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new german shepherd pup dont want her food?

1K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  mishka82 
#1 ·
so first i apologize for this being so long.this is my first German shepherd,her name is mishka and i bought her around Easter time.i am her 4th home now and she is only 8 months old.when i went to pick her up the people informed me that she has been an outside dog an wasn't allowed inside being switched between their friends an family homes but everyone decided they didn't want her.i brought her home with the dog food they gave me which was pedigree but she wouldnt eat it so i figured she needed time to adjust since she was bounced around so much but to be sure i also took her to a vet to have testing done. she came up negative for everything but did have worms(not dog worms either) the vet said she must have ate some wild animal poop or even possibly a dead animal,so we gave her a shot to get rid of them an put her on trifexis.but the problems is she still wont eat her kibble only grazes on it. we tried multiple brands already i have 5 full dog food bags still sitting in my room so i tried making her puppy mush i use to make my wolf hybrid pups and she still wouldnt eat it even after soaking in beef an chicken broth.so every couple days i can get her to eat up to 2 cups at a time but she just normally picks at it.shes actually gained quite a alot of weight since shes been with us,she use to look like straight bones but you can still slightly see her ribs an feel her hip bones.i been giving her chicken breast and rice mix just to get her to eat more ,someone told me to mix yogurt in her kibble and that should help,an she also has no problem eating human food but it takes her like 5 minutes just to eat a hotdog cause shell take little bites till its gone like she thinks she wont get anymore unless my cats try to take it then shell eat her treats pretty quick lol.i took her to the vet again an had them run another blood test an stool sample again but everything came up negative still.so im wondering if any one else ever experienced this an possibly know what i should do?or maybe shes just picky? cause she should be eating a few cups a day but sometimes wont even eat half a cup.when i talked to the vet he called her a grazer an said he has a bull dog just like her at home an told me not to become concerned unless she stops eating completely or starts to loose weight.maybe i should just give up on the kibble an put her on a barf diet?she acts completely healthy,loves to play especially with my boys.shows no sign of anything being wrong besides not eating.im posting pics to try an give an idea of her wieght she is at 56 pounds at the moment which the vet said was good for a female shepherd but she still looks so skinny.(note the collar in the pic makes it look tight but its actually really loose her fur just poofs up around it cause its a big collar,i can fit my whole hand under if i wanted to.)just thought i explain that cause when i tried posting else where people thought it was tight but i swear it is not.
 

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#2 ·
She is gorgeous! Yes she is thin, but you said she was gaining weight, so that's good.

Is her stool firm? Any vomitiing?
 
#6 ·
thank you guys for the replies.i actually tried to pick her food up and give it to her during only feeding times after a family friend said too not let her have access 24/7 like i use to but it still didn't seem to work,she would only take a couple small nibbles an be done.i even tried to make a couple homemade dog food recipes that i use to make awhile back an she still turned her nose up to it.i been feeding her a couple raw items an chicken an rice every now an again just to help her gain weight cause she was only 45 pounds when i got her but i think im gonna end up switching her over to a raw diet,i never fed a complete raw diet before though cause my hybrids got raw but was still given kibble everyday but i been reading the forums on here about it an i think its the best step for me to take with her.
 
#7 · (Edited)
thank you guys for the replies.i actually tried to pick her food up and give it to her during only feeding times after a family friend said too not let her have access 24/7 like i use to but it still didn't seem to work,she would only take a couple small nibbles an be done.i even tried to make a couple homemade dog food recipes that i use to make awhile back an she still turned her nose up to it.i been feeding her a couple raw items an chicken an rice every now an again just to help her gain weight cause she was only 45 pounds when i got her but i think im gonna end up switching her over to a raw diet,i never fed a complete raw diet before though cause my hybrids got raw but was still given kibble everyday but i been reading the forums on here about it an i think its the best step for me to take with her.
Offer her food during her normal feeding time, if she won't eat it immediately take it away. Do this for about 3 days and she'll eat.
Not always. I did it to my pup as he was going through exactly the same thing but it never worked. His breeder said that all of pups from his litter are on kibble and have no issues except for this little dude. He would eat once every 2-3 day, almost like enough not to starve, and I tried everything and anything (with bags of different brand sitting in the pantry).

Anyways, I ended up putting him on commercial raw diet (currently feeding Carnivora dinner (bison)) and he absolutely loves it. The second I put the plate down, he is all over it and often would come to give me a kiss (in my face), and burps just as his nose is in front of mine.. LOL. Make me laugh every time.
Try raw diet:)
 
#8 ·
Yes, your raw diet HAS to be balanced.
Raw Foods:
Bravo: Discover Balance Raw Diet | Beef Frozen Raw Dog Food Diet - Bravo Pet Food Find a store: Find a Bravo Retailer - Bravo Pet Food
Northwest Naturals: Beef Find a store: Store Locator
Primal: Complete Raw Diets for Pets: Canine Beef Formula Find a store: Primal Pet Foods: Store Locator


I would also suggest a high quality Digestive Enzyme (helps to assimilate food) & a ProBiotic (keeps the "good" bacteria in the gut). Since about 75% of the immune system lies in the gut (immune system helps fight allergens) it is very important to keep it very healthy. Below are 2 Human Ingredient Products:
Sunday Sundae (Digestive Enzyme & Pro-Biotic Combo): Sunday-Sundae-12oz
OR
Dr. Dobias GutSense (Pro-Biotic): GutSense - certified organic probiotic for dogs

Good Luck!
Moms:)
 
#9 ·
lol that is adorable,your pup does sound just like how mine is now, that is exactly what she does she eats but just enough not starve herself,im definitely gonna switch to raw she seems to prefer those meals a lot better when offered anyway :). an thank you for the links ill be sure to check them out an make sure her diet is balanced any tips are very appreciated for i would like to make sure i do it right,ill continue to read the other forums on here an do research as well.i do have a another question about the topic,hunting is a big sport in my little town so there are always hunters plus my husband who have scrap meats an parts from hogs an deers ext.. if the meats from those are frozen for a couple weeks should they be okay to allow her to have when available?i know a couple hunters who allow their dogs to have extra parts but i dont want to do it if there is some kind of risk due to the animal being wild.
 
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