I worry that Bianca isn't eating enough

[biancasmom]

I feed Bianca Canidae Lamb and Rice (we had the chicken for a while but i switched because i thought maybe it was affecting her tear staining.. it didnt help but she loves the lamb and rice). Due to my hours at work, i don't really have a way to have a set schedule of feeding her so i decided to leave her food out all the time. She has a bowl in her playpen with her while I am at work and there is a bowl out in the kitchen. These bowls arent huge..they hold maybe 2 cups of food. Sometimes we can go a whole day and she wont eat hardly anything. Othertimes she will eat a lot (for example when i get her out of the playpen that food is almost gone and then that night, she will eat the food in the kitchen)

She is healthy and energetic and my vet says that dogs will eat when they get hungry. But i still worry that she is not getting enough food.
When i was in New York City a couple months ago, my mom and dad had her for a week. My mom said she did not eat ANY of her dog food that week.. But my mom is also known for breaking up pieces of chicken or hardboiling an egg and giving it to the dog.. so I think she was getting fed that week...

A lot of times she will play with her food too.. When she finally does decide to start eating she will go an grab about 10 pieces and bring it in the living room and then she throw each piece up in the air over and over and finally eat it...

I have had finicky dogs in the past. Both of my previous dogs ate wet food.. They both ended up dying before their time with some sort of disease. I have decided I do not want Bianca to have wet food. I just hope she isn't being finicky. usually she seems to really love the food.

janie

[allheart]

Your baby is so adorable. It would probably be better to have set times, so this way you know what she is eating and when.

When one of mine becomes finiky...I resort to hand feeding...usually as pups and then they learn to eat on their own.

Even if you leave out early in the morn....feed her then....and then pick it up....and then do the same once you get home....if it's left out all day she may loose interest.

My two love green beans mixed in with their kibble...maybe try that...or some pears sliced up, mixed in it.

It's a worry I know.

[roxybaby22]

When my late Yorkie did that, I also had to hand feed him. It also helped when I mixed boiled chicken, veggies or wet food in his bowl with the kibble (not the wet food according to your preference). And as said above, feeding schedules help her to learn to eat when you want her to, so I would start her on one and feed her before work and 12 hour later/after work.

Roxy is a different story, she lives to eat LOL! :P

[Lillykins]

Our Lilly also used to skip eating some days and then she'd yak up the yellow bile. ugh!

She also used to take individual pieces of kibble and toss them around before she would eat them.

For a while, we resorted to getting down on the floor, and 'shooting' the food across the tile (like a marble). Lilly would get all excited, chase each piece of kibble, "catch" it, and eat it. Yeah, that got old in a hurry. Of course SHE loved it. My back?. . . not so much.

Then we began bringing her bowl of kibble into our bedroom in the evening as we were getting ready for bed. She also loved that; she'd mow right through it. Our vet said that Lilly was a "social" eater. She crunched every evening before bedtime. We didn't stick with that routine for all that long, either, because of the food particles being in her mouth and worrying about dental issues.

We have now resorted to 2 meals a day. She gets kibble, a bit of canned food, a golf ball sized blob of pumpkin, and some plain, non-fat yogurt (no sugar or sugar substitutes!!).

I'm with Christine (Allheart). I recommend giving the food (laced with healthy yummies, which I also recommend) at certain times each day, and taking it up after 20 minutes. Your delightful little Bianca will figure it out quickly, and you will know exactly how much nutrition she is getting.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[biancasmom]

QUOTE (Lillykins @ Apr 27 2009, 03:40 PM)

Our Lilly also used to skip eating some days and then she'd yak up the yellow bile. ugh!

She also used to take individual pieces of kibble and toss them around before she would eat them.

For a while, we resorted to getting down on the floor, and 'shooting' the food across the tile (like a marble). Lilly would get all excited, chase each piece of kibble, "catch" it, and eat it. Yeah, that got old in a hurry. Of course SHE loved it. My back?. . . not so much.

Then we began bringing her bowl of kibble into our bedroom in the evening as we were getting ready for bed. She also loved that; she'd mow right through it. Our vet said that Lilly was a "social" eater. She crunched every evening before bedtime. We didn't stick with that routine for all that long, either, because of the food particles being in her mouth and worrying about dental issues.

We have now resorted to 2 meals a day. She gets kibble, a bit of canned food, a golf ball sized blob of pumpkin, and some plain, non-fat yogurt (no sugar or sugar substitutes!!).

I'm with Christine (Allheart). I recommend giving the food (laced with healthy yummies, which I also recommend) at certain times each day, and taking it up after 20 minutes. Your delightful little Bianca will figure it out quickly, and you will know exactly how much nutrition she is getting.

Good luck with whatever you decide![/B]

i think that Bianca is mainly a social eater too... ive noticed that when she does decide to eat its usually around 9:30pm or so when i have settled in to watch tv in the living room.... sometimes i think she just so into her playing that she forgets to eat.. if i remind her (by throwing a piece of food at her) she will usually go over and eat.

[beckybc03]

I disagree with other posters about setting a feeding time. I do not see the point in setting feeding times if your dog is not overeating. My vet said that it is best if a dog can free feed which not ever dog is capable of doing as many will scarf down anything put in front of them.

My Lilly sounds a lot like Bianca. Some days she will eat all of her food in her bowl and I'll fill it up again and other days she does not really touch it. I used to worry about it but now I'm just used to the fact that she will eat when she is hungry. Some dogs eat to live and others live to eat. Clearly Lilly (and probably Bianca) are the "eat to live" type. If Bianca is not underweight and she has plenty of energy I wouldn't worry too much about it!

[Lillykins]

QUOTE (BeckyBC03 @ Apr 27 2009, 04:20 PM)

I disagree with other posters about setting a feeding time. I do not see the point in setting feeding times if your dog is not overeating. My vet said that it is best if a dog can free feed which not ever dog is capable of doing as many will scarf down anything put in front of them.

My Lilly sounds a lot like Bianca. Some days she will eat all of her food in her bowl and I'll fill it up again and other days she does not really touch it. I used to worry about it but now I'm just used to the fact that she will eat when she is hungry. Some dogs eat to live and others live to eat. Clearly Lilly (and probably Bianca) are the "eat to live" type. If Bianca is not underweight and she has plenty of energy I wouldn't worry too much about it![/B]

Good points Becky. We all do best when we can see both sides of an issue. I'm glad the free feeding works for you and Lilly.

p.s. I love both your name and your dog's name!

[beckybc03]

QUOTE (Lillykins @ Apr 28 2009, 02:18 PM)

QUOTE (BeckyBC03 @ Apr 27 2009, 04:20 PM)

I disagree with other posters about setting a feeding time. I do not see the point in setting feeding times if your dog is not overeating. My vet said that it is best if a dog can free feed which not ever dog is capable of doing as many will scarf down anything put in front of them.

My Lilly sounds a lot like Bianca. Some days she will eat all of her food in her bowl and I'll fill it up again and other days she does not really touch it. I used to worry about it but now I'm just used to the fact that she will eat when she is hungry. Some dogs eat to live and others live to eat. Clearly Lilly (and probably Bianca) are the "eat to live" type. If Bianca is not underweight and she has plenty of energy I wouldn't worry too much about it![/B]

Good points Becky. We all do best when we can see both sides of an issue. I'm glad the free feeding works for you and Lilly.

p.s. I love both your name and your dog's name!
[/B][/QUOTE]


Thanks, I like your dog's name and your too...and aren't we both from Wisconsin as well !

Ok I just re-read my post. I hope that I didn't offend anyone, I wasn't trying to say anyone was WRONG, just sharing another side but now I see that it may have come across too strong. I didn't mean it that way!

[allheart]

QUOTE (BeckyBC03 @ Apr 28 2009, 03:30 PM)

QUOTE (Lillykins @ Apr 28 2009, 02:18 PM)

QUOTE (BeckyBC03 @ Apr 27 2009, 04:20 PM)

I disagree with other posters about setting a feeding time. I do not see the point in setting feeding times if your dog is not overeating. My vet said that it is best if a dog can free feed which not ever dog is capable of doing as many will scarf down anything put in front of them.

My Lilly sounds a lot like Bianca. Some days she will eat all of her food in her bowl and I'll fill it up again and other days she does not really touch it. I used to worry about it but now I'm just used to the fact that she will eat when she is hungry. Some dogs eat to live and others live to eat. Clearly Lilly (and probably Bianca) are the "eat to live" type. If Bianca is not underweight and she has plenty of energy I wouldn't worry too much about it![/B]

Good points Becky. We all do best when we can see both sides of an issue. I'm glad the free feeding works for you and Lilly.

p.s. I love both your name and your dog's name!
[/B][/QUOTE]


Thanks, I like your dog's name and your too...and aren't we both from Wisconsin as well !

Ok I just re-read my post. I hope that I didn't offend anyone, I wasn't trying to say anyone was WRONG, just sharing another side but now I see that it may have come across too strong. I didn't mean it that way!
[/B][/QUOTE]


No worries at all. Your information is very helpful!!! That's how we get to be good Mommies by sharing...so glad you did!!