St Bernards?

Question

I got a 6 yr old Saint Bernard and she will not eat dog food ???? and then she dont like her ears messed with ??? and she isnt that fat like other female saints she doesnt eat or drink alot ?? i dont unerstand i just got her.... and she sheds alot.....

she also pukes when she eats fast or sertin foods

Answer 1

It's probably anxeity problems. Most shelter dogs do that. Especially at an older age. Let her be for awhile, if it gets serious take her to the vet. It could be the food, try mixing in some wet food along with it, dogs like that sometimes.
Most st. Bernards, especially females, aren't as big as you may think again it's their genetics. Also remember that if they are not eating enough nutrition then that also deals with their coat/shedding problem. I would say to brush her down real good, a bath will help too if you'd be up for it. St. Bernards have thick coats, make sure to wash completely to the skin. ( I groom dogs almost everyday, and I usually get the St. Bernards!)
AS for the ears i'd say let them be, but gradually touch her around the head then gently rub the ears. She may have an ear infection, you should get it checked out just in case.
Hope that helps!

Answer 2

I own a saint bernard. Most saints do not like their ears messed with, but it also can be a sign of ear infection. Their ears are so heavy and weighted down ear infections can be a problem, have a vet clean them......
most saints do drink alot of water but they really do not eat a whole lot even though they are big dogs. If i fed mine dog food i only feed 4 cups twice daily. I feed raw, and it is possible that yours could of been fed the raw diet as alot of people i know that own saints do feed raw.
They do shed alot that is normal. Saints are very emotional dogs when they first go to a new enviroment. Wetting the food down and putting a bit of gravy mixed in may help with the eating problem. You DO NOT want the dog fat. the proper weight for a saint bernard is when you can feel the dogs ribs barely under its skin, if you cannot feel the ribs at all it is too fat............
Feeding the saint twice daily will help prevent bloat, Saints are prone to bloat and bloat kills. Do not let the dog gulp water after eating nor excercise real hard right after eating and this will help prevent the deadly killer bloat.
sounds like u really need to research the saint bernards diet and there is some really great websites for this, just type in the browser saint bernard diet, and u will have quite a bit to read on them. Good luck

Answer 3

Since you just got her, she may be having some adjustment issues. Find out what food she ate prior to getting her (if you can that is), add a little canned food for flavoring and give her time. Unless she is sick, she will not starve herself and will start to eat. She may also not be a big eater or like the food.

Shedding is normal for St. Bernard's, even smooths, as they have a lot of coat- dogs also shed more when they are nervous. Not being fat is not necesarily a bad thing, as long as she is not too thin. St's are big, muscular dogs but should not be fat.

You should also bring her to the vets for a physical exam. Anytime you get a dog, not matter how old and from whom, you should always bring it to the vets to get checked out. She may never have had anyone check hers before, may just not like it, or could have an ear infection. A good physical exam will let you know where she stands health-wise.

Answer 4

I also own a saint. If you just got her and she is still adjusting, don't worry. It may take her a while to get comfy enough to eat. Bernard's are very sensitive dogs with almost human like feelings, she may just be nervous. Don't worry that shes not fat, that's a good thing! the fatter they get the more problems you can have with hips and sway back. Saints come in all different shapes and colours and sizes, so just cause shes not a giant, don't worry.

A very good food to look into is a brand called Innova. It is about 60 bucks (Canadian) and it is by far one of the best foods on the market. Do NOT NOT NOT feed your saint food from just the grocery store. Because they are giant breed

they need special vitamins and nutrition. You will also find by feeding her Innova, she will have firmer poops, and far far less of them (maybe 2 a day vs. 7 or 8 with grocery store food)

Maybe grab a book or 2 on saints, or try the online community bigpawsonly.com to educate yourself a bit on saints. There are a lot of things to learn about the....they are defiantly not like regular dogs.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Saint Bernard's!! I love my Saint with all my heart and he is my best friend. If you have any other questions at all about saints or owning a saint, you can email me at [e-mail]

Have a good one
Krystal

Answer 5

It is probably just do to the change that she will not eat. Give her time. As for the shedding, a lot of brushing certain st. bernard types have longer hair and an under coat so you need a special brush. We also use to add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to our dogs food to help with the shedding. St. Bernards don't really eat a lot and should be fed 2x a day. Ours only ate about 5-6 cups of dry food a day not much for a 140 pound dog. Best dog we ever had. They make great pets. You are lucky. I also use to put the attachment on my vaccum and vaccum him, he loved it....

Answer 6

She is a mature dog so she won't eat more at her age. Many St. Bern. are not fat and round like in the pictures.
She has a big adjustment moving into a new home with strangers and new surroundings. Often adult dogs won't eat normally for a week or a little more. Give her some space and time to adjust to you and the new digs. If you back off a little and give yourself time to adjust to her, things may just work out grand. But if not, what's the return policy?
Taking home an adult dog that is so large and so much hair is a big adjustment for you and for her. I'm sure her previous owners are aware that this is the case. So ask them any questions you have. Or did you adopt such a wonderful dog as that from a shelter?
Give it some time.

Answer 7

Alright, lets see, try getting the Food Lion brand puppy food and see if the dog eats it.
When i had dogs, they preferred this type food over all the name brands, real strange indeed.
But it could be just the taste of dogfood.
For the shedding , rub the dogs coat in olive oil and comb down good, keeps the dog from itchin too.

Answer 8

Amanda: the problem is very serrious with your 6mo puppy
rush her to animal hospital right away have an vetnairian give St
Bernard full check up also get information from http://www.pethealthnet.com
God Bless you & Happy New Year!

Answer 9

Maybe you should have done your research before getting her.
If she isn't eating then TAKE HER TO A VET!!!!!!!!!
Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!