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 Shitzu with poor appetite
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| Author | Topic: Shitzu with poor appetite |
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greenie New Member  Posts: 2 |
posted 03-02-2004 12:50 PM
 
We own an 11 month old Shitzu female that is a very fussy eater. We cannot find any dog food that she will eat. She just picks at a little liver or chicken. We would like to know if this is normal, or if there is anything we can do to improve her appetite. Any ideas would be appreciated. From a concerned Shitzu lover. IP: Logged |
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goofie_newfie686 Member  Posts: 94 |
posted 03-02-2004 06:05 PM
I would sugesst only keeping the bowl on the ground for 10 minutes. Max. if she doesnt it cover it in saran-wrap and toss it in the fridge. the next meal is called breakfast. she just thinks she can eat when ever she feels like it. which is not the case becasue YOU are the boss. if you worried about her getting to skinny or not getting enough vitamins try buying some vitamin 'gravy' you can buy it in a pet food aisle of a grocery store. its called "vita Gravy" it claims to have extra vitamins in it but i think the dogs dont really care, they just like the added bonus on a bland meal. CLAIRE IP: Logged |
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MyBabyShihPoo Member Posts: 206 |
posted 03-03-2004 09:31 AM
First of all, WELCOME!!!  I agree with half of what goofie said in her post. The vitamin gravy to enhance the taste would be great...just drizzle a little over the dry kibble. In other words, don't drench it. You want some "crunchy" in there because it helps to clean the teeth a bit. As far as leaving the food down and not leaving it down, this is another one of those issues with two sides. In my opinion, I would put a set amount (whatever amount is recommended by your vet) of food in the bowl (don't fill it to the rim in other words) and just leave it down during the day. That way he can eat when he wants. I equate this to your and my desire to eat, we are not (or at least I'm not) always hungry at the same time everyday. In the vast majority of situations, we eat when we are hungry, and that my vary from day to day. With that said, I feel the same toward dogs. For my dogs, I put the standard amount of food, the amount recommended by my vet., in their bowl, and leave it down during the day. A little bit before they go to bed, I pick it up. I have noticed that my dogs eat a fair amount in the morning when I first put their bowl down, and then they eat little amounts throughout the day. This method has worked very well for both them and me. Although, I would not recommend this with young puppies for several reasons. But, for slightly older dogs and puppies (by this I mean 6-8 mos. and beyond, and given that your dog is housebroken) this method seems to work well. For some this method is not feasible for one reason or another, but I have found it works best for me and many others. Is your puppy being a picky eater normal? I haven't found it to be REAL common, but then again, not uncommon...if that makes any sense to you or not. This problem sometimes is caused by the owners switching from one brand to another, then another, then another, then another, etc. It is best to stick with just a few brands, which is what I do, and gradually rotate between those few. There's my two cents, [This message has been edited by MyBabyShihPoo (edited 03-03-2004).] IP: Logged |
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little cheri Member Posts: 24 |
posted 03-04-2004 01:09 AM
Cheri is also a picky eater.We pampered her previouly with fried chicken.She end up only eating chicken and not the dog food.Vet said the most nutrious food for dog is actually the dog food.Now we actually feeding her with our hand. I will try on the above method.Good advice. IP: Logged |
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greenie New Member Posts: 2 |
posted 03-04-2004 12:39 PM
I wish to thank goofie-newfie 686, my baby shihpoo,and little cheri.for replying to my concern over my shitzu with the poor appetite. shes such a lovely little dog i would hate to lose her through not eating very well. I will try the methods you have told me about on how to get her eating and will keep you informed on her progress, thanks again for your help. greenie IP: Logged |
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ceveretts Member Posts: 22 |
posted 03-06-2004 07:55 AM
Hello! I'm sorry to hear thet your dog isn't eating much. I have a 4lbs yorkie and she was the same way. I got her when she was three years old and for seven years tried to feed her the healthiest kibble I could find, with lots of nutrition and no bi-products. I even drove half an hour away to buy it. Macy started eating less and less and I became concerned. She is a senior now so I figure one of the only pleaseures she has is eating and I wan't her to be happy. My Nana kept telling me to give her little ceasars kibble she gives it to her Maltese and he loves it!(it has 5 kinds of kibble in it 2 of which have soft centres) with some little ceasars wet food mixed in to it. I always thought of this as junk food for dogs but Macy had to have her teeth removed right after I became her mommy and it is much easier for her to eat. I'm sure your pup has great teeth still so maybe you could even use the kibble only. The cute thing is all of a sudden Macy has the appetite of a pit bull! Every time I can't see her following me around, I look and there she is staring at the empty dish or the cupboard for hours! Now I have the opposite trouble! What if she gains too much weight!L.O.L! IP: Logged |
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ceveretts Member Posts: 22 |
posted 03-06-2004 08:30 AM
Oops! Macy was just begging so I fed her (again) and realized that the food is called "Cesar," (not little ceasars)! Iswear she would eat all day if I'd let her! IP: Logged |
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susan_cude@hotmail.com Member Posts: 813 |
posted 03-08-2004 09:45 PM
Hello, I don't normaly post on this board even though i have two small dogs, I post on all dogs all types message board. With that said: If you would look at the other board, you will find a post called "FOOD FOR THOUGHT" it has been very useful to me, perhaps it would help you also. Good luck! I have a Shi tzu also named Freebie, he's 8 months old. Susan IP: Logged |
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JMTooTall New Member Posts: 6 |
posted 03-09-2004 06:43 AM
We have a 12 week old Maltese/Shih-Tsu who will eat like a champ, but many times only after we feed her a few pieces by hand. Maybe you can start with this, and then gradually your pup will start eating directly from the bowl. Good luck! IP: Logged |
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