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I have over 20 dogs in my house at all times. Yay rescue. I free feed. If someone isn't eating, it's obvious pretty fast.
Maybe they're bored with their food? Try to change their diet slowly. Just a thought.
Just saw the comment that you've got a dominant one. I keep my dominant one locked up in another room and she has her own food and water and limited time around the others. Works for us, perhaps not for you though.
Bless your heart for the rescue work you do. You're an angel.
fasting is more commonly doccumented among raw feeders, but ive known many a kibble fed dog fast themselves...just pay attention to condition, as long as the food itself is a good brand, and their conditon isnst suffering form thier lack of eating i wouldnt be too worried about it.
fasting is more commonly doccumented among raw feeders, but ive known many a kibble fed dog fast themselves...just pay attention to condition, as long as the food itself is a good brand, and their conditon isnst suffering form thier lack of eating i wouldnt be too worried about it.
Fascinating. Thanks for the tip!
I was actually going to put them on a natural raw diet, but obviously didn't because I feared they'd be lacking in nutrients. No matter how much I read, it seemed no one agreed on what a raw diet should consist of. Plus, being a non-meat eater myself, I'm not comfortable handling meat (though I would do it for my pups if I knew I could do it and be sure they weren't missing any major nutrients).
if you ever decide to go raw (its my plan to eventually go 100%) i suggest you look into prey model...
the idea being you feed 1 animal over the space of however long it takes...
this is the model i use, i generally dehead defeet and defeather/skin...but otherwise they get everything from intesting to meat to bone...
with the little guys ive found quail, young rabbit, and bantam chicken is perfect for whole meals, but you can go a whole chicken it just lasts longer.
the key to making sure raw is balanced is to make sure your balancing meat to bone to organ and making sure they are getting "pre digested" greens preferably in the form of green tripe (uncleaned intestine) but if not, in the form of a veggie puree...
Prey model is, in my opinion the easiest method and the one that makes the most sense to me if your going raw...you know the dog is getting a naturallybalanced meal is you take a whole chicken guts and all and divide it up into portioned meals throughout the week... ect...
having seen what natural dogs eat (feral, exotic and domesticated) ive foudn the key to raw it to not over think it...
would a dog eat it naturally...no...then why add it to the meal (ie seaweed extract, probiotics ect...) if your following a natural model, no need for all the crazy extras lol.
I was actually going to put them on a natural raw diet, but obviously didn't because I feared they'd be lacking in nutrients. No matter how much I read, it seemed no one agreed on what a raw diet should consist of. Plus, being a non-meat eater myself, I'm not comfortable handling meat (though I would do it for my pups if I knew I could do it and be sure they weren't missing any major nutrients).
Until then, high quality kibble it is.
If you have small dogs you could start out using pre-mixed raw or even freeze dried raw. We get both for our small dogs from a local dog healthfood store. We also feed some homemade raw meaty bones, etc. as well as a grain-free kibble on occasion (not at same time as raw).
You could even do the same for larger dogs but pre-mixed might get exhorbitantly expensive very quickly.
The main reason we use pre-mix is that one of the people I live with has a problem with the smell of raw meat. She's not a vegetarian but just sensitive to the odor. But, she puts up with it for the dogs!
Since my girl is no longer on meds, she's eating normally now!
Unfortunately, the vet said the reason my boy is eating irregularly is because he has pancreatitis. We're awaiting the second round of bloodwork to figure out how we should proceed.
Just wanted to update everyone in case someone is in a similar situation in the future.
Just a quick FYI. Current thinking is that you shouldn't keep a dog on the same food for ages. It's now suggested that they should be on a rotational diet. Pick three or four brands. Feed brand A for 3 or 4 months, then on to B for three or four months and so on.
Even high quality foods have differing levels of vitamins and minerals and so by rotating thru several brands it helps to insure that they get a good balance of all those things over the course of time.
Just a quick FYI. Current thinking is that you shouldn't keep a dog on the same food for ages. It's now suggested that they should be on a rotational diet. Pick three or four brands. Feed brand A for 3 or 4 months, then on to B for three or four months and so on.
Even high quality foods have differing levels of vitamins and minerals and so by rotating thru several brands it helps to insure that they get a good balance of all those things over the course of time.
Thanks for the tip. That makes perfect sense. I said that to multiple vets decades ago regarding my cat because it just makes sense, but was told to not rotate the food by every vet I saw (and I saw a lot since I moved so much then). Once we get this straightened out, I'm going to revisit that idea.
I'm so eager for his bloodwork to figure out what's causing the pancreatitis because, based on this list of possible causes for pancreatitis, only a few are possible for him:
Certain medications, especially potassium bromide, as well as some anti-cancer drugs and some antibiotics --- He's not on medications
Metabolic disorders including hyperlipidemia (high amounts of lipid in the blood) and hypercalcemia (high amounts of calcium in the blood)
Hormonal diseases such as Cushings disease (hyperadrenocorticism), hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus
Obese and overweight dogs appear to be more at risk --- He's not overweight
Genetics may play a role, with Schnauzers and Yorkshire terriers appearing to be more prone to pancreatitis
Nutrition: Dogs with diets high in fat, dogs who have recently gotten into the trash or have been fed table scraps, or dogs who 'steal' or are fed greasy 'people food' seem to have a higher incidence of the disease --- Except for when the kids are sick and get chicken and rice, they never eat human food (and have no access to taking food from the trash can since we keep it in a cabinet), and only get a vet-prescribed high quality, low fat diet
Abdominal surgery, trauma to the abdomen (e.g., hit by a car), shock, or other conditions that could affect blood flow to the pancreas --- He's never had a surgery or injury
Previous pancreatitis
Sigh. I suppose time will tell, when the second bloodwork results come back.
I've had pancreatitis attacks 3 times. I can tell you it is extremely painful. Be extra diligent about what he eats and give lots of extra attention. I've heard of several dogs who died of it after being fed too much people food. Good luck.
I've had pancreatitis attacks 3 times. I can tell you it is extremely painful. Be extra diligent about what he eats and give lots of extra attention. I've heard of several dogs who died of it after being fed too much people food. Good luck.
Good gravy. I'm so sorry to hear that you went through that. I hope all is well now.
He NEVER gets people food (except for chicken and rice when they're ill), so that is what is making me nervous. If he did, I could rule out human food and feel better, but it seems to be something else causing it, and that's what's really worrying me. What strikes me, though, is that he luckily doesn't have any of the other symptoms of pancreatitis (other than not wanting his dinner sometimes, and only sometimes, not 2 days in a row), so I'm really hoping my being a neurotic mother means we caught it really early.
Thanks for the good luck wishes. Same to you!!
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