Picky Eater

[Ms. Maggie]

I have a question. Maggie is a picky eater. She will eat sometimes very well then she want eat at all. If she doesn't eat she normally wil becomes sick to her stomach and dry heaves. Sometimes in the night. Yet she is the weight she should be. (7 months Sat. and 15 pounds) Our vet is not concerned and said to leave food down all day. I'm concerned I guess with the dry heaves thing. I want her to eat but she seems to be too picky.

What do you all think??

Thanks

[wags]

What kind of food does she eat?

Dry heaves worry me.

If we put food out all the time, it would be infested with ants.

[Lesley]

I agree, wondering if she might have doggy heart burn - or maybe even hypersensitive - food allergy?

[Guest rottndobie]

How much are you feeding her and how often? What type of food are you feeding? She is at an age where maybe you are feeding too much at one setting. That happened with Shadow. When I rescued him I was not sure how much to feed so started out with 1/3 cup twice a day. After a month or so of this he started not wanting to eat many of his meals. I cut him back to 1/4 cup twice a day and so far, with rare exceptions, he now eat when he is supposed to.

The dry heaving is due to no food in the stomach. One reason I have recommended feeding twice a day. I am not a believer in leaving food down for them all day. For one thing, if they are sick and miss a meal, you would never really know it for a while.

[Guest Guest]

Maggie eats twice a day. 1/2 cup of Pro-Plan Puppy twice a day with enough Pro-Plan Puppy can food to cover the dry. It enhances the appetite for her..

[Kramersmom]

Kramer was a picky eater as well. We started off on wellness which he didn't really like. He would eat one day and not the next. His weight was right as well but I wanted a schedule and feeding time so training was easier. I switched to Canidae and he eats 1/2 cup AM and 1/2 cup PM he is 11 months. My cairn Miossy whom passed away this past November at age 17 had to eat 4 small meals a day due to irritable bowel and diabetes. When Missy was younger before diagnosed with IBS sghe would dry heave and spit up yellow (bile) due to empty stomach.

I'm sure the dry heaves are from an empty tummy and maybe switch to a different food.

[Guest rottndobie]

Maggie eats twice a day.  1/2 cup of Pro-Plan Puppy twice a day with enough Pro-Plan Puppy can food to cover the dry.  It enhances the appetite for her..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is quite a bit of food especially when youo consider the added canned food. I think you can safely drop her back to say 1/3 cup of food twice a day for her age. She maybe getting too much food at one time and then is not really hungry the next feeding. Part of what causes finiky eating IMHO is adding canned food. Yea, they will eat for a while then get bored. IMHO I would stop with the canned food and just give the kibble moistened with water. If you need to add something, try a teaspoon of yogart or cottage cheese. Put the food down and allow 10-15 min to eat. If the food is not eaten then, pick it up and no more until the next feeding. It may take a day or two (they will NOT starve..lol) but I guarantee she will be a good eater at the end of this.