My Rotti had food issues...Help?

Question

I have a 4.5 month old rottweiler, I have been feeding him Puppy Chow Healthy Morsels, according to the bag he should eat 1 cup 3 to 4 times a day. He started out really well on this food and then around 3 months his appetite went way down I was lucky if he ate 1 cup a day. Then I tried mixing an egg with every meal and he did ok but still will only eat about maybe 1 cup a day. I havn'y fed him anything else in case he was doing it just to be picky, he is all updated with his vaccinations, stool sample was clean, yet he still won't eat. Is there anything I can try or another dog food I should try him on (not too expensive)? I thought it might only be a phase but he has been like this for about 1.5 months and he dont seem to be gaining the weight he should be for his breed.

Answer 1

Our pets need quality pet food. Read the ingredients list and learn what the stuff on there is and what it does (or does not do) to/for our pets. A quick pet food 101. If the pet food contains corn/corn products or by products it is a poor quality food. Do not pay attention to advertising, they all say there food is great. Corn is a filler that can trigger skin problems. (allergies, skin problems, itching and excessive shedding) By products is anything from an animal not fit for human consumption, including cancerous tissue. Quality foods have meat as the first ingredient. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are a few of the best brands available. If you want to learn more check out: http://www.sagekeep.com/petfood.htm www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359& more=1 http://animalark.eapps.com/animal/PetFoods.nsf/$$PetFoodsByRating?OpenForm

Answer 2

I know what your going through cause my dog does the same thing. We feed him 1/2 a cup twice a day. He's a small dog so he gets less then your rotty will. When I feed our dog I leave the food down for 1/2 an hour if he eats he eats if he doesn't he doesn't, then what he doesn't eat gets wrapped up and used in the next feeding thats the beauty of dry food. At first you might be tempted to offer something tasty like eggs or maybe chicken but do not even start down that path or else he will learn to wait you out for something better. You are the master and you control the food. The only thing I do for our dog is I have a spray bottle of water that i mist the food with so it enhances the smell and that seems to work very well. Hope this helps, stick to your guns.

Answer 3

No dog is typical. How much does he weigh? 1 cup per day seems like not enough, but if his weight is stable and he is healthy-then its okay.
I have 3 dogs in the 50-60 lb range, and they eat about 2 cups per day-they are active.
I don't think "Puppy Chow" was on the recall list, you may check on that. But, its is considered a low grade dog food- junk food. Look at www.wholedogjournal.com and look for their recommended foods. Purina is not on the list. I would look at a "better" pet store like "Pet Supplies +" for some decent food. Or, if you live out in the country, try the feed (cattle) store. They can get any food for you. Learn about junk food-thats all you can get at the grocery store.

Answer 4

Had the same problem. I discovered that the dog food was rancid. Apparently, the pet shop had stored the food where it was too hot or damp. Every bag I purchased from them probably was rancid(greasy, off smell with a "spoiled" taste.) I switched pet stores and no longer had the problem. Smell your doggy's food does it smell fresh? Does it have a lot of crumbs in the bottom of the bag? Check the expiration date.

Answer 5

you need to walk him for at lest 30 min a day and play some kind of game he likes every day even if you have a big yard he steal needs the activity to give him an apatite every day