Dutch Shepherd Forum

bannerd wrote:Frustration!!!!!!! Koda hasn't ate in two days. The gf fed him this morning (rice and lamb Purina One) and he woofed that right down. He will not eat his taste of the wild food, the other dogs will eat that stuff with no issues at all. I've separated the dogs and let one eat and then let Koda eat but he doesn't, he walks away (so his food goes away). When he goes outside he's resorting to grass and poop whatever he can eat. I put an end to that as well and just walk over what he's trying to eat and removed the poop. I've witness him sit in the corner and watch the other dogs eat and then he slowly walks in and eats. Which I walk over and pick up the bowl of food. I don't know if this is a dominance thing and he's trying to adjust with the new dogs and gf. It seems like he's challenging me because if I put the food down he looks away from me. If the gf does this he barges right in and eats it. I always make him sit and wait by his food until I tell him to eat.

What I'm trying to understand is why does he HAVE to eat from another dogs bowl. His bowl is loaded with food and he will not touch it. I've left his bowl there once and another dog came over and was eating it. Koda ran into the room and saw it.. then sat there and watched.

Christie M wrote:Or mix it and feed the combo to both.

BTW - TOTW is now made by Diamond and they are having a major food recall. I don't know what all is effected, but maybe research it just to be sure. Maybe there is something wrong with that bag and he knows it.

I used to be a "food for 20 minutes" nazi. But the reality is, I have had some dogs that really just don't care to eat. I can free choice feed them or starve them, its just not a priority and there is no training that brings them through. So for some dogs, I do accommodate. That's much better than a sick animal and a citation for neglect on an emaciated dog.

Drizlaru wrote:You want a good dry kibble to feed him? Here ya go - http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/re ... ients.aspx you can't get any better then that without going RAW.

Drizlaru wrote:I only prefer the Red because of the variety of the additional meat protein sources over the regular adult. Even though comparitivly the adult has more protein by volume. Either one is an excellent diet that is head and shoulders above every other dry kibble I've seen to date, and they are the only one I will reccomend to anyone.

Firstly it should be mentioned that infections, diseases and disorders of the GI tract can cause excess gas production so if your dog has any other symptoms apart from flatulence get him checked by your veterinarian.

* If a dog has excessive flatulence with a foul odor the culprit is likely to be dietary. Change your dog's diet choosing a premium brand of dog food that is highly digestible. Many cheaper brands of dog food contain a lot of corn and soy products for fillers. This gives your dog the feeling of being full, but also can contribute to a smelly gas problem. When choosing kibble select only high quality kibble. It will also reduce the amount of waste product, meaning less gas, and less smell too. Feed your dog the best quality of food that you can afford. If you put rubbish in then rubbish will come out.

* Exercise the dog more frequently to stimulate his intestines. A good walk can work wonders.

* Eliminate Soy Products. Many processed dog foods contain Soy. Read pet food labels.

* If feeding table scraps avoid giving vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, cabbage and other foods such as bread and fried foods. Spicy food should also be avoided.

* Avoid Dairy Products. (except for yogurt, see below)

* Try feeding your dog yogurt. Although yogurt is a dairy food it has different properties to milk and cheese. Yogurt has good bacteria and can be very beneficial in treating excess gas. Feed two to three tablespoons of plain, organic non-fat yogurt a day. Look for labels that indicate that the yogurt contains live and active cultures; these are the cultures which help digestion. Reduction in pet flatulence won't happen overnight. Note your dogs progress after about a week.

* Try probiotics. Probiotics for dogs and digestive enzymes help to reduce the amount of bad bacteria and toxins in the dog's body and are used to restore the normal balance of microflora (bacteria) in the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, probiotics are the "good, friendly bacteria" that are used to combat the "bad, harmful bacteria" that have grown out of proportion The result is a cleaner and more efficient digestive system.

* Feed your dog more frequently with smaller portions. Feed three small meals instead of one large meal to keep the dog from gulping food and swallowing air.

pdlucky wrote:Remington stopped eating about a week and a half ago he went two days without food and had no loss of energy. When he did eat again he only ate about half of his food we were feeding Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed. When he went another day without eating I was getting worried and going to call the vet then he pooped and it was dark and not anything like his usual. So of course I had to check it out and when I played in it I noticed it was just full of this weird dark fibre and I had no idea what it was so I figured it was time to go to the vet. After checking out his poop he was still full of energy so off to the dog park we went. While throwing his frsbee I noticed he was getting a ton of the bark on his tongue and then he would drink some water and swallow it. I picked up some of the bark and gues what they use finely shredded bark, and it had the same consistency as what was in his poo. Now we do not go to the dog park any more and he is back to eating both meals everyday. However I have not been happy with the firmness of his stool so I am making the switch to the grain free Nutro http://www.nutro.com/natural-dog-food/n ... otato.aspx this is the link to the ingredients tell me what you think of it. I am slowly switching him over so I won't know for a few if it is firming it up or not but I will keep everyone updated once the switch is done.

INGREDIENTS
Fresh deboned wild boar*, fresh deboned lamb*, fresh beef liver*, fresh deboned pork*, lamb meal, peas, salmon meal, russet potato, herring meal, fresh whole eggs*, fresh deboned bison*, potato starch, fresh deboned salmon*, pacific whitefish meal, fresh deboned walleye*, ...