increase appetite

[Eddie]

Hi im new to the forum and i have a question on my dogs appetite. i have a twelve month old rottie Male. He weighs from 100-110lbs. he is 26 or 27 inches tall he doesnt stand still so i can measure but i know its one of the two. feed him nutro's natural formula with lamb meal and rice.When i feed him he barley eats any of the food i out in there at the most he eats one full bowl a day and thats rare for that to happen. I run him for at least twenty minutes at a time one to two times a day but mostly once. i want him to gain a good amount of wait he is almost looking skinny his frame looks as if it could bulk up alot. so does any one have any advice on this matter. if u need more info then that please ask your help is appreciated.

[RogandBo]

Is he kept outside? I know a friend of mine keeps his rotti outside and in the summer he usually loses his appetite, just can't stand the heat. I keep my rotti inside but if you can't do that try a wading pool and a fan to keep him cool. You may want to take him to the vet to be sure there is nothing wrong, health wise.

[Judy Chrusch]

Hi Eddie and welcome. If he is a year old and weighs what you said, what's wrong with that? I realize he's tall and may look thin to you but he doesn't appear to be underweight. Their are many reasons why he may not be eating well right now, heat, or perhaps he doesn't feel well for some reason,or maybe he doesn't like the food. Did you ever try feeding him twice a day or maybe change his food? I have a 9 month old male who weighs about 98 but isn't quite 26 in. yet. Your pup has alot of growing and maturing to do yet and also bulking up. Unless you think he has a health issue I wouldn't be too concerned about his eating unless it went for days where he refused to eat, then maybe you should have him checked out by a professional. I don't know if I've been of any help, I hope in some way I have and perhaps someone else here can give some advice as well. Take care. If I can be of anymore help please feel free to ask.

Judy

[Eddie]

Rogando he is not keot outside i would not want to be keptr outside in this summer heat would you?lol. And judy i try to feed him twice a day but what ends up happeneing is he doesnt eat much of his breakfats so i have practically a full bowl there of food so i just keep it there maybe i should pick it up after a certain time then give it back to him in the evening?. Maybe he doesnt like the food what would u suggest in that case. Also the vet said he waqs allergic to beef but i dont feel he is since i give him some loeft over steak sometimes and he doesnt break out i think it was a flea allergie since he had fleas at the same time. i was also told that lamb would diegstand get assimilated better meaning better growth. So what do u guys say in terms of feeding him what do u think i should give him taht will make him eat.Also are rotties allowed to have dairy? Thje reason i ask is because u always eats cheese when i drop it and have no time to stop him will this hurt him? im sorry i ask so many questions but i just dont watn my dog to stavre or die from eatin the wrong things. Thanks for the help!!

[codglvr]

Eddie, my first male did not fill out until he was 2 and he was still filling out at 2 1/2. People always asked if he was sick, but he would regularly skip a feeding by his own choice, especially during growth spurts and heat waves or stress (like mom leaving for a week) :( My male pup now is 17 months. He is a rail. Heads and shoulders above our female but 15 pounds less. She weighs 95 in the winter and 85 in the summer, he is barely pushing 85 right now but has the stature for atleast 110. Balder skips meals regularly also, but he is a pest and lets me know when his alotted kibble is not enough. I've seen him eat all of his and Saga's kibble and ask for more. :D If you are really concerned a good vet check up can never hurt.

[Judy Chrusch]

Eddie, How much in a day would you say he eats, like in cups? Does he eat something? How does he seem otherwise, is he running around or does he seem sick and not want to play. Does he appear to be tired? Sorry for all the questions but it's really hard to tell someone what to do when we can't observe the situation. I for one feed BARF, which is raw meat and vegetables. You asked about dairy, yogurt is very good and also cottage cheese. You can give veggies and fruits as well, both have to be put in a blender or a processor so they can properly digest them. Try mixing alittle yogurt or cottage cheese in with his kibble or veggies or fruits with alittle warm water. Do you normally feed the kibble dry or moist? I suggest mixing something with it so it's alittle soft not dry. You could also try an egg, no more then 1 a week though. I hope this helps alittle but before making any food changes make sure he's in good health first so you can rule out any problem. O, have you gotten rid of the fleas because if he's infested with them that could make him pretty miserable and not want to eat. Let us know how you make out, I hope all goes well.

Judy

[Eddie]

O god in no way is that dog for a loss of energy he constantly wants to play and run around and is really happy. I usually feed him the kibble dry amount in cups hmm i would say he eats maybe two or three at the most some times he eats almost nothing, Also the fleas are not a problem any more that was reslved the only thing that has happened to him in the last couple of weeks is he was out in the back yard playin and i saw him throw up so i told him to come in after about a half an hour his face started to swell around his mouth so i had to take him to the vet emergency and they gave him steroid injections and we had to give him pills he is off the pills now though so i dont think that is affecting him. Thats about it. Also for the barf mixture when u say raw meat do u mean like staeks and things. I have some frozen steaks should i defrost them then cut it up and give it to him like that or should i cook it. i dont want to make him sick or nothing. Thank you guys u were so helpful to me.

[Judi W]

I'd suggest leaving him alone. My big boys do not body out until 3 1/2 or so years of age. If you push feeding before the body is matured enough all you do is put on weight that the skeletal structure is not yet ready for. He'll get there, just be patient.

[Judy Chrusch]

Leaving him alone is fine providing there's no health problems here. All dogs at sometime or another don't eat as much for what ever reason. At his age and size he should be eating 2-3 cups per day. My pup isn't eating near as much now as he had even a month ago. As for the steaks and raw meats. I don't suggest that you do that, too much of a drastic change. If he gets table food he may just be picky right now too but I personally wouldn't give table food if you give him things otherthen pieces of steak. I'm glad to hear he's running around and as I said before there's nothing wrong with his present weight and yes he has alot of time to fill out and the more gradual it is the better. Keep an eye on him and if anything changes as far as his weight, I mean if he would continually lose then I would consider having him checked out. Is he drinking for you? Take care.

Judy