picky appetite
#178780 - 02/03/2008 02:40 AM |
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Hi
i currently own 2 workingline gsds and both of them are on raw neck diets for almost 3 months now,they worked wonders,both dogs eat around 2.2 pounds daily for raw chicken necks,they weigh around 75 pounds.but as of late,they lost appetite ,and although it finishes its meal at the said amount ,it is laborious for me to feed them for it takes a long time for them to finish it and it gets too picky sometimes to feed them,and in 3days of the week i have to fast them in order for them to finish there meal and for me not to get frustrated,i sometimes have to even move and dangle the food and feed them with it piece by piece!what is the best solution for this?to make things easier for the three of us?
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: didier jimenez ]
#178791 - 02/03/2008 06:41 AM |
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It is unusual to see a loss of appetite without something else going on with the dog. Any other signs of lethargy? Infection? Have you been to the vet?
Are they only eating chicken necks? What about muscle and organ meats?
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: Deanna Thompson ]
#178923 - 02/03/2008 10:57 PM |
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hi
well with regards to deannas question,.yes they qare just on chicken necks,what other stuffs would you suggest?and secondly my dogs are quite active ,you wouldnt really think they are sick or something,no trace of lethargy whatsoever and also i have checked with the vet they told me they are just both fine.which really maks me wonder
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: didier jimenez ]
#178924 - 02/03/2008 11:24 PM |
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yikes!!!
i would never feed just chicken necks, and for 3 months....
they don't have enough meat on them for one-and there is no organ meat in necks...
generally-it's about 80%meat, 10% bones and 10%organ meat...with some tweaking depending on your dog.
that might be the problem-they are bored on just necks.
Try spicing things up-some backs, leg quarters, wings, venison, beef etc, mine LOVE some beef and chicken livers.....
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: Mallory Kwiatkowski ]
#178935 - 02/04/2008 03:29 AM |
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I don't do raw so was waiting for someone else to respond...
Yes, that was my question also - if it's only necks it's probably not balanced (from what little I have read).
And do they have loose stool or anything? Maybe someone could post some links to good raw diet information/recipes or what-have-you.
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: didier jimenez ]
#178938 - 02/04/2008 07:18 AM |
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It is laborious for me to feed them for it takes a long time for them to finish it and it gets too picky sometimes to feed them,and in 3days of the week i have to fast them in order for them to finish there meal and for me not to get frustrated,i sometimes have to even move and dangle the food and feed them with it piece by piece!
I have been feeding raw for a little less then a month and it has been kind of up and down here lately. There was a point when I thought that he just really had the hang of it and we were on our way. For example, last week he did very well and was just chomping it down now this week it almost seems like were back tracking .... Same as your dog, mine has been letting his food sit, picking at it, coming back.. I also have taken pieces of food and tried to dangle it in front of him....
With my dog, I was thinking that it was just a matter of taste. Someone here told me that dry kibble was sprayed with some type of fat to make it more flavorful and appealing for the dogs. AND I'm guilty of feeding my dog table food which I'm sure taste a heck of a lot better
I would just try to find something that they like.....I just started feeding chx backs, which mine doesn't seem crazy about. We did good on the leg quarters but I heard that feeding quaters alone was not giving your dog enough calcium. I don't know how true that it is though, maybe someone here can let you know) We've also done turkey necks, beef and I've tried goat (mine wouldn't eat this at all).. We have a deer butcher close by I plan on trying that and rabbit also...
I am brand new to this but I think the key is just finding what a variety that works for your dog. I have seen so many improvements in my dog since feeding RAW that he's gonna keep eating it until we find the perfect mix..
Shannon
Happy dog equals happy owner
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: Shannon Ebron ]
#178951 - 02/04/2008 10:31 AM |
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I have had a huge issue with a picky appetite during the year my dog has been on raw. I will spare you the long list of things he won't eat and how many different things I tried. If he didn't like what was in his bowl he would refuse to eat it...for as long as 3 days!
Variety is really important, not only for their health but to keep them interested in their food. I guess some dogs would happily eat the same thing every day but my dog is not one of them and as soon as I expanded the menu and changed it every day, he stopped refusing food.
Meaty chicken backs and necks are a good RMB and a staple in my house. But there are many other things you can offer to add some variety: pork necks and riblets, lamb riblets, beef oxtails, venison necks, turkey necks, cut-up rabbit.
Check out some online raw feeding sites for different ideas.
Plus, your dogs need a certain amount of boneless meat: ground beef, chicken, turkey, or lamb. Eggs are good. Green tripe is great. Organ meat is important: heart, liver, kidneys.
Most of this you can find in the grocery and if you shop carefully you can get it at a good price. There are online vendors who will ship stuff to you, and there are co-ops that you can join that will give you access to good stuff at a good price.
True
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Re: picky appetite
[Re: didier jimenez ]
#178955 - 02/04/2008 11:01 AM |
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