relaxed and does as he pleases. Sometimes I have to get HIM up in the morning. Some mornings he chooses to not eat his breakfast and will wait till dinner. I think part of it is our fault, b/c we sometimes save some of our goodies for him--so he holds out to see if he's going to get something better than his dog food. He acts normal and happy in every way!

[Guest Samantha]

Im so glad im not the only one!. Shes coming up to 4 and she is the only dog we have at the minute, so that could be a very good point about not having to compete for food anymore. Thanks for the reply

[sarabz]

Sounds pretty normal to me! We get a few bursts of energy in the morning and in the evening, but that's about it

[TheFullHouse]

Sounds like a greyhound to me. The eating may be an issue of she's wanting something specific to eat. Some greys learn quickly that some owners will jump through hoops to get them to eat. Me, I'm of the mind set, that if your dog is healthy and has no medical issues, I put the food down for 15 minutes. After that I take it up and they wait, without treats until dinner. Usually they're pretty hungry then and will eat anything. They'll eat anything if they're hungry enough.

[Guest awvase]

all 3 of our hounds are useless before 9am (19months 7years and 10 1/2 years) none of them will eat before 9am either. Some hounds are just lazy in the morning

[JohnF]

Similar experience with mine (nearly 3. Seldom that keen on morning food so only offer about 1/3 of the daily amount then. (Kibble. Usually James Wellbeloved but with a a few tasty real meat morsels mixed in unless it is a sardines day.) A word of warning though - real picky eating and getting thinner plus drinking and peeing a lot together, maybe, with a 'uriney' smell to the breath may be a wake-up call for kidney disease.

[Guest Energy11]

I can relate! Our Cari, who will be nine in August, basically hates food! She is VERY picky, and eats when she wants, when she wants! I don't DARE buy her more than a five pound bag of food at a time, because, one day, she likes it, one day, she doesn't!

 

All of her labs are GREAT, and she looks GREAT! She is just a picky little thing! She DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, she will eat a treat in a heartbeat!

 

If all Maddison's labs are good, and she looks good, I wouldn't worry too much. Yep, she sounds like a typical senior Greyhound to me, just like Judy said.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

[Guest Samantha]

I can relate! Our Cari, who will be nine in August, basically hates food! She is VERY picky, and eats when she wants, when she wants! I don't DARE buy her more than a five pound bag of food at a time, because, one day, she likes it, one day, she doesn't!

 

All of her labs are GREAT, and she looks GREAT! She is just a picky little thing! She DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, she will eat a treat in a heartbeat!

 

If all Maddison's labs are good, and she looks good, I wouldn't worry too much. Yep, she sounds like a typical senior Greyhound to me, just like Judy said.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

Yup everything was fine at the vets, but she's there again next week, for some tests done before she gets spayed so i think i will ask them to check everything again.

 

Maddison isn't a senior either...she's not even 4 yet! Just one mega picky lazy girl maybe

[Guest Energy11]

I can relate! Our Cari, who will be nine in August, basically hates food! She is VERY picky, and eats when she wants, when she wants! I don't DARE buy her more than a five pound bag of food at a time, because, one day, she likes it, one day, she doesn't!

 

All of her labs are GREAT, and she looks GREAT! She is just a picky little thing! She DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, she will eat a treat in a heartbeat!

 

If all Maddison's labs are good, and she looks good, I wouldn't worry too much. Yep, she sounds like a typical senior Greyhound to me, just like Judy said.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

Yup everything was fine at the vets, but she's there again next week, for some tests done before she gets spayed so i think i will ask them to check everything again.

 

Maddison isn't a senior either...she's not even 4 yet! Just one mega picky lazy girl maybe

 

Good Luck with her spay! Miss Cari Lynn started her fussy eating about three or four years ago, so, YEP, that works! She started this at about four or five. Guess they are both Divas!

[Guest Stripeyfan]

Has it been warm where you are this week? When it was hot here last weekend (that's summer done and dusted for the UK I reckon don't you! ) Kelly ate the same as usual but didn't want to do ANYTHING. Just slept ALL day. And he has mornings where he's out of bed before I'm even down the stairs, and others where he won't deign to lift his head until I take his food bowl into the kitchen. And he's only 4 too! So if Maddison seems otherwise ok then I wouldn't worry. And your schedule sounds fine, a bit like ours really! I can't even remember what it's like to laze in bed until 8/9am any more...

Edited May 29, 2010 by Stripeyfan

[Guest Samantha]

I can relate! Our Cari, who will be nine in August, basically hates food! She is VERY picky, and eats when she wants, when she wants! I don't DARE buy her more than a five pound bag of food at a time, because, one day, she likes it, one day, she doesn't!

 

All of her labs are GREAT, and she looks GREAT! She is just a picky little thing! She DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, she will eat a treat in a heartbeat!

 

If all Maddison's labs are good, and she looks good, I wouldn't worry too much. Yep, she sounds like a typical senior Greyhound to me, just like Judy said.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

Yup everything was fine at the vets, but she's there again next week, for some tests done before she gets spayed so i think i will ask them to check everything again.

 

Maddison isn't a senior either...she's not even 4 yet! Just one mega picky lazy girl maybe

 

Good Luck with her spay! Miss Cari Lynn started her fussy eating about three or four years ago, so, YEP, that works! She started this at about four or five. Guess they are both Divas!

 

Oh god I'm doomed to a life of worrying wether she's eating enough

 

You know earlier she actually ate lying down...I'm renaming her Mariah Carey for her diva like actions!

 

Has it been warm where you are this week? When it was hot here last weekend (that's summer done and dusted for the UK I reckon don't you! ) Kelly ate the same as usual but didn't want to do ANYTHING. Just slept ALL day. And he has mornings where he's out of bed before I'm even down the stairs, and others where he won't deign to lift his head until I take his food bowl into the kitchen. And he's only 4 too! So if Maddison seems otherwise ok then I wouldn't worry. And your schedule sounds fine, a bit like ours really! I can't even remember what it's like to laze in bed until 8/9am any more...

 

 

Well its been warm enough that we've spent a lot of time in the garden ( and yes those 2 really hot days was summer! ). Im glad its not just me with the mega lazy hound i was beginning to get a complex ( u know what they say about a dog and its owner!!). I would actually give my left arm to lie in for a hour

Edited May 29, 2010 by Samantha

[GeorgeofNE]

Sounds to me as if you're in the process of creating a monster--

 

Why on earth would any dog eat dog food if they thought they could have cereal and milk or steak or chicken instead?

 

You mentioned some kind of chew; if you mean rawhide, she COULD have a big glob of undigested rawhide in her tummy making her not feel so great. Sorry, I didn't know the American equivalent of some of the things you said!

 

I think "JillysFullHouse" gave you great advice (and she should know!!); if she's hungry, she'll eat. But if she turns her nose away from dog food, and you make her something like steak--why on earth would she EVER eat dog food again?

 

I don't play those games with my animals; if they're not ill, I decide what they eat. And when. And how much!

 

Her routine sounds nice, except it doesn't seem like she's EVER alone, and one day you may need to leave her, and it's a good idea for a dog to get used to the idea that it's not going to have company all the time.

 

You might practice short trips out of the house where you leave her before the time comes when you HAVE to!

 

Good luck! Hope her spay goes well.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Sounds to me as if you're in the process of creating a monster--

 

Why on earth would any dog eat dog food if they thought they could have cereal and milk or steak or chicken instead?

 

You mentioned some kind of chew; if you mean rawhide, she COULD have a big glob of undigested rawhide in her tummy making her not feel so great. Sorry, I didn't know the American equivalent of some of the things you said!

 

I think "JillysFullHouse" gave you great advice (and she should know!!); if she's hungry, she'll eat. But if she turns her nose away from dog food, and you make her something like steak--why on earth would she EVER eat dog food again?

 

I don't play those games with my animals; if they're not ill, I decide what they eat. And when. And how much!

 

Her routine sounds nice, except it doesn't seem like she's EVER alone, and one day you may need to leave her, and it's a good idea for a dog to get used to the idea that it's not going to have company all the time.

 

You might practice short trips out of the house where you leave her before the time comes when you HAVE to!

 

Good luck! Hope her spay goes well.

 

All of the above!

[Guest kydie]

I am so gald to know that my hound is not the only "non morning hound" around, the other non-grays are up and bouncing ater he eats he goes back to bed and nothing can encourge him out of that bed, i call him and he looks at me as if I have lost my mind, as far as eating, when I have one that thinks it will "hold out" for something else, I just cut in half what he will eat, after a few times of only 1/2 the food he "will eat is given for a few days, they usually go back to eating whatever you feed. As my pups aged they normally ate less anyway Good Luck

[cleptogrey]

your gal might be self regulating when it comes to weight and is cutting back or just waiting for the "good stuff". i serve kibble w/ warm water. when they are hungry, they eat. if they don't eat after a couple of minutes i lift the bowl and save it for the next meal. that rarely happens. but dogs tend to loose weight during the summer months so she might just not need as much. how defined are her ribs?

 

laziness- how warm is it or warm and humid- that makes a differernce. dogs in general are pretty lazy creatures except some the super wired terriers. once a dog gets on a schedule, they stick to it. and those greyhounds have perfected the sleep habit. you will most likely see a change when a cool front blows in and she becomes frisky again.

 

my dogs get up, pee and go back to sleep until i get around to feeding them after my i.v. coffee drip. a good friend often stays over during the weekends with her corgi. talk about morning energy, afternoon energy and evening energy!!!! but the corgi shuts down and sleeps while her master is out at work. no problems there, but oh- my, - coffee and corgi! too much for me.

 

look up dinner with bill in the off topic section. you might just have bill's long lost english cousin!

[Guest Samantha]

Sounds to me as if you're in the process of creating a monster--

 

Why on earth would any dog eat dog food if they thought they could have cereal and milk or steak or chicken instead?

 

You mentioned some kind of chew; if you mean rawhide, she COULD have a big glob of undigested rawhide in her tummy making her not feel so great. Sorry, I didn't know the American equivalent of some of the things you said!

 

I think "JillysFullHouse" gave you great advice (and she should know!!); if she's hungry, she'll eat. But if she turns her nose away from dog food, and you make her something like steak--why on earth would she EVER eat dog food again?

 

I don't play those games with my animals; if they're not ill, I decide what they eat. And when. And how much!

 

Her routine sounds nice, except it doesn't seem like she's EVER alone, and one day you may need to leave her, and it's a good idea for a dog to get used to the idea that it's not going to have company all the time.

 

You might practice short trips out of the house where you leave her before the time comes when you HAVE to!

 

Good luck! Hope her spay goes well.

 

I don't give her rawhide, Im not sure what it is tbh but its kinda soft and chewy with a vegetable centre. I keep thinking she will starve if she doesnt eat . She has bee left on afew occasions usually between 1-3 hours and when i come home shes in the same place i was when i left .

 

Thanks for the advice i will try just leaving the food down and of she doesnt eat removing and tryin again next time.

 

your gal might be self regulating when it comes to weight and is cutting back or just waiting for the "good stuff". i serve kibble w/ warm water. when they are hungry, they eat. if they don't eat after a couple of minutes i lift the bowl and save it for the next meal. that rarely happens. but dogs tend to loose weight during the summer months so she might just not need as much. how defined are her ribs?

 

laziness- how warm is it or warm and humid- that makes a differernce. dogs in general are pretty lazy creatures except some the super wired terriers. once a dog gets on a schedule, they stick to it. and those greyhounds have perfected the sleep habit. you will most likely see a change when a cool front blows in and she becomes frisky again.

 

my dogs get up, pee and go back to sleep until i get around to feeding them after my i.v. coffee drip. a good friend often stays over during the weekends with her corgi. talk about morning energy, afternoon energy and evening energy!!!! but the corgi shuts down and sleeps while her master is out at work. no problems there, but oh- my, - coffee and corgi! too much for me.

 

look up dinner with bill in the off topic section. you might just have bill's long lost english cousin!

 

You can't see Maddisons ribs when she came from her owner/trainer she had been kept in racing kennels with the other greys, but never raced, so she was quite podgy when she came she has lost alittle weight and of course she has lost her kennel coat so now looks a lot slimmer, but is still not as slim as a grey should be. My dad who bred greys calls her podge!.

[TheFullHouse]

She'd like you to think she's going to starve, that way you'll fork over the good stuff. Seriously, if I did that with my dogs, I'd be fixing 11 different dinners a night. There are some mornings that Bebe looks at me and at her bowl and walks away. I just pick it up. Then she comes begging for my breakfast. I make her wait until dinner and boy does she go to town on her food. I think her tactics worked on her first owner, they don't on me.

[Guest Samantha]

She'd like you to think she's going to starve, that way you'll fork over the good stuff. Seriously, if I did that with my dogs, I'd be fixing 11 different dinners a night. There are some mornings that Bebe looks at me and at her bowl and walks away. I just pick it up. Then she comes begging for my breakfast. I make her wait until dinner and boy does she go to town on her food. I think her tactics worked on her first owner, they don't on me.

 

 

Thats exactly what Maddison does! refuses her food but would happily eat my breakfast!!. Boy is she going to get a shock tomorrow when i dont give treats inbetween meals until she learns to eat properly....well im going to have agood go at it, i cannot afford to be cooking up different meals to throw away because madam doesnt want it i will keep you all updated.

[Guest Liz]

My younger grey will go on a hunger strike for two or three days, but she always drinks so I don't worry, I figure when she gets hungry she will eat. I can't afford to change foods just because she decides she doesn't like it that day.

[Guest Furmom]

You are a new grey mom who has spoiled the poop out of her!!! (We all do ) She has learned the routine and knows that hunger will never again hit her belly. What I do when the girls decide they don't want a meal is tighten up on the treats..... believe me they won't starve

[Guest Samantha]

You are a new grey mom who has spoiled the poop out of her!!! (We all do ) She has learned the routine and knows that hunger will never again hit her belly. What I do when the girls decide they don't want a meal is tighten up on the treats..... believe me they won't starve

 

 

Your exactly right, i do dish out treats far too readily . Because when she doesnt eat i get the cooked chicken out or something else yummy that i know she is going to love. I really have to tighten up on this and will take all your advice and try my best not to give into her demands

[Guest Furmom]

Believe me ... having a very picky hound... it is all about moderation If she doesn't eat a couple of meals, she is begging for the next. YOUR schedule and they adjust..... if they eat their meal and are still sniffing around... we give in too

[Guest Samantha]

Believe me ... having a very picky hound... it is all about moderation If she doesn't eat a couple of meals, she is begging for the next. YOUR schedule and they adjust..... if they eat their meal and are still sniffing around... we give in too

 

Thing is with Maddison, she came from the kennels and was quite the chubster! She still isn't the ideal weight yet, so maybe she is regulating herself

[Guest Furmom]

Believe me ... having a very picky hound... it is all about moderation If she doesn't eat a couple of meals, she is begging for the next. YOUR schedule and they adjust..... if they eat their meal and are still sniffing around... we give in too

 

Thing is with Maddison, she came from the kennels and was quite the chubster! She still isn't the ideal weight yet, so maybe she is regulating herself

 

 

Well IMHO if you let her she will become a chubster again.... or a very picky eater... just saying