ajfries Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Our guy is 8 months old and he's finally getting to the point where he's quite enjoyable rather than just being into everything all the time. We've always fed him twice a day very consistently (and he would gobble it up instantly) but he's more or less stopped eating from his dish. At first (3 days ago) he seemed to just graze throughout the day, but now he doesn't even seem to be doing that. His 'breakfast' is still there when I go to feed him his evening meal. The toddler seems to be feeding him graham crackers and the like so I wonder if he's just like, 'Yeah. I'm over this dog food thing.' I just filled his Kong with his regular dog food and he's happily going at that. He's not lethargic, he's still playing tug and fetch like crazy so I don't think it's his teeth. He's pooping like he always has and he's drinking plenty of water. Is there any reason I should be worried? He's acting exactly the same as always (and his food is the same), just not wanting his food from his bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I'm a bit confused. Is he eating the same food from the Kong that he won't eat from the bowl? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 If he is eating his regular food from the kong- Did you wash the bowl recently? I have one dog who can taste soap residue and will refuse to eat from it. The bowl must be rinsed a few times for his royal pickiness. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 At 8 months (or so) a dog's growth starts to plateau. Their need for the same amount of food as the high growth months previous, plummets. They just don't require as much food at this age. So it is very typical that an 8 month old would slow down on its own. Normal. Bill 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 I'm a bit confused. Is he eating the same food from the Kong that he won't eat from the bowl? Yes!! That's exactly what he's doing. Haven't washed his bowl lately (though now I'm thinking I probably should). Bill, thanks. I was wondering if that had something to do with it. I'm not opposed to feeding him exclusively out of his Kong...but what a weirdo. :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Yes, wash the bowl. And what's it made of -- stainless steel or plastic? Plastic can get rancid from the fat in the food. And ditto Bill -- his appetite may just be slowing down. As long as he's acting okay otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 At about the same age, my Hound went from voraciously eating 3 meals a day, to just snacking from the same breakfast bowl all day long. He still eats like this and is 3 years old, healthy and lean. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 How much is he actually eating? My 50 lb border/springer mix only eats two measuring cups full of food/day with no snacks. Even when she is running 16-20 miles a week, she rarely eats more than that. I might scramble her an egg once or twice a week if we are being super-good about running. She does not lose weight on what seems to me to not be very much food. Even with the running, she and I both stay pudgy. Not fair. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 How much is he actually eating? My 50 lb border/springer mix only eats two measuring cups full of food/day with no snacks. Even when she is running 16-20 miles a week, she rarely eats more than that. I might scramble her an egg once or twice a week if we are being super-good about running. She does not lose weight on what seems to me to not be very much food. Even with the running, she and I both stay pudgy. Not fair. Dogs get generally pudgy from the highly unnatural ratio of carbohydrates in commercial kibble. It is not what they were shaped by nature to consume. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Have you recently bought a new bag of dog food? Once I had a cat that refused to eat when I bought a new bag of same brand, same flavor kibble. I think the company may have made adjustments in the formulation because he would have no part of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 How much is he actually eating? My 50 lb border/springer mix only eats two measuring cups full of food/day with no snacks. Even when she is running 16-20 miles a week, she rarely eats more than that. I might scramble her an egg once or twice a week if we are being super-good about running. She does not lose weight on what seems to me to not be very much food. Even with the running, she and I both stay pudgy. Not fair. IME that's a fairly normal amount. A lot depends on the kibble, though -- the calories per cup varies tremendously. It can range anywhere from barely above 300 calories a cup to well over 500. And just like people, dogs' caloric needs can vary quite a lot even when their ages and activity levels are similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Dogs get generally pudgy from the highly unnatural ratio of carbohydrates in commercial kibble. It is not what they were shaped by nature to consume. Bill IME that's a fairly normal amount. A lot depends on the kibble, though -- the calories per cup varies tremendously. It can range anywhere from barely above 300 calories a cup to well over 500. And just like people, dogs' caloric needs can vary quite a lot even when their ages and activity levels are similar. I'm not worried about how much my dog consumes; just trying to put it into perspective for the OP that an adult dog might not need nearly as much food as it seems like he would. Especially if the dog is free-fed, he might be getting plenty without her realizing he is. And my sprollie is not exactly pudgy (I've just been joking around here that she is because she lost a bit when we brought in a new puppy); as a spayed female, she is actually at a healthy weight for her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'm not worried about how much my dog consumes; just trying to put it into perspective for the OP that an adult dog might not need nearly as much food as it seems like he would. Especially if the dog is free-fed, he might be getting plenty without her realizing he is. And my sprollie is not exactly pudgy (I've just been joking around here that she is because she lost a bit when we brought in a new puppy); as a spayed female, she is actually at a healthy weight for her. They hit an age where they are almost maxing out on height. At that point they typically require far less food than they did in the months pervious. It can seem pretty dramatic. The best advise is to feed "by condition," meaning if the dog looks too thin feed more, too porky feed less. I do think many Americans have warped ideas about what "too thin and too fat" mean. Dogs are much (much) healthier when they are kept fairly lean. Obesity, which seems as common in dogs these days a it is in people, is very bad for dog's health on all levels. Spayed and neutered dogs are especially vulnerable to weight gain. They are also more prone to developing hip dysplasia and tearing CCLs (ligaments), which is a major and expensive to treat injury. Keeping the weight down really helps reduce the chances of orthopedic problems. Lean is good. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I'm not opposed to feeding him exclusively out of his Kong...but what a weirdo. :D LOL. My puppy will eat dog food that spills on the floor rather than the food in her bowl. I guess the floor makes it taste better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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