nutrition

[ChuckS]

I have a large - almost 4 year old neutered male. Waited until after his 2nd birthday to have him neutered. Presently he is 130 pounds. He looks very husky.. and has a chest like a Buffalo.

Problem. he won't eat any type of dog food. The vet says that he has to reduce.. but he is not a heavy eater. I've tried all the dog foods from dry to moist to canned. He would do anything for cheese. and when he gets hungry.. he'll only eat large milk bones. He would sleep 23 hours a day if allowed.. and for the past 2 months, I have been exercising him (walking and running in a field) for at least 30 minutes a day. Vet says to put dog food out and he will finally eat it when he gets hungry... sounds too cruel.

Any suggestions on what I can feed him (healthy) and get his weight down?

[lblax]

Originally posted by ChuckS
Vet says to put dog food out and he will finally eat it when he gets hungry... sounds too cruel.

Any suggestions on what I can feed him (healthy) and get his weight down?

yep get a premium dog food such as california nat. or canidae feed less than what the package says cut out the milkbones and he will eat a dog will not starve with food presented to him.... and keep up the excersize

[spidey]

Vet says to put dog food out and he will finally eat it when he gets hungry... sounds too cruel.

This is true. Dogs will not starve themselves for long - if he thinks that something more yummy will come to him if he waits, he may well wait. How did he get overweight if he won't eat dog food?

That said, what have you tried feeding him? Most dogs will readily eat most super-premiums, some dogs prefer one over another (my dog loves Canidae, and won't touch Eagle Pack Holistic). I suggest you choose a palatable food (Canidae Platinum is lower-calorie, or feed smaller amounts of things like Wellness, Innova, Solid Gold, California Natural, etc. - also search the nutrition forum here for other suggestions), and just put the food bowl down twice a day for 20 minutes at a time, then take it up until the next feeding time. It's not cruel, your dog needs to eat a balanced diet, not cheese and biscuits (not that these in small amounts are bad, but they're certainly not a balanced weight-loss diet) - it's not cruel to insist that he eats a good diet any more than it's cruel to deny children McDonald's for every meal. Sometimes you have to harden your heart to do the right thing, this is one of those times. He WILL eat, just don't give in - being overweight and eating a poor diet of cheese and biscuits is much crueler than waiting him out in order to get him to eat a proper diet. Also up his exercise. Good luck!

[Rott-Wiley]

I agree with the other two posts here. It sounds like he has developed bad eating habits and has convinced you that all he can eat is cheese and biscuits. I would do exactly as spidey has suggested.

[ChuckS]

Thanks all for the replys.. I will try some of the high end feeds you suggested. and I just had to hear it from other Rotty owners that he will finally eat.

As you know when a Rotty looks at you with those eyes... but I have to be firm for his health.

Thanks again for the fast responses

[mmgy]

If you MUST give in to pleading eyes, offer him a couple of baby carrots. Most dogs love to crunch them.

Have you had his thyroid checked? Hypothyroidism is fairly common in rottweilers. My first dog that had it gained weight (25 lb) even though he hardly ate, and slept constantly. It's a simple blood test, and the daily pills are cheap, and easy to give.

[RottiMomCT]

Put the food down for 20-30 minutes. If the dog does not eat it, he goes hungry until the next meal. He won't starve....if his thyroid is normal, there's gotta be a reason he's overweight.

If he can get more than 30 mnutes a day of exercise it'll do him good as well as reducing the food intake (and feeding a better food).

Canidae, California Natural, Wellness, Innova are all good quality foods. You'll feed less, and have less coming out the other end as well ;) .

As for snacks - offer 'high end' treats such as cheese and such only when training. I use cucumber slices, carrots, and string cheese when training. Other than that, Ben rarely gets treats.