My dog lost his appetite? Is it possible?

[usurp]

I don't know if this is weird or not but my dog hasnt been eating much lately. Could he be bored of his food? Since February he has been pretty much on the same diet. Raw meat and raw chicken. I get him the best meat, boneless and just feed it to him like that. He used to eat around 1KG of cow meat a day. I feed meat for 2 days then third day i buy boneless and skinless chicken breast and feed him it like that without anything else. He also used to eat around 1KG of chicken a day every now and then i might add chicken liver to the chicken or lamb hearts to the meat. twice a week i get him meat on bone (lamb). i also feed him a spon of yogurt twice a week, raw eggs twice a week and boiled eggs maybe twice a week also.

Now since he has grown (he is 6 months) he isnt eating as much.

yesterday he didn't eat his meat so i opened a can of tuna and he ate that. i then opened him a can of luncheon meat (pork) and he ate that which is making me wonder if he is bored of his regular food.

today for lunch i gave him his meat again and he didnt eat it. i tried mixing it with a can of cambells mushroom soup and he didnt eat it. finally i got some more meat out of the fridge and sprayed some mozerrella cheese on it.. u know the kind u use for your spaggetti.. and he started eating his meat although he ate maybe just 1/4 of a KG...

could it be he wants to try new stuff? if yes how can i make him enjoy eating once again?how can i spice up the menu..

 

[usurp]

i was just checking a site out trying to find a solution to my problem and i realized something. I think i am feeding my dog muscle meat the whole time... i dont think that might be a good thing...

http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdietbasics.htm

60% Raw Meaty Bones (meat with bone – chicken necks, backs, etc.)
35% Muscle Meat (meat without bones)
5% Organ Meat (liver, kidney, lungs, etc.)

could this be my problem?

 

[keyodie]

Well, I wouldn't know anything about ^^that, but usually when dogs get older they start eating less...because when they're puppies they need more food since they're growing rapidly. (I don't know if this relates to you, but...) Also, dogs don't eat as much when the temperature is high. And since it's summer already, that might be what's happening. How hot/cold is it where you live?

 

[usurp]

ah if thats the case my dog is gonna starve this summer lol. I live in Kuwait, the weather outside is currently around 110 degrees. Ofcourse my dog lives indoor where we have AC but i guess this could be it.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Yes, feeding boneless meat unless you add bonemeal to the ground meat is not a good idea.
Do you plan on feeding vegetables?

 

[Julie]

It sounds like he is missing something in his diet. That is just a guess.
But considering he will eat certain things maybe is just desiring something that is lacking in his diet.

At six months old my dogs ate a good bit.

You should post this in the dog food forum, you might get more replys.

 

[filarotten]

I am moving this to the food section.

 

[rowdy ridgeback]

My Ridgeback does this after she has had her heat. I usually go take her running a couple miles or if you cant do that give them about 30min of good exercise and it will make them hungrey for evening meal.

 

[usurp]

ok just an update, i went to the butcher and got lamb neck or something. its raw meaty bone, the right kind of meat i should have been feeding my dog. i have been feeding it for 2 days now and it has made a difference. his poop is wayyyyyyyy better. it no longer smells anymore and its very dry, like it can easily crumble when squeezed. He is also eating more his correct amount which is like 2.5% of his weight. he likes it also. cant believe changing from muscle meat to meat on bone made such a difference in this short amount of time..

 

[Fran27]

I think he needs more than just meat. Try to do a search on BARF online, or even about raw in this forum, and they should give you ideas of what to add to his diet. He should definitely get vegetables to complement his diet.

 

[fillyone]

I think he needs more than just meat. Try to do a search on BARF online, or even about raw in this forum, and they should give you ideas of what to add to his diet. He should definitely get vegetables to complement his diet.

Some feel they need veggies and some feel they don't.

I was one of the non-veggie folks.

 

[SummerRiot]

Just some advice from one Belgian owner to the next feeding Chicken to your Belgian long term may cause his pancreas to decrease its funtionality.

Please try to stay away from any wheats, corn and chicken with a belgian!!

 

[usurp]

well vegetables some people say feed some people say dont. with me my dog has made the decision himself, he doesnt like vegetables. i gave him broccli once and he didnt know what to do with it, he didnt know if it was a plant or a toy. tried giving him other vegetables and he didnt like any. he likes water melon though although thats a fruit

summerriot my breeder actually told me to feed geo rice or cereals. according to him he gives them cereal with the meat once a week and rice with meat the week after and just rotates. he also told me to give geo coffee on toast once a week. from what i read online though i decided to cut down on the wheat and now i dont give him rice or bread anymore.

chicken i always kept it at a minimum, i was feeding him twice a week chicken but i temporarily stopped it now because i wanted to see the effects of the new meat i have been getting him..

 

[SummerRiot]

oh yeah, Rice and oat stuff is completely fine, but not wheats..

chicken is the real problem with belgians though.

 

[usurp]

so toast and cornflakes isnt counted as wheats?

 

[bubbatd]

Chip will eat vegetables .... otherwise, since I moisten his dry, I would use a blender and mix up water and veggies.

 

[ihartgonzo]

It definitely sounds like too much muscle meat. =) That's what I was just going to say. Raw meaty bones should make up the majority of his diet. I almost never feed muscle meat, because there is plenty of meat on the bones that I give them. Chicken leg quarters are great, they have a lot of good meat on them but also bone. Turkey legs & wings & backs are also great, as are pork shoulders, beef & lamb ribs, beef & lamb femur, etc. Give him as much variety as possible; I try to rotate the kinds of meat I give every day.

Gonzo loves oatmeal, so I give him some oatmeal with goats milk & honey once a week or so. He also gets veggie mush, which is a variety of veggies blended with a little bit of vinaigrette for flavor.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Also... yes, toast & cornflakes are flour-based. Oatmeal & brown rice would be best if you're trying to avoid wheat.