# Not eating dry dog food... please help urgently



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

Hello everyone,

Donut has suddenly stopped eating his orijin large puppy dog food and he will eat it only if i add curd or milk in it. but i know that i cant feed him curd or milk daily as it is very harmful for long run.

his vet suggested to add some rice and hot water in his dry kibble, but before i proceed with this i am looking to get your valuable suggestion whether i can feed this daily to him or not.

kindly help :surprise:


----------



## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

How old is Donut now? Are you free feeding (leaving the food down all day)? How long has Donut gone without eating? How much of the food are you feeding each meal? Is everything else okay? Did you see the vet or did you just get your answer over the phone? These questions will help everyone give their answers.


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

Thank you for writing all these question, i am posting my answers in bold

How old is Donut now? - *he is 4.5 months old *

Are you free feeding (leaving the food down all day)? - *no we give him for 15 min and if he dont eat then we move it away*

How long has Donut gone without eating? - *more than 20 hous *

How much of the food are you feeding each meal? - *we give him 125 gm three times a day *

Is everything else okay? Did you see the vet or did you just get your answer over the phone? - *yes i took him to vet, he saw him and said its all fine.*


----------



## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Is this a new bag of food? On very rare occasions a bag of food may be bad. At 4.5 months he may be in between growth spurts and sometimes the will self regulate and and not eat. Around the 4 or 5 month mark many pups start only eating twice a day so if not in a growth spurt Donut may not need that amount of food. Pups and dogs can safely go 3 to 4 days without eating as long as they are drinking water. Is Donut getting food at other times during the day for training? If the vet saw Donut and feels everything is okay and there isn't any other changes at home and Donut is drinking water I wouldn't be to concerned about a day without food. My math isn't great on changing over grams to cups but from grams to ounces it looks like Donut is getting a little over 4 ounces each feeding. Rounding it up to about 1/2 cup per meal. That would be close to 1 and 1/2 cup a day and if he is getting other food for treats and training he may just be over full and self regulating.


----------



## HLT924 (Jul 16, 2016)

I am certainly not a pro as Lucy is only 14 weeks but we had the same thing happen to us. Lucy came home and would not eat the exact same food, literally from her home, that she was weaned on to. She was drinking fine and having regular bowel movements. Out vet suggested we mix plain yogurt with her food, which I bet you can compare to curds maybe. We did this and it worked. Sort of. Eventually she just started eating. It was glorius! She is now up to about 3 cups a day but we free feed half in the am and half in the afternoon when her bowl is empty. Her poops are pretty predictable, which is good for us. 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


----------



## LittleRedDawg (Oct 5, 2011)

If he acts normal and is in good body condition...I wouldn't panic yet. Dogs are designed to eat large amounts infrequently (think predator feeding style), he really doesn't need to eat as often as you think he does. Puppies do occasionally self regulate depending on exercise level, body condition, and how much they're growing. At 4.5 months I wouldn't feed him more than twice a day, FWIW.

What is his body condition? I see people so concerned about their dog not eating what they think it should, that they take a dog who would like to eat less...and coax it into eating until it's overweight. Don't do that to your pup.

Time frame...if he goes 48 hours without eating and/or starts to look depressed, lethargic, vomiting/diarrhea, etc - I'd get him checked out (bloodwork, urinalysis). Otherwise...realize I have an intact 7 year old male who went 4+ DAYS without eating when I had an intact female in heat, and I have an 11 week old puppy who has gone 24 hours without eating (possibly too distracted by living in a new place), and I've considered both dogs normal.


----------



## Tiny R Astar (Dec 26, 2015)

Adding yoghurt or curd doesnt necessarily mean you will have to do it everyday it might work just to get him eating again then you can revert back to normal.

At that age we found our dog preferred a bit of warm water added to his kibble to soften it . Even though he chewed and gnawed on other things. Once he finished his teething phase he preferred to eat dry kibble. 

Occasionally if he doesnt eat straight away ( true golden who loves his food) we will add warm water and it is gone in minutes. We never find any issue with his teeth or mouth on these occasions it just seems he wants a change. 
Hope your pup is enjoying his food again soon.


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

hello everyone, yes this is a new bag but he had meals from this bag for 3-4 days and then he stopped everything. do you guys really suggest to decrease his meals from 3 times to twice a day ?


----------



## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

The Orijen may not be agreeing with him, it may be that it has been changed, consider trying him on something else, (I have fed my dogs Acana Ranchlands since they were puppies and they have done very well on it) ensure that you transition him slowly, if you decide to try something new. Be careful with feeding a fish based diet, some dogs do well on it, others cannot tolerate it at all, though they may benefit if used as a part of/a supplement to their regular diet. He is at the age that he may be starting to lose his baby teeth, consider soaking the kibble until it is soft, it could be his mouth is sore, and it hurts to chew. At 4.5 months I would suggest continuing to feed 3 times a day.


----------



## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

rounak said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> Donut has suddenly stopped eating his orijin large puppy dog food and he will eat it only if i add curd or milk in it. but i know that i cant feed him curd or milk daily as it is very harmful for long run.
> 
> ...


Not HOT water, I hope. Luke warm at most.

I'd just try leaving the kibble down for 15 minutes and lift it. He'll eat eventually if he's hungry. If he's not super skinny, and has good energy, I'd probably give it a full day. If he rejects three meals, I'd probably take him back to the vet. Is he peeing and pooping normally? Good energy?


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

Sweet Girl said:


> Not HOT water, I hope. Luke warm at most.
> 
> I'd just try leaving the kibble down for 15 minutes and lift it. He'll eat eventually if he's hungry. If he's not super skinny, and has good energy, I'd probably give it a full day. If he rejects three meals, I'd probably take him back to the vet. Is he peeing and pooping normally? Good energy?


yes he is peeing and pooping properly and he is hell full of energy, he just finished running with me. he had some dry kibble this evening but just very few. 

do you guys suggest to add some rice in it ?


----------



## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

I don't. If my dog doesn't eat, or doesn't finish a meal, I just pick it back up and wait till the next mealtime. I don't doctor my dog's food--changing it, adding things to it, making it smell more strongly (adding warm water and waiting until its room temperature to feed). It can foster picky eating habits. There are TONS of threads like this, where a dog will suddenly stop eating. Wishing a few days to a week, they are almost always back to normal. In the wild, dogs only ate every few days or so. 

The only exception is if my pup is teething, and I think they aren't eating because their mouth is sore. Then I'll add some warm water (not hot), and let it soak for 30 minutes, so the food is soft and its a safe temperature to eat. 

Is your pup teething? He is around that age...


----------



## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Also...running? Did you take him on a run with you? Or do you just mean running around and playing with you or playing fetch. 

Its not generally recommended to take Goldens on runs with humans for exercise until around 2 years of age because it can cause stress on the joints.


----------



## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

"do you guys suggest to add some rice in it ?"

Your vet suggested it. It is possible that Donut is teething and by using a little warm water and rice it could make the food softer and easier. Vets suggest boiled hamburger and rice or boiled chicken and rice all the time when a dog or pup needs a bland diet for a few days. So it shouldn't hurt to try softened kibble and rice and see if Donut will eat it. If so it will solve the mystery and that Donut is uncomfortable from teething.


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

Piper_the_goldenpuppy said:


> Also...running? Did you take him on a run with you? Or do you just mean running around and playing with you or playing fetch.
> 
> Its not generally recommended to take Goldens on runs with humans for exercise until around 2 years of age because it can cause stress on the joints.


he every day go on run with me for 1 km. do you think its too much ? how much walk or run do you recommend for him daily ?


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

Piper_the_goldenpuppy said:


> I don't. If my dog doesn't eat, or doesn't finish a meal, I just pick it back up and wait till the next mealtime. I don't doctor my dog's food--changing it, adding things to it, making it smell more strongly (adding warm water and waiting until its room temperature to feed). It can foster picky eating habits. There are TONS of threads like this, where a dog will suddenly stop eating. Wishing a few days to a week, they are almost always back to normal. In the wild, dogs only ate every few days or so.
> 
> The only exception is if my pup is teething, and I think they aren't eating because their mouth is sore. Then I'll add some warm water (not hot), and let it soak for 30 minutes, so the food is soft and its a safe temperature to eat.
> 
> Is your pup teething? He is around that age...



teething means teethes falling down ? no i haven't seen any teeth falling down till now.


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

solinvictus said:


> "do you guys suggest to add some rice in it ?"
> 
> Your vet suggested it. It is possible that Donut is teething and by using a little warm water and rice it could make the food softer and easier. Vets suggest boiled hamburger and rice or boiled chicken and rice all the time when a dog or pup needs a bland diet for a few days. So it shouldn't hurt to try softened kibble and rice and see if Donut will eat it. If so it will solve the mystery and that Donut is uncomfortable from teething.


I Just tried warm water and rice on very small amount of food and he finished it within seconds  but i am not sure for how long i can continue feeding him rice with his food. i have been told that rice can make him bulky


----------



## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Then just soften his regular food with warm water.


----------



## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Keep it simple, and try just feeding him the kibble soaked with warm water, if you are concerned about feeding him cooked rice, however it won't hurt him, if you feed it to him in small amounts along with the kibble for a few days. Perhaps contact your vet to clarify the advice she/he has given you.


----------



## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

rounak said:


> he every day go on run with me for 1 km. do you think its too much ? how much walk or run do you recommend for him daily ?


There are a lot of threads about this. While 1km isn't a huge distance I still wouldn't go for a forced run with a 4 month old dog. 

In my mind, there are a few problems with a forced run in a puppy (this is where the dog is on leash and running with you). A run that humans do is totally different from how dogs run off leash. When free, dogs cover distance fast by a combination of walking and running--but never jogging at the same pace like a human does for exercise. The puppy will keep the same pace to keep up with you, and is unlikely to stop if they are feeling tired or sore. Furthermore, most "running" takes place on a hard surface, like the ground, or pavement. Not thick soft grass. Both of these things put a LOT of stress on the joints, and can accelerate arthritis and some think these two things can lead to hip and elbow dysplasia. While HD is more likely to be hereditary, forced running on hard surfaces on growing joints can likely accelerate the process...and your dog is too young to know if they will get HD or ED. 

A human takes 16-18 years to reach their full growth. A dog reaches almost their full height by 1 year, but their growth plates don't fully fuse until around 2 years of age. Its a LOT of growing in a short amount of time. Thats why I wait until 2 years to run with my dogs, but at the earliest 18 months. 

Walking is different. Its much less stressful on the joints. Your dog can easily do a 1 km walk, and then some probably. If they start slowing down, thats a sign they need to take a break. 

This doesn't mean your dog shouldn't get exercise that tires him out. Your pup absolutely should, but it should be on soft ground, where he can go at his own pace, rest when want to, and pick his own route across terrain. Fetch is a great way to do this. In my mind, its the best exercise a dog can get. 

If you are interested in more reading: 

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...53052-when-can-i-start-running-my-golden.html


----------



## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

rounak said:


> yes he is peeing and pooping properly and he is hell full of energy, he just finished running with me. he had some dry kibble this evening but just very few.
> 
> do you guys suggest to add some rice in it ?


The rice will probably constipate him a bit. I'm glad it seemed to help him eat. My guess is that if you continue just to soften the food in luke warm water, he'll eat it. He is definitely around the time that he will lose his baby teeth and be growing in his adult teeth, so this can definitely cause some mouth pain. If he just likes his food softened better, you can do this the rest of his life.


----------



## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Vets and breeders advise do not run a dog on hard surfaces until they are 18 months to 2 years old. Bones, joints, growth plates, ligaments are all growing and can be damaged by forced running on hard surfaces. 

A 4.5 month old puppy should only be running to play, on soft surfaces like grass and dirt. Definitely not taken on a forced extended run.


----------



## rounak (Jul 28, 2016)

thank you everyone for there valuable suggestion, i feel privileged to be the part of this wonderful forum where i can get up-to date guidance from you all. thank you every one and Diwali Greetings to everyone from India.


----------

