Food problems...

[PixieK83]

Tuesday was the third day since I adopted Lucky and we made SERIOUS progress today!!!

I had to go out this afternoon for an hour or so, so I put the gate up so Lucky couldn't have free roam of the house. Since I just got him, I'm not too sure on his personality. I don't want to come home to my furniture and stuff all chewed up! So, when I got home I opened the gate and instead of Lucky going straight into his little tent, he stayed out for a good 45 minutes! He stayed right by me, let me pet him and then laid by my feet! He went back in his tent for an hour or so after, then he spent the night coming in and out -- with majority of it being out! I am so so happy that he is making progress!! He is doing so well with going to the bathroom outside too! Not one accident inside!

But now here comes my question about food...

I was only given very little of the food that Lucky eats. So I went to a few different pet stores and couldn't find it at the stores. So I talked to the associates at the store and they told me how to wean him. I barely have enough food to do that. I picked up Natural Balance's LID in Chix. Lucky has a supposed allergy to corn. Well I mixed the old food with the new and we doesn't really eat it, maybe a bite here and there. At first I thought he wasn't eating because of the stress of everything going on. So I let it go. But, not it has been 4 days an he hasn't eaten much at all -- he probably at the equivilant of 3/4 of a bowl since I have gotten him. And for him to even do that, I had to mix a little plain yogurt into it (he LOVES yogurt!). I'm wondering how I can tell if he is not eating because he doesn't like the new food or if it is still because he has a nervous tummy? If it was because of getting a new home and everything else, how long should that last? When should he start eating if that was the case? I'm wondering if I should trying changing the food to another brand? Or should I just try another flavor but the same brand? Oh this is so so confusing! Geesh! I'm stressed out and lost my appetite over all of this! HA!

So yes, If you could let me know your opinions, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks so much in advance!

Here is a pic of Little Lucky on day 3 with me!!

[Lovetodream88]

He is so cute and I'm glad he is coming around you more that is great. I'm not sure what to do about the food but when Callie my yorkie is not eating I hand feed her maybe you could try that.

[gracielove]

You didn't say what his old food was but some of the traditional types of dog food have various forms of glucose in them that kind of addict the dog to the flavor of the food. It may be that the taste of the food you have for him now is just very different to him. It may take him a while to get used to the new food. Putting yogurt on it is a good idea, just make sure it is not sugared yogurt as that will prolong his need for sugar. It is bad for his teeth as well as his health in general. Sometimes cooking some chicken and mixing it with the food may help or just adding some chicken broth.

It sounds like he is starting to come out of his shell. Spending is much time with him as you can will help. I used to have to feed my dog by hand to get her to eat. I hope it is just the change in food and not something else that is bothering him. He doesn't have diarrhea or anything does he?

[PixieK83]

Thanks guys!

He LOVES yogurt! I got him the plain flavored and it has barely no sugar in it.
I made sure of that!

But I don't want that to be the only way he eats either. I am going to try the chicken. Which is better, the broth or real boiled chicken?

He seems completely fine health wise -- no diarrhea, no vomiting. He is going to the bathroom regularly and outside! Which he never did for his owners (but then again, I feel like they never tried and that is why).

He has been out of his tent ALL morning today! He is just laying on the floor near my feet. My dad just came over to see him and at first he was nervous and wouldn't come to him, but within 10 mins he started going to him and jumping up on him!

I don't think he likes to be picked up tho. My dad tried to pick him up and he went at him as to say "leave me alone!", not to hurt him just to get a point across. I haven't picked him up yet, cuz this is the first time he's really been out of the tent for a long while. Is this normal? Maybe cuz he isn't used to it?

The food he was on was called Gold's. I will have to look to see if it has lots of sugar in it and if that is what may be the problem. I didn't think of that, but it is a good point!

I live in an apartment building and people always walk by my door. Well today was the first time I heard Little Lucky bark!!! Not that I want him to bark, but I kind of took that as a good sign too. Lol!

I just happy that he isn't in that little tent all day.
Now on to getting him to eat...

[SweetLifetime]

I have no advice about the food but I wanted to tell you that he is just as cute as can be. And he's so lucky to have you as a mommy!

[LunasMomma]

You could always try mixing a bit of canned with his kibbles He may still be too nervous to eat much, it's impossible to say, really. Are you leaving the kibble down all day long? If so, it would probably entice him to eat more if you just fed him 2 or 3 times a day instead. I was free-feeding my girls for a long time, but my little one didn't eat much that way, so I've started giving them some canned twice a day to ensure that little Luna was getting some food into her, she was getting too skinny

Anyway, it's going to take time, and switching foods too much could create a more picky eater. Try hand feeding him a few pieces to get him started, and maybe sit next to his bowl while he eats. I'm not an expert by any means, just relaying what's worked for me in the past.

Good luck with your new little cutie

[kamax60]

Originally Posted by PixieK83

But now here comes my question about food...

I was only given very little of the food that Lucky eats. So I went to a few different pet stores and couldn't find it at the stores. So I talked to the associates at the store and they told me how to wean him. I barely have enough food to do that. I picked up Natural Balance's LID in Chix. Lucky has a supposed allergy to corn. Well I mixed the old food with the new and we doesn't really eat it, maybe a bite here and there. At first I thought he wasn't eating because of the stress of everything going on. So I let it go. But, not it has been 4 days an he hasn't eaten much at all -- he probably at the equivilant of 3/4 of a bowl since I have gotten him. And for him to even do that, I had to mix a little plain yogurt into it (he LOVES yogurt!). I'm wondering how I can tell if he is not eating because he doesn't like the new food or if it is still because he has a nervous tummy? If it was because of getting a new home and everything else, how long should that last? When should he start eating if that was the case? I'm wondering if I should trying changing the food to another brand? Or should I just try another flavor but the same brand? Oh this is so so confusing! Geesh! I'm stressed out and lost my appetite over all of this! HA!

So yes, If you could let me know your opinions, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks so much in advance!

Here is a pic of Little Lucky on day 3 with me!!

I only give my baby a 1/4 cup of food twice a day - and some days he will only eat a 1/4 cup total. When you say he's eaten only 3/4 of a bowl - did you measure the amount of food you started with?

[Farleys]

Originally Posted by kamax60

I only give my baby a 1/4 cup of food twice a day - and some days he will only eat a 1/4 cup total. When you say he's eaten only 3/4 of a bowl - did you measure the amount of food you started with?

Thats what i was thinking, i dont know how big the bowl is or how big your little guy is. But my yorkie is 7 lbs and eats 1/4 cup twice daily also. And since you said he loves yogurt, i would put some yogurt on it every day. As long as it is plain yogurt, its good for them and good for their digestion, so nothing wrong with putting a little on each meal if thats what makes him eat it.

[deonk1]

I can't give much advice on the nervous tummy stuff, but I have a dog with severe food allergies, I have tried 6 foods in the last 3 months and finally found one that works.

If you're concerned that your baby isn't eating enough there are a few questions I asked myself on each food we tried before I made the decision to go to the vet or try a new food (remember this is not medical advice and if you suspect anything is seriously wrong consult a vet)
- What is their energy level (high, usually no need to worry, low, see if something else is wrong too, then act appropriately)
- What color are the gums, are the pink or red (good), or dull and grey (bad, sign of either dehydration or lack of nutrients or feeling sick).
- How fast do the gums regain original color when touched? (fast = not dehydrated, slow= dehydrated
-What does the stool look like/smell like? Eventually you get to know what your dog's poo smells like (same goes for gassiness) I can tell if somethings wrong based on that, soft looking or runny = cause for concern, hard as a rock = cause for concern sometimes, medium = not too worried.

A new food takes 2-3 weeks to gain a good grasp as to whether its good or not. Unless you see immediate illness you are best to wait it out on the new food and see where it goes. While we all worry when our babies do not eat, dogs will not allow themselves to starve. It is possible that he just prefers the old food and isn't giving the new one a chance yet.

If you are concerned about the nutrients your baby is getting when not eating, I would make sure that you have Hi-Cal on site and give that a few times a day. I also like to keep some pediatric electrolytes on hand for when he's not eating. I know that they are designed to rehydrate, but it seems like when my boy doesn't eat, he also doesn't drink and this helps him get his bounce back in his step. Some dogs will lick the up out of a bowl (get the non-flavored stuff), and some you have to give it to by syringe.

These are all just some things I've used to make decisions about what I'm going to do with my boy.
Also how much does he weigh? and what is the exact amount he's eaten so far? While it's not ideal, when Harley was sick (3.5lb) I would count his kibbles out, and I was happy if he ate 20 kibbles per day (almost 1/8 cup) it meant that they were getting something, and as his condition improved we worked back up to the regular amount and the regular weight (4lb) eating 1/2 cup per day.

One thing I do now is have a book where I record everything, when food is given, how much, when it's all eaten, when they go to the bathroom, when they are exercised, if there is an episode of some symptoms from illness.... I record it all. That way I can see the trends and know what is normal and exactly what date and time it occurred.

Not sure if any of this is helpful... but its some of the stuff I've been doing over the past 3 months.


Good luck with your new little guy. I'm sure he'll get settled in well. Very cute too btw.

[PixieK83]

Thanks so much for your advice!

Here is a couple answers to your questions...

Lucky is about 13 lbs. And I would say he has eating about 1/2 (maybe a little more) cup of food since I have gotten him on Saturday.

He is pooping just fine. He goes once a day and it isn't runny at all. He is drinking fine too. That isn't a concern at all.

I do lay his food out all day, so he can eat at his leisure. So maybe I shouldn't be doing that and just put it out twice a day for him.

He is active. We go on at least 4 walks a day and he does well on them. And he is starting to become more comfortable with me and others, so he is acting lively when others come over.

Still, today he hasn't eaten.
I was thinking about mixing some wet food with the dry. But my concern with that is I don't want him to become used to that.

Oh, Im such a worried mom! Haha!

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by PixieK83

The food he was on was called Gold's. I will have to look to see if it has lots of sugar in it and if that is what may be the problem. I didn't think of that, but it is a good point!

Is it Gold's or Solid Gold? Like in this link below.
Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit Small Breed Adult Maintenance Natural Dry Dog Food - petco.com

[gracielove]

There should be a chart on the bag of food that states how much to feed your dog according to his weight. Usually just the smell of chicken cooking will get a dog's nose going and their interest in eating awakened. I would think that mixing some cut up chicken in the food would work best.

I am assuming that the tent he has is the only thing that seems familiar to the poor guy right now and that is why he feels secure in there. As he learns to trust you and realizes that you are his human he will start to come out and want to be with you more than in the tent. I just feel so bad for this guy but his life has taken a turn for the better and soon he will realize it I hope.

It's a good sign that he is not having any stomach upsets with the change of food. I think you will find you have a real gem there. I never heard of the food he was being fed. Maybe you can google it and find out more about it.

[PixieK83]

Oops, my mistake. It wasn't Golds.
It was Diamond food!

I knew it was some sort of jewelry! Haha!

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by PixieK83

Oops, my mistake. It wasn't Golds.
It was Diamond food!

I knew it was some sort of jewelry! Haha!

Ha! I know the brand well. One of my best friends feeds her five large dogs that. She buys it at Tractor Supply Company.

[gracielove]

Your right. It is at Tractor Supply. It is a very cheap brand that many people buy for their big dogs. I don't remember the ingredient list but I remember looking at it and thinking I would never feed my dog that stuff.