Refuses to eat except when hand fed

[cll]

Hi there,

I have Sam when he was 8 weeks old and have already decided to feed him raw (this is cause we have a Golden who is doing very well on raw). I thought that Sam will take to raw like our Golden and thought he would relish the chance to eat and eat and eat.

Most unfortunately. feeding time has been a challenge. We tried the cold turkey manner at first but he was losing weight. Fed him some premium kibble and help ease his transition but then he was also not feeding well. After a couple of days, we thought maybe we should hand feed him. So that is what we did! Hand feeding him now for almost 2 weeks and if we don't do that, he will just not eat. He shows total disinterest in food.

We are at our wits' end as to what to do. We have tried to crush the chicken thighs, we have tried to feed it whole, we have given all parts of the chicken and somehow, we end up feeding him most times.

Otherwise he is active and loves to play.

I would appreciate any advice and suggestions.

Thanks.

[lhczth]

He is 10 weeks now? I would have him gone over by a vet to just make sure there is nothing physically wrong with him.

Next..........Stop hand feeding him. You are creating a spoiled eater. I, personally, would probably have him go hungry (no matter if I was feeding raw or kibble), but this is not my puppy, I can not see how much weight he is losing, nor how much he could afford to lose (since most puppies are too fat). You have to decide for yourself what you are comfortable doing. I would put the food down for 15 minutes. If he eats, great. If not, pick it up and put it away until the next meal (I feed puppies 3X per day).

I would make sure the chicken isn't ice cold and hack it up a bit with a knife so the pieces are manageable, but still large enough he has to chew. Have you tried any other RMB (like turkey)? Maybe quickly searing the meet (VERY quickly so it doesn't cook) will make it seem a bit more palatable.

Maybe someone who has had a picky eater can jump in here. I have never had a pup or adult that wouldn't eat for more than one meal.

[cll]

Thanks Lisa.

He will be 10 weeks soon. He is thin . Can feel his ribs too easily. My wife and I are tempted to let him fast but seeing him thin makes us hesitate. We did try to fast him once and he went without food for 18 hours and yet his problem recurred.

We do feed him 3 times a day or rather try to ;(. Tried some beef and pork as well but he does not show much interest. We don't have turkey here so easily in this part of the world.

We did as you mentioned with the chicken. But we have not tried searing it yet. We are planning to do that for his next meal.

Wuld definitely appreciate any similar experiences or advice.

CL Loh

[BlackthornGSD]

Can you feel his spine/hips easily? You SHOULD be able to feel ribs--that alone doesn't mean he's thin.

How much does he weigh? Does he have muscle in his shoulders and thighs?

[PaddyD]

I agree with the tough love approach. Assuming that he is otherwise healthy, he won't starve himself. Abby was a picky eater and we had to just suck it up and wait for her to decide to eat. She was also a slender-built dog so she looked thinner than she actually was. We put her on self-feeding ( MANY here will disagree with this) and there was/is always food available. She remained slender (still is) but never became thin or under-weight. The vet always says she looks great. She is now 2 years old 25 inches and 70 pounds. She eats whenever she wants to and never pigs out or goes hungry.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum...4-20110406.jpg

[cll]

Abby is gorgeous. .

Sam, is almost 10 weeks and he is around 13-14 lbs. Can feel his spine and hips. There is some muscles over both shoulders and hips.

Just seared some chicken breast for him. Didn't eat up everything. Otherwise he is playful.

We have a Golden as well. He keeps wanting to play with the Golden.

Toys that move and wiggle appeals to Sam most. His prey drive is good but his food drive needs more working on lol...

Tough love sounds like the way to go. Our biggest problem with him eating is the lunch and dinner. Mornings are a bit easier, probably he his last meal was 12 hours ago.

[DunRingill]

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but 10 weeks and 13-14 pounds sounds small. I'd have a vet go over him....I always worry about dogs that aren't interested in food. All of my dogs are PIGS when it comes to food!

[onyx'girl]

If you are set on feeding raw to your pup, get some fresh(frozen) green tripe. Though you may have to order it, it can take a few days to get to you....tripe is a good nutritious kick start.
In the meantime, I would maybe scramble an egg, melt some cheese over it and mix it with some ground meat(chicken if that is what you are feeding first). Chicken necks are usually what I start pup on, then go with the dis-jointed wings(they have less skin) on to the backs, or thigh, legs.

[BlackthornGSD]

Originally Posted by DunRingill

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but 10 weeks and 13-14 pounds sounds small. I'd have a vet go over him....I always worry about dogs that aren't interested in food. All of my dogs are PIGS when it comes to food!

It's definitely on the small side. I consider 13 pounds in the normal range for a healthy 8 week old.

I agree with a vet check, check for worms, coccidia, giardia--just to make sure.

I would offer food regularly throughout the day, only for 15 min, alone in a crate, take it up after 15 minutes. I'd probably offer food up to 5 times a day.

If I were feeding kibble, I'd say to mix in some yummy canned food and water while I was worried about his weight. If your pup is interested in kibble and not raw, I'd feed kibble for now and offer raw regularly as a supplement and maybe transfer to raw once he is more mature and a better weight.

Either that or try different raw foods until you find something he likes....

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by BlackthornGSD

It's definitely on the small side. I consider 13 pounds in the normal range for a healthy 8 week old.

I agree with a vet check, check for worms, coccidia, giardia--just to make sure.

I would offer food regularly throughout the day, only for 15 min, alone in a crate, take it up after 15 minutes. I'd probably offer food up to 5 times a day.

If I were feeding kibble, I'd say to mix in some yummy canned food and water while I was worried about his weight. If your pup is interested in kibble and not raw, I'd feed kibble for now and offer raw regularly as a supplement and maybe transfer to raw once he is more mature and a better weight.

Either that or try different raw foods until you find something he likes....

What SHE ^^^^^^ said.