another feeding question

dixiedancr · Puppy Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 23

Griffey is 7 months old now and has suddenly changed his eating habits. We have been feeding him 3 small meals a day since we got him. He has never been one to eat his meal quickly. He likes to nibble at it for about a half an hour.

Recently I have come home from work in the early afternoon and he has not yet touched his morning meal. After I am home for a little while he will begin to nip away at it. Sometimes not finishing it until well into the evening. This is making it hard to figure out when is best to walk him (since i always wait 2 hours after eating) Also I am not sure he is getting enough food?? We are putting more food in his bowl around 7 or 8 at night and he then does the same thing where it will take him a few hours to eat it.

Everything else about him is exactly the same.... going to the bathroom fine, drinking fine, same high energy as ever....
should i be concerned? any ideas on how to get him to finish a meal?

Beth · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:00 pm Post subject:

Does he let you know when he has to go out?

dixiedancr · Puppy Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 23

yes he goes to the door and sits very well when he has to go out.... we havent had any accidents in a few months.... i probably just jinxed myself tho....

Beth · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:04 pm Post subject:

I've known a lot of dogs who will not eat if there's not someone home with them, my older dog is like that. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. If the food is down and he's hungry, chances are he'll eat it.

anne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

He's telling you he's ready to go to 2 meals a day. You are over feeding him.

dixiedancr · Puppy Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 23

well recently i have been doing the 2 meals.... but he is still only eating bites at a time... taking hours to finish a meal?

anne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:15 pm Post subject:

My guess is still that you are probably overfeeding him....

anne · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:16 pm Post subject:

Or, he's really finicky which is unusual for a Weim.
Give him 15 minutes to finish eating. If he doesn't finish, pick up his bowl.

weimdawgs · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:23 pm Post subject:

We had that problem with Silkie for a while and I realized John was overfeeding her (all of them).

Go to two meals. Don't increase the size of the meals for now. If he does not eat in twenty minutes, pick it up. Same thing at the next meal.
He should be happy to eat by the second or third time his food gets picked up. And he won't starve:wink:

I also know when my guys were just on kibble, that Silkie (never the boys) would get tired of the same food all the time and get to a point where she would pick until she got something different...can't say that I blame her. That hasn't been a problem though since we started the partial raw diet.

jamie8dc · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject:

Yeah, maybe he just plain doesn't like it that much. Maybe try adding yogurt to it so that it tastes better. Good for him and from what I hear they love it. Or there's those vitamin supplements that form some kind of gravy. Or mix in a raw egg with his kibble, everybody says that's good for them and I can't imagine any dog not wolfing down some egg. Smile