Picky Eater

[LittleLuka]

Luka is back to not eating, and i don't mean the usual Husky skipping meals not eating. I mean really starting to just not eat, like he would rather go hungry. Unfortunately, I think i'm going to have to switch his food AGAIN. This would happen after i just bought a giant bag of Fromms.

He started out on TOTW and all he got from it was runny stools. Do you think now that he is older he would do different on it? Should i continue to keep him on a food he barely touches and he's been losing weight? I want a grain-free food and i don't want something cheap, i want something QUALITY. opinions?

[Zoey's Parents]

this must be common husky trait, mines not eating either, I also keep switching food.

[Robinhuskylover2231]

I wouldn't continue to switch foods.... your dog is probably starting to realize that when they don't eat- they get variety. Switching foods because of a picky eater causes them to be more picky. Cally will stop eating for a couple days and then eat regularly for a week or two then back to abnormal....it's a husky thing. I have Cally on Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is a great grain-free food in my opinion.

[LittleLuka]

I wouldn't continue to switch foods.... your dog is probably starting to realize that when they don't eat- they get variety. Switching foods because of a picky eater causes them to be more picky. Cally will stop eating for a couple days and then eat regularly for a week or two then back to abnormal....it's a husky thing. I have Cally on Blue Buffalo Wilderness which is a great grain-free food in my opinion.

yeah we've only switched food one time and that was when Luka was a little puppy. It was too much protein for him and he did much better with Fromms. I expect him to go off his food for a while but i'm talking he isn't eating normally in over 2 weeks.

[Robinhuskylover2231]

Okay, sorry didn't realize it had been that long! I would take him to the vet to make sure there isn't an underlying problem and then go from there with switching his foods.

[Leyka&Diva]

Could you try him on boiled chicken and rice for a little bit to help get his weight back up and then gradually mix his kibble in with it slowly increasing the amount until it's all kibble ?

[Bec]

How much are you feeding him each day?

As long as he is healthy, he will not starve himself. Has he been to the vet for a check up?

[LittleLuka]

Could you try him on boiled chicken and rice for a little bit to help get his weight back up and then gradually mix his kibble in with it slowly increasing the amount until it's all kibble ?

He won't ever eat the kibble again. haha i feel like that will just make the problem worse because he won't want anything but the good stuff.

[LittleLuka]

How much are you feeding him each day?

As long as he is healthy, he will not starve himself. Has he been to the vet for a check up?

2 cups per day. It's like for starters he refuses to eat in the mornings. Then when i get home he will wind up picking at his breakfast. Sometimes he eats the whole thing and then later that night I give him around 1/2 cup more. It's a 50/50 chance he'll eat that. He just went to the vet last weekend because he was neutered and the vet said he is extremely healthy but a little on the thin side. Which i might add is what we hear EVERYTIME we go to the vet. He is always "underweight". I haven't been too worried about it because he's a husky until recently.

I don't know if i'm giving him enough time to eat his food in the mornings. I sit it down at 7:15 and i'm picking it back up at 7:45. That evening i feel so bad when i get home that i set it out again. Like i said sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn't or he just picks at it. At first this was only like every other day, now it's like he goes a week without eating in the morning and then this morning he gobbles every bite down.

He acts the same as he always does, like a complete psycho so his energy is not low. ha. I just want to make sure he's getting the proper nutrients and stop being so PICKY! Which brings me back to my point if i should switch his food.

Also, He's not on a grain-free food anymore, he's on Fromms Gold so i don't see how 1 cup of food could be sufficient. If he was on TOTW again and eating less i wouldn't sweat it, i know you cut the portion size down.

Edited October 19, 2012 by LittleLuka

[Zoey's Parents]

also looking for answers on this. Mine is having the exact same issue. My pup is tiny, and everyone comments on how tiny she is. I want her to gain some thickness, and she just isnt eating. I set out her 1 cup this morning, she looked at it, and walked away.

[Mollys_mum]

He won't ever eat the kibble again. haha i feel like that will just make the problem worse because he won't want anything but the good stuff.

Is that really a bad thing?

There was a very similar thread to this a few days ago I seem to recall...

1. Luka's weight will be determined, largely, by his skeletal frame. Looking at your avatar, Luka is a slight build - much like my Molly, so he's not likely to fill out too much more. I spoke to my vet when Molly was about 12 months old and he basically said what I have just written. In addition, he asked about her personality. Timber (my Mally) is rather too fat for example. His rationale was that because Molly is 'hyper' and always on the go, (in contrast to Timber who is much more laid back), she'll burn off calories a lot quicker. Essentially, she'll always be on the lean side.

2. Why not feed both kibble and fresh food? A lot of people do: usually raw in the morning and kibble in the evening. Or, how about a spoonful of natural yogurt mixed in with the kibble? There are other solutions out there rather than battling with just kibble alone for a picky eater.

3. I don't know if it available where you are, but this is grain free and good quality (it is also a lot cheaper than rival brands at £17.00 for 15 kg - about $11.00?):

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/autarky-adult_1_164901.html?utm_source=Google%2BProducts&utm_medium=Google%2BProducts&utm_campaign=Google%2BProducts

We use this for our 3. Quite often they'll look at it as if to say, 'You must be joking!' That said, they know now that if that's all there is, then that's all there is! None of them have have turned their backs on it 'for ever' as it were.

Lol! I have to confess, Molly has been less picky since re-homing 2 other dogs, although getting another dog just to solve the 'picky' problem probably isn't the bestest of ideas.

[Removed #2]

[

Lol! I have to confess, Molly has been less picky since re-homing 2 other dogs, although getting another dog just to solve the 'picky' problem probably isn't the bestest of ideas.

[LittleLuka]

Is that really a bad thing?

There was a very similar thread to this a few days ago I seem to recall...

1. Luka's weight will be determined, largely, by his skeletal frame. Looking at your avatar, Luka is a slight build - much like my Molly, so he's not likely to fill out too much more. I spoke to my vet when Molly was about 12 months old and he basically said what I have just written. In addition, he asked about her personality. Timber (my Mally) is rather too fat for example. His rationale was that because Molly is 'hyper' and always on the go, (in contrast to Timber who is much more laid back), she'll burn off calories a lot quicker. Essentially, she'll always be on the lean side.

2. Why not feed both kibble and fresh food? A lot of people do: usually raw in the morning and kibble in the evening. Or, how about a spoonful of natural yogurt mixed in with the kibble? There are other solutions out there rather than battling with just kibble alone for a picky eater.

3. I don't know if it available where you are, but this is grain free and good quality (it is also a lot cheaper than rival brands at £17.00 for 15 kg - about $11.00?):

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/autarky-adult_1_164901.html?utm_source=Google%2BProducts&utm_medium=Google%2BProducts&utm_campaign=Google%2BProducts

We use this for our 3. Quite often they'll look at it as if to say, 'You must be joking!' That said, they know now that if that's all there is, then that's all there is! None of them have have turned their backs on it 'for ever' as it were.

Lol! I have to confess, Molly has been less picky since re-homing 2 other dogs, although getting another dog just to solve the 'picky' problem probably isn't the bestest of ideas.

Luka is very active and hyper! never calms down lol. i figured he would always be on the lean side, i just didn't know when lean was too lean!

he loves veggies, there is just no where around here to buy raw meat for an affordable price. butchers aren't common here and the only 1 i've ever seen is very expensive. i could try the yogurt mixed in. My vet doesn't recommend raw feeding so it's kind of hard to get advice from him on that one. glad to see i'm not alone!

[Robinhuskylover2231]

Was just re-reading through posts and I know that the picking up the food (tough love approach) is recommended but maybe try leaving it out throughout the day for a couple days and see if that helps? Cally is extremely picky and we went from leaving it down all the time to picking it up about 15-30 mins after and she was still being picky and recently we just started leaving it down again and she seems content to eat it all but at her own pace

[Removed #5]

Alex, I'm going back to my original comment, then I'll add a couple. No healthy dog, Husky or otherwise, i going to starve themselves to death as long as there's a decent quality (( or maybe not so decent as in my case )) food available.

Misty always looked underweight even though she hunted for her meals and came home to snack at whatever I had available. I seriously doubt that even full grown she weighed much of 35-40 pounds.

The two monsters I have now both weigh in at 50 pounds ( 51 for Sasha and 54 for Avalanche ). I've had the same bowl of food on the floor since Wednesday evening and it's been nibbled at but - even between the two of them - I doubt there's a cup out of it. The vet that watched them for me while I was doing my cataract surgery said they both looked good ( Sasha could afford to lose a couple of pounds, my comment )

You say that Luka isn't eating normally - but if he is eating then leave well enough alone. The breed as a whole is 'svelte' and as others have said several times 'my vet thinks he's underweight' when, in fact, the dog is at a decent weight for the breed. If the picture in your avatar is recent, Luka looks good - not too skinny and definitely not overweight.

I presume you've done the 'check his ribs and backbone' routine. His backbone will probably be pronounced, most Huskies are, even my Sasha has an easily felt backbone, very obvious. You should be able to feel his ribs, you should be able to count ribs - but they should feel like they've got some meat on them. It's when they feel like there's no meat to them that I'd be getting concerned. (( not intending to gross anyone out, but think in terms of cows ribs that you buy at the store - you want to see some meat, something more than bone; but you don't want to buy 5 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of ribs ... ))

If I'm way off just say so, but as long as there's food available and he's choosing not to eat - leave it, he will when he gets hungry.

[LittleLuka]

Alex, I'm going back to my original comment, then I'll add a couple. No healthy dog, Husky or otherwise, i going to starve themselves to death as long as there's a decent quality (( or maybe not so decent as in my case )) food available.

Misty always looked underweight even though she hunted for her meals and came home to snack at whatever I had available. I seriously doubt that even full grown she weighed much of 35-40 pounds.

The two monsters I have now both weigh in at 50 pounds ( 51 for Sasha and 54 for Avalanche ). I've had the same bowl of food on the floor since Wednesday evening and it's been nibbled at but - even between the two of them - I doubt there's a cup out of it. The vet that watched them for me while I was doing my cataract surgery said they both looked good ( Sasha could afford to lose a couple of pounds, my comment )

You say that Luka isn't eating normally - but if he is eating then leave well enough alone. The breed as a whole is 'svelte' and as others have said several times 'my vet thinks he's underweight' when, in fact, the dog is at a decent weight for the breed. If the picture in your avatar is recent, Luka looks good - not too skinny and definitely not overweight.

I presume you've done the 'check his ribs and backbone' routine. His backbone will probably be pronounced, most Huskies are, even my Sasha has an easily felt backbone, very obvious. You should be able to feel his ribs, you should be able to count ribs - but they should feel like they've got some meat on them. It's when they feel like there's no meat to them that I'd be getting concerned. (( not intending to gross anyone out, but think in terms of cows ribs that you buy at the store - you want to see some meat, something more than bone; but you don't want to buy 5 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of ribs ... ))

If I'm way off just say so, but as long as there's food available and he's choosing not to eat - leave it, he will when he gets hungry.

thanks al! i've heard it a million times but sometimes i just need reassurance lol. he is not like any dog i've ever had so i second guess myself sometimes. i think i'm doing something wrong when really it's just Luka being a typical husky. That picture is from a few weeks ago he looks a little thinner than that now in my personal opinion but it seems like he loses weight and than gains it. 2 weeks ago he was 38 lbs at 7 months and i thought that was a decent weight for him. I don't think he's going to be a huge boy. It just gets where you second guess yourself when you constantly have people asking you if you're feeding your dog. OBVIOUSLY idiots. lol Our vet has a GSD X Husky so I think he's going off of his dog's weight which is built way more thick than Luka is. He did eat his breakfast this morning and all of it so that makes me feel much better. Besides, call me cheap but i just spent like 55 dollars on that bag of food and i want to use it all. haha His food will be changing at a year anyways.

[Mollys_mum]

Luka is very active and hyper! never calms down lol. i figured he would always be on the lean side, i just didn't know when lean was too lean!

he loves veggies, there is just no where around here to buy raw meat for an affordable price. butchers aren't common here and the only 1 i've ever seen is very expensive. i could try the yogurt mixed in. My vet doesn't recommend raw feeding so it's kind of hard to get advice from him on that one. glad to see i'm not alone!

Did your vet say why? (Curious, that's all.)

[LittleLuka]

Did your vet say why? (Curious' date=' that's all.)[/quote']

Nope just at our first visit he asked what we were feeding luka. At that time we ha him on TOTW which he said was a good food. He said he didn't recommend raw food or foods like science diet for pets. I don't think we asked why as then I was not considering a raw diet.

[Removed #2]

Looking at the photo he has really long legs, so I would expect he would be lean. My husky gsdx was always around 70lbs, but my boys now are 60 and Jessy is 45. You could always throw in some canned food every other meal if you want to try to put on weight...that was the suggestion when Andy came to us because he was so very thin!

[LittleLuka]

Looking at the photo he has really long legs, so I would expect he would be lean. My husky gsdx was always around 70lbs, but my boys now are 60 and Jessy is 45. You could always throw in some canned food every other meal if you want to try to put on weight...that was the suggestion when Andy came to us because he was so very thin!

Thanks so much! I like that idea! It may make his food more appealing as well