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Very small appetite

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Member Since 07/19/2012     Barked: Thu Jul 19, '12 1:36pm PST  I have husky lab mix who isn't a picky eater. The dog just isn't motivated to eat, anything. First I'll go through a little history of this dog and then what I've done to try to resolve the problem. The owner before me adopted the dog from the shelter. She was underweight then. The dog was eating cheap kibble but, only enough to live and nothing more. She had access to food 24/7. They even tried mixing her food with wet dog food without much luck. This dog has issues with anxiety as well and the family couldn't handle it. Shelter said they would have to put the dog to sleep if they returned it so I took the dog instead. So now I have the dog. I tried to feed the beneful they gave me until the dog was use to the house and she refused it for over 48 hours. Looked starved but refused to eat. So I tried taste of the wild. She ate about 2 cups of that one night and refused it the next day and the day after. Went through and tried all the different types of taste of the wild and fromm, and a few other grain free good foods with some she loved at the start and hated later and others she just spit out after trying them. I'm a raw dog feeder who in the past have had bad luck converting dogs to raw due to sensitive stomachs. I've had the worst luck ever with dogs having sensitive stomachs. Since this dog was skinny I didn't want to move her to raw until she put on some weight but the kibble just wasn't working. So we moved on to raw. First 72 hours was nothing but success and she gained 3 pounds. Then she went back to her picky self. She'll eat, just not much. I can get her to eat maybe a little under a pound a day if I break it into 2 feedings which is still better luck than I had with kibble. She isn't gaining weight on that. Instead she is slowly losing it. Looking through all her vet records over the last couple of years that the previous owners kept together for me it shows that this has always been a problem for this dog. Do I just assume that that is what she wants? Or do I keep trying to find ways to correct it? I can't leave food out 24/7. I have another dog who is now a little over weight, eats everything in sight, and had a issue with bloat. I think what shocked me the most is that she even gets bored of chewing on bully sticks. Her biggest plus is a iron stomach. Would love it if I could get her to eat little more. Edit: I'd give her a 2 on the scale. I can clearly see her ribs and hip bones. Edited by author Thu Jul 19, '12 8:40pm PST my posts [notify]

MIKA&KAI Akita Pals- Always.     Barked: Thu Jul 19, '12 4:33pm PST  Have you yourself taken the dog to the vet? Has he been checked for parasites,illness,infection or other conditions that can affect appetite? Have you asked the vet about foods,toppers,or suppliments that might help him put weight on? Have you ever tried separating him from your other dog and allowing him to eat alone to see if that is an issue? Contacted a specialist for GI testing? Contacted a behaviorist? Tried medication to relieve stress and possibly increase appetite? If you have not done these things yourself,then my first suggestion would be a trip to the vet for a good once over,some labwork,and stool check along with asking for some suggestions on what you can do to help him want to eat more,what he should be eating,and if there is anything else that could affect his appetite. to you in getting him into a healthier condition and better body weight. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 07/19/2012     Barked: Thu Jul 19, '12 8:37pm PST  Thank you for the reply. Her last vet visit was 2 days before arriving with me. The last owner thought it best to vaccinate her again before given her to me which was stupid because the dog was given her 3 year rabies less than a year ago. I went over the vet notes and it was pretty consistent with what the shelter reported. Underweight and otherwise healthy. At some time in her life she had worms and had lacerations on her body but that was over a year ago and with a different owner. This poor dog has been in and out of the shelter and apparently has had a very hard life. The dogs don't eat together. I had thought that was part of the problem and stopped that within the first few days. I'd take her to the vet but I really can't afford the expensive test that would get us anywhere. Stool sample was recently checked. Getting into the GI testing and behaviorist and the cost get to be way too much. If stress is the problem I've been slowly correcting that with obedience training. She had some very bad anxiety. Destroyed my crate when I left her alone for a few hours. Was fine in the crate when I was home but the second I left she became a different dog. And yes, my dogs are exercised daily and get more than enough exercise. My house wasn't destroyed, just the crate and for that I count myself lucky as I wasn't aware that she already knew the rules. Her anxiety is slowly getting better. She doesn't try to hide as much. Is paying more attention to me. Is learning that a open door means sit and wait and not rush out. I've taken time out of my day to give her one on one obedience training which should go a long way towards helping with that stress. Most commands she responds the first time. Recalls, not so much but I've been using treats with a dog who, doesn't like to eat. I have some toys she likes and we are going to use those for recalls for now. I've only had her for a little less than a month. Her last owner can't really believe her far she came and tells me she isn't even the same out of control dog anymore. I'm going to give it another month and if I can't get her any more weight we are going to go start looking at doing some labs. Paid over 2,000 on labs for my other dog and nothing was ever positive. For months I watched her suffer as we did test after test without any results. I even tried seeing different vets transferring over all my history each time until I found a vet I liked a lot but still didn't give me the results I wanted. I guess I can't let these bad experiences turn me against vets. I wasted so much money on a problem that I finally figured out how to cure on my own. Cost me a fortune and about cost my dog her life and I have a whole book on vet notes to prove it. my posts [notify]

Lady 968249     Barked: Fri Jul 20, '12 9:46am PST  If the dog is used to being free fed, it may be used to "grazing" at its leasure rather than eating a large meal. The environment change, food change, schedule change, etc may be putting stress on the dog. I would keep working with the dog and perhaps consult your vet to see if they have any suggestions. A thorough checkup may be in order too. Hopefully the dog adjusts and starts doing better soon. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 07/19/2012     Barked: Sat Sep 15, '12 8:34pm PST  She is eating more now. I have also been bringing her into my formal training classes and going through the exercises with the other dogs have really helped her a lot. Even though I already taught her what they were going over it still seemed to help her a great deal to go through it with the other dogs. Maybe it was all the praise she was getting for performance. Took her to the vet today. He said she looks fine. Could use another 5 pounds as she is currently about 2.5 on the scale which is what I was thinking but overall she is in great health. The anxiety is calming down as a result of the inclass training so I plan on keeping up with it. We have a long road ahead of but we are headed towards the agility route as this dog loves to run and jump. My goal is to get her to understand that if she listens to me I will make sure she gets plenty of time to do the things she enjoys. Edited by author Sat Sep 15, '12 8:34pm PST my posts [notify]

Mya 1250966     Barked: Sat Sep 15, '12 9:42pm PST  It sounds like she has a good home with you. The other homes she was in did not take the time to work with her and she probably was so stessed she did not know what the rules were. She is getting more comfortable in your home, has interaction with other dogs and is on a structured schedule with traning. Keep up the good work. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

MIKA&KAI Akita Pals- Always.     Barked: Tue Sep 18, '12 6:46am PST  Glad to hear she is doing better for you. With some dogs adjustment just takes more time. Having been in so many previous homes was likely very,very stressful and caused alot of her issues. Having been with you for several months and learning a routine has it seems done her a world of good. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]