Losing interest in food

Hi all,

My 7 month old Catahoula mix has, since she had her spaying surgery a month or so ago, has lost interest in eating her food. She'll eat anything else (treats, bones, etc...) but she acts as if she is bored with her food. And once in a while she'll go back and eat her whole bowl of food in one sitting. But the bag of food says that a dog her size (~42lbs) and age should be eating almost 4 cups a day (!) and we're lucky if she finishes 2. She hasn't been growing as fast as she had been in the earlier months, and it's pretty hot and humid out so our vet says that this could be the reason and not to worry as long as she's playing and acting normal otherwise (which she is). But I'm starting to get a bit concerned because she just looks at her food and wanders away. She hasn't been losing weight or anything.

Hi Jo Anne , if you dog will eat treats and bones it doesn't sound like a health problem and if she is well in other ways, the vet has checked her and she is not losing weight I wouldn't be too concerned.

What are you feeding her on, see the part of your post I have highlighted, are you leaving food down all the time?
I would feed two meals a day and remove any uneaten food after 20 minutes. How many treats and bones is she getting, these may be preferred to food and should be taken into consideration when calculating how much food to give.

Lastly what are you feeding, some food in particular kibble can be very unappetising to dogs , it doesn't have much smell and dogs eat with their noses so moistening the food or adding something with a strong smell (like tinned sardines in oil) can make food more appeasing. You could also consider changing the food

It is worrying when a dog goes off their food, and well done for getting her checked by the vet - always the first thing if a dog's behaviour changes.

If she is not losing weight then presumably she is getting sufficient calories for her activity level. Perhaps she has slowed down due to the spay and the weather.

Remember that the quantities on a pack are for guidance only and a lot of owners find their dogs need less (or sometimes more) than suggested.

If you are feeding a complete food I would be a little concerned that she is not having a balanced diet any more - if she is eating a larger proportion of treats in relation to her complete food. I was once told (by a nutritionist) that dogs can eat 17% of 'other' food without upsetting the balance. I am not sure whether this is true or not as I have never looked into it closely, to be honest, but might be worth trying to work out how many treats she is having v complete food.

I agree with Minihaha that it is worth trying another food etc. I have also found that some dogs who will not eat their food from a bowl will happily eat them as rewards for a sit/down etc food , or when they are stuffed into a Kong (with some other goodies) or scattered in the garden for her to find.

Keep an eye on her weight - vets are usually pretty good about you going in just to get your dog weighed (when there are no consultations going on), especially if there is a possible problem - and her general condition. Any changes talk to your vet again.

Val

Is her food down all the time? Try feeding at regular times, three times a day and if she doesn`t eat it, as Mini says, after 20 minutes remove it.
You might also want to check the kibble - I had a bag go bad in hot weather - just to be sure.

I agree it is always good to have the vet check a dog with eating problems. Normally a healthy dog will eat all it needs and most will look for more. There are some breeds, the GSD, Boxers, Great Danes, and worst of all Salukis that often are best allowed to show off their ribs.

Most of my Labs have always happily eaten all I give them. However, I often have to cut them back around 7 months because they are starting to fatten up.

So if the vet doesn't see a problem and confirms she isn't underweight, just cut back a little.

I agree with the rest, just two quick points.

1) The feeding instructions on the bag are merely a "guideline" and are often (if not ALWAYS) an inflated guideline designed to sell more food. I've found you have to tailor the amount you feed to the individual dog. So 4 cups a day is probably too much for her, especially if she is maintaining weight on much less.

2) Two things have happened recently. She's been spayed, and she's reached the 7 month mark. At this age, her growth will slow dramatically thus decreasing the caloric intake need. Also spaying reduces metabolic rates. We usually advise that mature dogs have their daily caloric intake cut by 15-25% after castration (depending on the dog) With your dog still being a puppy, I'd start with the 15% and see how she goes.

Finally, I absolutely agree with meal feeding. Its the way to go. So many benefits.