Guest snoopycomehome Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I started with chicken drums (which he loves), then progressed to liver and chicken hearts (another fave!), then pork (not a fave) and beef (which he loves anyway he can get it). Lately though, his rmb's don't attract him. He used to toss them in the air and shake them back and forth with glee before crunching them and devouring them in minutes. I went to chicken quarters which he would stare at and walk away from...until I cut them up. Dh feeds kibble 8 oz a day, but he isn't interested unless I make a slop with it (pumpkin, sardines, veggies, yogurt, etc.) He still loves his walks despite a sore back foot pad that we have been treating, and I haven't noticed any changes in him at all. Pees and poops the same. Still plays and naps and sleeps the same. Do I need to chop up his meat more, or what? Any advice? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 If anything, you need to do less with his food, not more. Lots of dogs go through a "lazy" stage when, after beginning with the recommended bone-in meal (RMBs are really a misnomer and not a used term anymore, because it came to mean several different things, and that got really confusing) of chicken and then added in boneless meats like pork, heart, and beef. It really has nothing to do with the diet and how quickly it passes depends on how much or how little you attempt to accommodate or entice him to eat. Picky dogs are made, not born. Give him a leg quarter, whole. Leave it out for 20 minutes. If he doesn't eat it, put it back in the fridge/freezer and serve it at the next meal time. Do not feed anything else. When he's actually hungry, he'll eat it. If he has decided that holding out getting him better stuff, and it does, then he'll refuse food and hold out. You need to be firm with him. If he picks and chooses what he wants to eat when, he won't be getting the balanced diet he needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I would get him to the vet for a thorough exam of his mouth and teeth. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ola Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I definitely wouldn't chop up food for him, it's important to his dental health to eat whole pieces. Though if you suspect he may have a sore mouth I agree with a vet exam (does he eat crunchy cookies or gnaw on chewies?). How much does he weigh and how much are you feeding? This may be a bit tricky to figure out since you are giving some kibble as well, but make sure you are not over feeding him. My grey will entirely refuse meals or only eat his favourites if I'm giving him too much (i.e. a couple of larger-than-usual meals will result in him skipping the next one). I learned this when I was trying to put some more weight on him - clearly he does not need or want it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I would keep an eye out for something medical, and agree with Batmom that having his mouth looked at is a good idea. Something seems off, especially since he's refusing the kibble as well. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snoopycomehome Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Thank you all for your replies, first of all! We have had him a month, so he had a recent teeth cleaning under anesthesia. His teeth are actually looking better that when we got him, so we know that chicken is really helping him. He has no problems eating any type of treat or crunchie. He loves knawing his squeaker toys to death ha haaa! His coat is also on the way to looking amazing, too. I think Swifthounds has this pegged and sounds like exactly what is going on! That really helps...when he doesn't eat I offer something else, then something else until he eats. Guess I won't be playing that game anymore. *phew, what a relief* I am way stressing over this too much! Ola, we got him at a racing weight of 80.2 but he was super bony. When we took him in for his foot, he was down to 70 pounds (a month off the track). He was at a foster for 3 weeks with 9 other dogs... we figured that we needed to get some weight put on him so that has been my other concern for him to eat. I guess I will give him the bone-in chicken and none of his other nummies until he eats that first! Will he naturally get to his 'normal' retired weight at some point? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The rule of thumb with raw is to feed 2-3% of his ideal body weight per day. Watch for weight loss or gain and adjust up or down as necessary. Exercise level and diet will both affect his weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ola Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) I would look more at his body condition than the numbers on the scale. And keep in mind that some dogs will always be thinner than others, it can be a very individual thing. As long as he has lots of energy and good muscle tone you're fine. For reference my grey is about 75 lbs and if I were feeding chicken leg quarters he would get 2 or 3 depending on how big they are (we feed once a day). Also, keep in mind that even though he was bony at 80 lbs when racing, he may be a lot more padded at the same weight when retired, just because of the more laid back lifestyle. If you're not sure how he's looking you can always take a couple of pictures and post them here to get feedback (easiest to judge if he's standing up and straight). Edited January 24, 2011 by Ola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snoopycomehome Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Ohh, my gosh. It has been a painful several days waiting and holding our ground, but he is now eating chicken drums again...and with the same happiness level as before. However, after his first one he walked by me and snorted rather loudly...what a little stinker! It is amazing how well dogs communicate (I've only had cats for 20+ years so not used to this increase in interaction level). Yesterday and today after he ate his drums, I then gave him his other morning meats and things were back to normal. The hardest part every night was his 'slop' I make him with various nummies. He was looking so sad, but I am glad we held out. I honestly wouldn't know what to do with Dragon if you weren't such a greyt community of support! (However, I am assuming this is just the beginning of a very long learning process!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Glad to hear you're back on track. Unless he's a really careful chewer, you'll probably want to give something larger like leg quarters in the future. The bones in a drum can be a challenge for a beginning dog, but they have a pretty sharp learning curve for chewing and jaw strength. We jokingly call my youngest the "chipper-shredder." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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