eating disorder?

[muggs]

I have a very healthy 17 week old pup that doesn't like to eat - he'll eat out of my hands. I've switched foods and at the beginning he eats well so I know he likes the taste, but slowly he stops eating as much as I feed him. Then he starts skipping a meal. He's going to the vet every 4 weeks - no worms, very healthy. Has anyone had this problem before? Could it be teething? I serve the food soft.

[2 Devils]

What kind of container do you keep the food in?

 

How long after you open a new bag (assuming) does he stop eating?

 

How much are you feeding? Once you soften it, it sort of increases in size so the pup could be getting full sooner.

 

I had a dog that would not eat food kept in a plastic container. We have to keep in a tin. She also was less enthusiatic about eating once the food was open for about a week or so.

 

If the dog is healthy, I wouldn't worry too much. Dogs won't starve themselves. Some just aren't big eaters.

[muggs]

Now that you mention it, it is about a week or so after the bag is opened that he stops showing interest. I have him on Innova puppy (Nutro Ultra before that). I just put it in a plastic container yesterday, so I'll have to watch that as well. Maybe I'll also try not moistening the food. I just don't want him to get too skinny, and being a pup, not get enough nutrition.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Shelby Kennels]

Actually - the bags you buy your food in are designed to store your food. So, if you put it in a plastic container make sure you leave it in the bag. Also, if the plastic container is not approved to store dog food (outside of the bag) it may be leaching out some of the vitamins and minerals you really want your dog to have. I store mine in an upright airtight plastic container in the original bag. The Whole Dog Journal recently had an article about storing dog food which is the source of this info.

 

Some of my dogs live to eat and others eat to live. I think some just love food better than others - like people I guess. As long as you are feeding a quality food and your dog is healthy I would not worry.

[muggs]

I bought an Iris brand Airtight plastic container from Petsmart. But I think that is a great idea to just store the bag in the container because I noticed the Innova bag has a good foil-type lining. The container was more for keeping ants out. Thanks for the advice!

[Mutt]

Innova recommends that the food be kept in the bag. I keep my innova in the bag and stored in a rubber maid bin. I had alot of trouble with Blaze when he was young and even at 20 months of age he still has days were he shows no interest in food. generally speaking there are usally a million things he would rather do than eat. I have found that the best way to intice him to eat is to add differnt things to his food. (hamburger, ect.) I usally find if I can get him started he will eat. A freind of mine has a BC that is the exact same way. So as long as he is healty I wouldn't be to concerned.

[Jennifer Glen]

There are disorders that present themselves with the symptoms that you describe. One problem is a vit. b-12 deficiency. It was orginally found in schnauzers but has more recently been found in border collies. There is a test for this and it's not a big deal if they have it, you just supplement them with B-12 but they need to be neutered because it is hereditary. Get a test done tho- no home veterinary care PLEASE.

The other problem could be bleeding ulcers. We have one dog that we know has them and one we suspect. They are very common in high stress working dogs like huskies but I haven't heard of too many in BCs. Our dog is 2 now, but he never ate much his whole life. Just enough to stay alive. He has stayed fairly small too, I believe that is from a lack of nutrition during his growth stages. If we switched food, it would be good for awhile but then he'd decide he couldn't eat that anymore. (I believe he felt that if he ate he felt bad so he'd stop eating, if we put something new down he'd try that 'cause he was hungry and he hoped it wouldn't hurt his stomach but eventually it would) During a particularly bad "flair up" he looked like he would die, but his blood work was normal. I started cooking for him and he perked up. Finally, cooking wasn't good enough and he got so bad we thought it was the end, but the vets kept telling us he was fine. (Dispite the fact that he looked emaciated) Finally we took him to a teaching hospital and they scoped him and found bleeding ulcers. -he had just started to become anemic and have dark stools, an indcation that the ulcers were bleeding. They said he'd had old healed up ones and must have had them most of his life. He tested negative for the bacteria that often causes ulcers and they are not realy sure why he has them. They believe it may just be that he stresses. He was put on a course of carafate and a medication that is the same as Pepsid AC and he's right as rain now. We have to feed 3 times a day because his stomach shouldn't be empty or the acid gets going again. The other dog we think has a similar problem, we give him a Pepcid 1 hr before he eats and then he is fine. Both dogs are gaining weight now.

If it continues to be a problem you might get him scoped. It's hard to get some vets to think outside the box so you may have to find one who believes there is realy a problem. I was a vet tech and I worked for some good ones so I knew there were other options even if my current vet wasn't willing to do them. That's why we went to the veterinary college.

Good luck,

Jenny Mask

[Piper]

I say don't worry. Our BC Piper I swear was anorexic when she was younger (she is only 3 now-so still young). She'd go a day without eating sometimes, just not a priority with her, and definitely not food /treat motivated. We used to worry about it but her gums would be fine, well hydrated and her coat looks great and then the next day it was as if she'd remember she was hungry and she'd eat.

 

She still does it too. She'll never be a fat dog that's for sure. This past winter she finally started filling in a bit and is now 31 lbs soaking wet.

 

As long as your BC is healthy I wouldn't worry.