Hard keepers

[chris nanney]

Anyone experience this with their Newfs? Basically a dog that just doesn't seem interested in food or eat much?

What methods have you used to get these dogs to eat more or put on weight?

 

[moose113]

My newf is like this. Doesn't eat much, and doesn't show much interest in food. I always say he is one of those dogs that "eats to live" as opposed to "lives to eat". I tried hand feeding, switching foods, putting treats on the food, I sat by the food bowl and begged him to eat....all to no avail. He would go sometimes days without eating. The only kibble I've been able to get him to eat with any consistency is Orijen Puppy.

People may critize, but I ended up free feeding. Basically I put food down and left it down all day and into the evening. He would eat if he wanted to and not eat if he didn't want to. He is always on the lean side, but not unhealthily so. Vets always said he was in great shape. So if he is a little lean but not underweight, I wouldn't stress to much over it.

 

[Thule's Mom]

Oh boy! Thule isn't interested in kibble at all.... I'm getting Orijen to try.



frustrating, isn't it!

 

[ozzysma]

i used to have this problem with ozzy and i would free feed him. he was always bordering on extreme skinnyness!! having a second dog who is a bit glutonous i had to stop free feeding ozzy. since switching to orijen (higher calories and good ones at that) he has put on some weight and finally looks good but i do have to put something on his food to get him to eat it. but i use some yogurt or cottage cheese or pumpkin or veggies.

 

[chris nanney]

The reason I ask is that my two Bernese have gone off their food this summer. I've tried rotating a couple of different kibbles and it works for a couple of days. They'll eat well for a few days and then go back to eating very little and inconsistently.

So far my best way to get them both to eat consistently was to feed them a feed store brand (to remain nameless) kibble combined with some cheap canned foods. I could rotate the variety of the canned food and keep the same base kibble. Using this option I was able to keep both eating and maintain weight.

I wasn't crazy about the kibble and I didn't like mixing in the canned food, but it did work.

 

[SunnyD]

Sunshine is the least food driven dog I know. She even turns down treats. I spent 8 years trying everything. Cooking for her, adding rice, adding broth, canned food, every kibble out there. I also tried the putting it down for 10 minutes and removing it. She went 5 days without eating before my vet had me bring her in, gave her an iv and told me to stop trying this method. Finally after going to a dog show and asking what people fed their Newfs, I put her on Pro Plan. It was the only food I found she would eat right away. Then I found NN and Orijen 6 fish. She ate it right away. Theo other thing that changed was Rosie's arrival. She eats immediately with the puppy around as I no longer can free feed.

 

[newfy]

I had the same problem with Mickey, until I got Merlin,
Merlin can be a little finnicky at times, he demands a little
yogurt with his am meal, so everybody gets some.

 

[chris nanney]

SunnyD: which Pro Plan did the show people use? I'm guessing either the Chicken and Rice or the fish based Sensitive Skin and Stomach.

 

[SunnyD]

SunnyD: which Pro Plan did the show people use? I'm guessing either the Chicken and Rice or the fish based Sensitive Skin and Stomach.

Pro Plan Shredded Selects - Lamb and Rice

Also Sensitive Skin & Stomach.

Those were the two I heard the most. Some also fed Giant Breed Formula.

Since then they have come out with the Natural Selects line. I had Sunny on the Turkey & Barley one which she loved. I keep a small bag in a pinch when I run out of Orijen and can't get to the store that carries it.

 

[NewfieMama]

Cooper has more enthusiasm for the 6 Fish than for any other food - he even wants it for treats. I've also heard that raw diets can "wake" a dog's appetite, but I've not tried it myself.


Mary

 

[Erika]

Our Greta prefers to eat when and only if shes hungry.....she prefers a banana or blue berries in the heat,,,she will eat 1 cup of kibble 2-3 times a day but its usually all day. The other 4 are piglets!!!!!

 

[Ginny]

When you have more than one, appetite is usually not a problem. Each wants to eat theirs before another hones in on it. I even feed mine in separate kennels and they still inhale the food. Moral of the story: get more Newfs!

 

[R Taft]

I had a newf like that...........Jessy just was not interested in food. She hated all dry foods and she did not care that the other dogs ate her food. That is when we changed to mostly Raw for her and bones. I think Jessy lived on bones and bananas for most of her life. We used to "hide" veggies in bananas and ground beef. She was always very lean, but very thin before we went to RAW.
We had her till 1998 and I think i started her on RAW in 1991. Initially we used to make a cooked Rice/chicken/oats mix. But she didn't like that either. We used that (and satin balls) to get some weight on Annabelle, because she loved that mix. But she is now just RAW.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

Snuffles to is not a food hound. His old family, I know he would go 24 hours or more without eating.

I know he is not turned on by dry kibble, though he will eat Orjien 6 Fish dry with some hesitation.

Anyway, I first tried just mixing warm water, then a half scrambled egg and water mixed in. Later is was some cooked ham and warmed in the microwave with some water. Then I tried a bit of Nutro's natural Choice lamb and rice canned and water.

Now here for quite some time, I buy a can of Nutro's Natural Choice Herring and Sweet Potatoe. II keep a can refrigerated and get it out of the can as one piece. I cut it in half, then each half into 7 pieces.

For each meal, I mix one of the pieces in a pit of water to make a gravy. I then dump a cup to a cup and 2/3rds dry kibble in it, and mix it real well. He seems to like that the best.

 

[Bär]

Boy, I did not think the "fussy eater" was that wide spread. Bär will not eat plain kibble, no matter what.
He was never a morning person, so breakfast was either a chore or he did not eat at all.
Since he has been sick with hookworm, which turned him animic, we have added cannend tripe to his meals & he will now eat 1 cup kibble am & pm.
For his pm feeding he also gets whatever meat we are having for supper minus the spices.
But here is the kicker, I have to sit on the floor with him, while he is lying down eating & stir his food every so often for him to continue eating. This started when I had to spoonfeed him while being sick.
He is on the mend now, but as soon as I try to move away from him he stops eating. He had lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks, now gained back 5 pounds in 1 month.
The things we do for them, but he is worth it.

 

[newfam]

Tsunami isn't food driven at all either. Which makes training a bit more work. He would get tired of the treats quickly, and then go back to being crazy puppy. He has grown out of the crazy puppy for the most part... just a 15month male instead. Food has always been an issue. We started off feeding Wolf Pack...he didn't like it so we switched to Orijen, and then later the 6 Fish. He never dives for the food, in fact I don't even make him "work" for the food, if he is up and moving towards it he gets it. I think this summer he has gone off the food again, we are hoping it is just cause he is to hot to eat.

 

[moose113]

I added another newf last month and the eating situation has improved somewhat - he's eating a bit more. But what mainly happened was his eating habits rubbed off on the new pup so now I have 2 dogs that are not really interested in food. So the pup has some sense of structure, I put the food down in the morning and evening for 1 hour. I'm hoping that they will eventually eat when it's put down in front of them.