This is new..... - YorkieTalk.com Forums

orinskye · 01-24-2005, 08:23 PM

Usually toby is a food hound.... but lately like in the past couple of days, he hasnt been eating as much as he usually does...... he does eat, so it isnt a medical problem, he drinks..... i was just curious, does a yorkies' need to eat so much because they are puppies slow down around the 4 and a half 5 month mark?
I have though about other factors,
One: when i feed him in the morning i usually close him up in his "area" and leave for work... he might be associating food with being left?
Two: He just doesnt need as much because he isnt as little and doesnt need so many calories
Three: He just doesnt feel the need to wolf it down because by now he realizes that no one is going to take it away or eat it before he gets to it...

So, what do you think???? im a little lost for words, because he isnt sick and he does eat and drink, just not as vigorously and not the same amount....
I probably feed him a cup of eukanuba petit a day (i used to feed him a cup and a quarter when he was a baby baby... but cut him back to a cup because he was getting a little plump)

lickthestar · 01-24-2005, 09:08 PM

I can relate! For a little while, Archie was not eating, then last week, he was gulping down his food, and now...nothing. I have major food issues when it comes to Archie. I had tried everything. I got him steel bowls, but he was scared of those. Then, my mom bought him a ceramic one and he was scared at first, but now loves it! I just keep leaving the food there for him. The vet said that "little guys" are like that...they might eat a lot and then not a lot so not to take his bowl away if he doesn't eat in 15 minutes. But what I did notice is that on days that Archie has a lot of activity, he tends to go nuts and then eat out of his food bowl. For example, he likes to eat while he plays with his ball. So maybe there's some sort of association, like throw ball, catch ball, bring it to food bowl, eat. A friend was telling me that his dog eats half his food, and hides the other half out of instinct. I think that's why at times Archie eats half and leaves the other half for later on. Just continue feeding Toby and he will eat...dogs generally don't starve themselves like cats might. I made the mistake of changing his food a lot and that makes him wait it out until he gets something better. But dogs only have like 1/9 the taste that people do so they're not as discriminating.

Oscar's Mom · 01-24-2005, 09:26 PM

Maybe I am doing it wrong, but I have never rationed Oscar's food. I leave it down all the time and he eats when he wants to. I am home with him all the time tho and you guys might have your dogs on a schedule in a effort to make potty training easier. We used to raise American Bulldogs and free fed them to keep them from gobbling too fast and causing bloat. It seemed to work for them, so I feed Oscar the same way. He is 4 months old now and weighs 3.5 pounds. My vet said he should weigh in at 6 pounds when full grown. I feed him a mix of Science Diet and Royal Canin and he loves it. He does get crunchy tiny bones as treats and about three times a week, he gets a few pieces of his favorite...frosted cheerios. We gave them to him to keep his sugar up as a tiny pup and he still loves them from time to time. You can just say the word "cheerios" and he goes nuts!

orinskye · 01-24-2005, 09:30 PM

My golden was "free fed" until she got sick, ........ she was a little chunky there for a while until we started rationing her food,..... after she got sick we cooked her food special for her, we did this for a couple months three times a day until she died..... i decided not to do the "free fed" method, not because of potty training, but because he is the kind of dog that would eat and eat and eat until he cant eat anymore, but he will still eat and innevitably puke, he didnt used to have any idea of when to stop...... maybe now he has a clue (we have him pretty much potty trained on teh pads now, so we dont really have to worry about that aspect)

Bentley'sMom · 01-24-2005, 09:57 PM

A cup of food seems high, although if that is what the feeding guidelines suggest then it is probably right. I feed Bentley 1/3 cup of Solid Gold Tiny Bits a day and he doesn't eat all of it. Even with that little of food, Bentley is definitely gaining weight (an getting a little pudgy in the midsection I think). Are you feeding him any more treats than normal that would give him a smaller apetite for his regular food?

orinskye · 01-24-2005, 10:19 PM

yes actually now that you mention it ...... we had a party here saturday night and a few of my fiance's friends kept feeding him WHOLE treats (i usually cut them up into about 10 pieces)..... needless to say i laid down the law and NO ONE feeds toby treats except me or my fiance..... BUT, on the flipside, that was on saturday, he has allready gotten them out of is system and he is still acting that way......

Bentley'sMom · 01-24-2005, 10:29 PM

Hmm... I wonder if there's a point where a puppy's appetite slows down a little? More seasoned yorkie owners would probably know more about that. With regards to the treats, he could be holding out for them instead of eating his food (especially if he had a lot of treats recently). I know Bentley always has a great appetite for his favorite treats, but does not like to eat his food unless he has to. Lately I've stopped giving him any treats other than his daily chicken strips with vitamins. He will scour the floor looking for any dropping and then finally, as a last resort, he eats his dry food before going to bed. It may take Toby a few days to get back into his normal routine after his treat-overload on saturday

bettyeanne · 01-25-2005, 03:51 AM

Another thing that could explain Toby's lack of appetite .... are you sure that your friends at your party didn't "share" human snacks with him? I caught my son, during the holidays, giving a few little "party snack" mix to his Border Collie [it was a mixture of seseme sticks, pretzels, nuts, etc.] and Toto was right there wanting some too! I scooped her up before she got any and he said "Mom, relax, I always give Missy a little treat, it won't hurt Toto!" I, of course told him, "give Missy anything you choose, but Toto can't have any ... her little system is a tad different"! End of discussion!!

Also, I have noticed that friends who aren't pet owners haven't a clue that some things just aren't good for pets! It always surprises them!

schatzie · 01-25-2005, 04:11 AM

I think it's normal for the pups to go through variances with their appetite. Schatzie went through times around 4-5 months when she didn't want all her breakfast, then other day's she woofs it down. Dinner time she has always woofed it down.

I think they can be like us, sometimes we feel we just don't need as much so we don't eat a lot.

I forget sometimes just how little Schatzie's tummy really is but realize she is getting plenty.

I am at fault also for probably too many treats, especially during training periods. I never realized just how small i can tear up a slice of cheese, ha ha. There are times when i've just smeared a smidgen on my finger and she can only lick it off during training, more of a scent then an actual piece...She's a chow hound though and she'd eat us out of house and home if I let her.

lickthestar · 01-25-2005, 07:08 PM

I feed Archie twice a day and leave it out until the next feeding. If he eats, great. If not, then the old food gets thrown out and new food is put down. But he doesn't eat and eat and eat. As for "human" foods, Archie does get some on occassion, like cheese. I'm careful not to give him onions or chocolate or anything with too many strange chemicals in them. I'm vegetarian myself, so if he does get anything from me, it's usually stuff like apples and carrots and potatoes. I'm very wary of anything with nuts, though...I'm not sure what might happen.

01-24-2005, 08:23 PM	#1
orinskye YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,990	This is new..... Usually toby is a food hound.... but lately like in the past couple of days, he hasnt been eating as much as he usually does...... he does eat, so it isnt a medical problem, he drinks..... i was just curious, does a yorkies' need to eat so much because they are puppies slow down around the 4 and a half 5 month mark? I have though about other factors, One: when i feed him in the morning i usually close him up in his "area" and leave for work... he might be associating food with being left? Two: He just doesnt need as much because he isnt as little and doesnt need so many calories Three: He just doesnt feel the need to wolf it down because by now he realizes that no one is going to take it away or eat it before he gets to it... So, what do you think???? im a little lost for words, because he isnt sick and he does eat and drink, just not as vigorously and not the same amount.... I probably feed him a cup of eukanuba petit a day (i used to feed him a cup and a quarter when he was a baby baby... but cut him back to a cup because he was getting a little plump)

01-25-2005, 03:51 AM	#8
bettyeanne Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama, etc. Posts: 9,031	Another thing that could explain Toby's lack of appetite .... are you sure that your friends at your party didn't "share" human snacks with him? I caught my son, during the holidays, giving a few little "party snack" mix to his Border Collie [it was a mixture of seseme sticks, pretzels, nuts, etc.] and Toto was right there wanting some too! I scooped her up before she got any and he said "Mom, relax, I always give Missy a little treat, it won't hurt Toto!" I, of course told him, "give Missy anything you choose, but Toto can't have any ... her little system is a tad different"! End of discussion!! Also, I have noticed that friends who aren't pet owners haven't a clue that some things just aren't good for pets! It always surprises them! __________________ Toto's Mom - http://www.dogster.com/?206581 Yorkie Rescue Colorado - http://www.yorkierescuecolorado.com/ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits." -- Albert Einstein

01-24-2005, 09:08 PM	#2
lickthestar YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY Posts: 360	I can relate! For a little while, Archie was not eating, then last week, he was gulping down his food, and now...nothing. I have major food issues when it comes to Archie. I had tried everything. I got him steel bowls, but he was scared of those. Then, my mom bought him a ceramic one and he was scared at first, but now loves it! I just keep leaving the food there for him. The vet said that "little guys" are like that...they might eat a lot and then not a lot so not to take his bowl away if he doesn't eat in 15 minutes. But what I did notice is that on days that Archie has a lot of activity, he tends to go nuts and then eat out of his food bowl. For example, he likes to eat while he plays with his ball. So maybe there's some sort of association, like throw ball, catch ball, bring it to food bowl, eat. A friend was telling me that his dog eats half his food, and hides the other half out of instinct. I think that's why at times Archie eats half and leaves the other half for later on. Just continue feeding Toby and he will eat...dogs generally don't starve themselves like cats might. I made the mistake of changing his food a lot and that makes him wait it out until he gets something better. But dogs only have like 1/9 the taste that people do so they're not as discriminating.

01-24-2005, 09:26 PM	#3
Oscar's Mom My Little Biker Dude Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,065	Maybe I am doing it wrong, but I have never rationed Oscar's food. I leave it down all the time and he eats when he wants to. I am home with him all the time tho and you guys might have your dogs on a schedule in a effort to make potty training easier. We used to raise American Bulldogs and free fed them to keep them from gobbling too fast and causing bloat. It seemed to work for them, so I feed Oscar the same way. He is 4 months old now and weighs 3.5 pounds. My vet said he should weigh in at 6 pounds when full grown. I feed him a mix of Science Diet and Royal Canin and he loves it. He does get crunchy tiny bones as treats and about three times a week, he gets a few pieces of his favorite...frosted cheerios. We gave them to him to keep his sugar up as a tiny pup and he still loves them from time to time. You can just say the word "cheerios" and he goes nuts!

01-24-2005, 09:30 PM	#4
orinskye YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,990	My golden was "free fed" until she got sick, ........ she was a little chunky there for a while until we started rationing her food,..... after she got sick we cooked her food special for her, we did this for a couple months three times a day until she died..... i decided not to do the "free fed" method, not because of potty training, but because he is the kind of dog that would eat and eat and eat until he cant eat anymore, but he will still eat and innevitably puke, he didnt used to have any idea of when to stop...... maybe now he has a clue (we have him pretty much potty trained on teh pads now, so we dont really have to worry about that aspect)

01-24-2005, 09:57 PM	#5
Bentley'sMom YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 299	A cup of food seems high, although if that is what the feeding guidelines suggest then it is probably right. I feed Bentley 1/3 cup of Solid Gold Tiny Bits a day and he doesn't eat all of it. Even with that little of food, Bentley is definitely gaining weight (an getting a little pudgy in the midsection I think). Are you feeding him any more treats than normal that would give him a smaller apetite for his regular food?

01-24-2005, 10:19 PM	#6
orinskye YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,990	yes actually now that you mention it ...... we had a party here saturday night and a few of my fiance's friends kept feeding him WHOLE treats (i usually cut them up into about 10 pieces)..... needless to say i laid down the law and NO ONE feeds toby treats except me or my fiance..... BUT, on the flipside, that was on saturday, he has allready gotten them out of is system and he is still acting that way......

01-24-2005, 10:29 PM	#7
Bentley'sMom YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 299	Hmm... I wonder if there's a point where a puppy's appetite slows down a little? More seasoned yorkie owners would probably know more about that. With regards to the treats, he could be holding out for them instead of eating his food (especially if he had a lot of treats recently). I know Bentley always has a great appetite for his favorite treats, but does not like to eat his food unless he has to. Lately I've stopped giving him any treats other than his daily chicken strips with vitamins. He will scour the floor looking for any dropping and then finally, as a last resort, he eats his dry food before going to bed. It may take Toby a few days to get back into his normal routine after his treat-overload on saturday

01-25-2005, 04:11 AM	#9
schatzie *Moderator Emeritus* Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tontitown Arkansas Posts: 4,909	I think it's normal for the pups to go through variances with their appetite. Schatzie went through times around 4-5 months when she didn't want all her breakfast, then other day's she woofs it down. Dinner time she has always woofed it down. I think they can be like us, sometimes we feel we just don't need as much so we don't eat a lot. I forget sometimes just how little Schatzie's tummy really is but realize she is getting plenty. I am at fault also for probably too many treats, especially during training periods. I never realized just how small i can tear up a slice of cheese, ha ha. There are times when i've just smeared a smidgen on my finger and she can only lick it off during training, more of a scent then an actual piece...She's a chow hound though and she'd eat us out of house and home if I let her.

01-25-2005, 07:08 PM	#10
lickthestar YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY Posts: 360	I feed Archie twice a day and leave it out until the next feeding. If he eats, great. If not, then the old food gets thrown out and new food is put down. But he doesn't eat and eat and eat. As for "human" foods, Archie does get some on occassion, like cheese. I'm careful not to give him onions or chocolate or anything with too many strange chemicals in them. I'm vegetarian myself, so if he does get anything from me, it's usually stuff like apples and carrots and potatoes. I'm very wary of anything with nuts, though...I'm not sure what might happen.