This is either day 3 or 4 since we switched from free feeding to feeding once per day. We currently have two Shiba Inus. One is brand new to our household, although he's 3 years old. I am feeding him in his crate and it seems like he's not eating very much. I'm feeding a good quality dry food (not interested in doing the natural diet just now) but he's not even approaching the recommended amount for his weight. I wish I could say exactly how much he's eating, but all I know is I put out 1 1/2 - 2 cups of food and he eats maybe 1/4 - 1/3 of it. Should I be concerned? Any recommendations?

How long have you had the new dog? Perhaps he's still adjusting to your household.

You could try feeding at a different time of day to see if that makes a difference.

can you try baiting the food with tuna, some other smelly fish, or low-sodium chicken broth? it might encourage him to eat it all and get into the habit of doing so, if you don't want to raw at the moment.

is he losing weight? how is his energy?

also, what kind of kibble are you feeding? i feed my dogs a mix of raw, THK, and grain-free kibble (orijen or wellness core), but when i first adopted luc, i fed him hills prescription diet, and he'd eat very slowly - they definitely respond better to grain-free kibble, probably b/c it's got more of what they like (and need). just a thought, maybe a kibble w/a higher protein/fat content could be more appealing (depending on what you're giving at the moment).

 Quote: ryan godsey

I'm feeding a good quality dry food (not interested in doing the natural diet just now) but he's not even approaching the recommended amount for his weight.

Ryan,

If you're taking those "recommendations" from the dog food bag lable, keep in mind that they're in the business of selling more bags of dog food<g>. Keep an eye on your dog's weight (feel his ribs, or weigh yourself, then pick him up and weigh again to get his weight, etc.). If he's eating enough to maintain an appropriate weight, he doesn't need to eat as much as the bag recommends.

To go from free feeding to one meal a day seems a bit extreme. Is there some reason you didn't go with twice daily feedings?

Put the food down for 15 minutes, then take it up. I assume it's the same food you were feeding before, and that you're only changing the feeding schedule. He'll figure out pretty quickly that he needs to eat when you put the food down.

leih

I wouldn't bait him into eating. A healthy dog won't starve himself. Just set the routine, and pick up the leftovers. Don't worry unless you start seeing more than a couple ribs. Every dog is different, the label on the bag is just a starting point, usually on the generous side. (More pet owners have trouble with overweight than underweight pets, wonder why?)

I think you're doing the right thing turning on your radar scope and letting this find a place on the screen. You're at the point it is worth mentioning. Changing how the feeding occurs and bringing in a new dog are mutually exclusive events unless the new dog has always been hand fed. If it has, it would still be a big difference to eat from an unfamiliar hand. There's a lot going on here. Personally, I would start mixing a raw egg in with the dog's dry food and think of it as a welcoming present that will only last a month or so until the dog is well adjusted in the new home. If the dog only eats the egg and skips the kibble, don't jump to any conclusions. I've seen a male GSD lick raw egg off a pile of kibble and not eat one piece of kibble. The dog will come around to the kibble in a few days. I've obviously done this before with a GSD and he did not skip a beat when the raw egg disappeared a month down the road from his kibble. His no eating phase was over and he didn't need an egg to convince him to woof down 5 cups of kibble.

Thanks everyone for the responses - good points all around. I would have updated sooner, but I have been out of town.

It seems that he is figuring it out. While he still doesn't eat the "recommendation" (as someone said, that's not a hard and fast rule), he seems to be eating more and stopping when he is full. His weight and energy both seem fine, so I'm no longer concerned.

Thanks again and have a great day!