Self-Dieting?

[mojozen]

Mojo seems to be putting himself on a starvation diet. I've been letting him roam the apartment instead of staying crated when I'm gone. So he's no longer in a big hurry to eat his breakfast... which is okay... but then the kibble just sits in his bowl until I come home. When i come home he eats his breakfast for dinner... and it's only about half of what I should be giving him.

It seems like he's only comfortable eating when I'm home. I can even leave the stash of his food open and out and he won't touch it if I'm not home. If I'm home and awake all bets are off, of course.

Ultimately, I guess I shall have to go back to picking up the bowl after 15 minutes of it being down... to see if he will start eating again.

Does anyone have any ideas of why he's doing this?





Edited to add: His activity levels and behavior are normal. His water consumption is normal. His poop is normal. He does not get much human food or treats...

 

[corsomom]

I feed 2 times a day and they all eat soon as I pup the food down. I use to make myself just about sick with worry when my dogs did not eat right away, anyways were over that now, but I know what you mean, I use to leave brunos food out all day and if we were gone he would not touch his food, but soon as we came home he would gobble it down.

 

[mojozen]

Corso - even when I AM home he doesn't always eat. I've heard from other dog owners that their dogs also only eat when they are home. It's pretty baffling to me.

 

[corsomom]

Oh, I thought he wasn't eating when you were gone.Does he seem to be losing weight?

 

[pup-man]

My pup does the same thing... won't eat until I get home... but on the weekends, she will eat a meal early and late.... I'm not sure why they do this? Maybe just bored and lazy... so they arent as hungry

 

[Gempress]

I wouldn't worry at all. Zeus free-feeds, but he won't touch his food unless we're home. My golden retreiver used to be the same way.

 

[Debi]

Hammie won't eat if I'm not home, but he also has days where he just doesn't feel like eating hardly anything. (I've annoyed Mordy to death about it) other days he eats hardy. my concern is that he is below his normal weight...yet very healthy. I used to add so many things to entice him, but believe it or not he just has never been that interested in food. same for treats...I just don't bother cause he drops them and walks away. now I put down his food, once a day, and stick to his kibble moistened with a bit of canned food. then after around 20 mins., I pick it up and try really hard not to fret about it. I even sit right beside him (which does make him eat more) he is so strange about food that he has never begged....he could care less if we're eating, and goes upstairs to bed. (Addie loves that..lol...she'll take anything) so all this ramble is me trying to say that as long as they are healthy, I guess it's not a problem.

 

[mojozen]

He's a bit overweight actually. I can't seem to keep him at the 42lbs which i was told was a good weight for him to be maintained at .... he's currently 45.5lbs. I am only fretting because I stopped feeding him human food handouts when i switched him to Innova Evo. I didn't want to give him too much fat or unneccessary calories..

Anyway, I've been trying to mix in a bit of canned food (like an 1/8th of a can with a half a cup of kibble at a time) which he will sort of pick at...

Finicky dog.

Ah well... I will keep an eye on him. It is getting warmer here but I haven't turned on the air conditioning yet. Maybe once the A/C goes on his appetite will come back.

 

[Debi]

I know what you mean about the 'extras'. (altho he isn't really overweight at just a pound or two) but I understand your watching...I do that with Addie as she tends to pack it on easier in the winter months. I do NOT want them fat. that's why I don't feed Hammie any 'booster' foods like satin balls, I don't want fat on him...I'd like good muscle. mine eat Innova, too, so I guess whatever he does decide to eat..it's all good for him. finicky is right..LOL makes us crazy, doesn't it?!!!!!!! silly dogs........

 

[Barb04]

I do think it's their mood. Max will sometimes eat everything and look at me like is there any more. Other times, he is just not interested in eating much even after adding extras. I do notice that sometimes it has to do with the weather being too hot outside and not wanting much to eat.

 

[angelbell]

I agree with Barb04 - of my 3 dogs, one of them is particularly strange. He only eats when i am around him. At times, he just refused to eat - even if i offer bone treats. Like Debi, i also have to add different things into his food to entice him to eat. Sometimes, he will go to our plants and eat the leaves - yes!! He decided to be vegetarian!

Nowadays, after reading this board, i just feed him Kibble and canned food / some homecooked food. On days that i feel that he will not eat his food, i will give him raw chicken necks. He eats his food more regularly now though not all meals. So long as he doesn't skip too many meals, he will not have gastric.

I also noticed that if he has diarrhea / constipation, he will not take any food. During such times, i put some manuka honey and apple cider vinegar to their water to soothe their stomach.