how many meals a day?

Hi, Sky has become quite fussy about eating. She gets fed twice a day once in the morning and once about 6 pm.
Recently she turns her nose up at her morning meal. it either gets left all day or she goes to it around 2-3pm. I wAs thinking of reducing her food intake to once a day but in the evening around 5pm but not sure she should last all day without food? She gets treats, and walks/runs off lead around an hr a day. Any advice please?

How old is she now?

She is nearly one and a half

I've had this problem with Zeus a number of times. Instead of leaving the food out all day, put it down for 10 minutes, if she eats it then great, if she doesnt, pick it up and then don't give it her again until her next feed is due.

It is heartbreaking watching them look at you all the time waiting for the feed, but its for the best. Eventually, she'll realise that she has to eat it when you put it down or she won't get it again. Zeus eventually realised.

Also, you can put things in her kibble to make her food more appealing, I put several things:

1) Raw egg mixed into the kibble 2/3 times a week
2) Mackeral or Tuna (in sunflower oil or water) 2 times a week
3) Salmon oil most meals
4) You can also put warm water in there and leave to soak for a few minutes

Give this a go and let us know how you get on!

I only feed once a day. But lexi will eat the mix and whatever kibble is in it then leave the rest and pick at it all day. Thats okay for me. If she is still eating it eventually and it is dry kibble i woudln't be too worried unless she then starts toileting at unsuitable hours.

Yeah. its half wet half dry. today i added a teaspoon of peanut butter but just licked then left. I may try the ten minute rule then put it in the fridge until tea time.

becki2009 wrote:Yeah. its half wet half dry. today i added a teaspoon of peanut butter but just licked then left. I may try the ten minute rule then put it in the fridge until tea time.

What are you feeding?

Zeus did stop eating a number of times totally, there was one point where he didn't eat for two days, it's not like him at all so we took him to the vets. It turned out his bowels were swollen and he had Colitis.

How is her poo?

I don't like the idea of leaving food down & allowing a dog to graze during the day. Also, if you're mixing wet with it I wouldn't like to save it for later, even in the fridge.

At 18 months-ish there's no problem in giving one meal a day & many people do. The only reason I don't is due to Dempsey developing bloat as a youngster. Now, he gets a small breakfast and a main evening meal.

The only thing i dont like about the one meal a day is that it would be evening and hate tge thought of her being starving at 2pm. but otherwise her morning meals are being wasted!
She is on just pets at home brand. half wet half dry. She was on wainwrights which we know is lots better nutritionaly. but a) costs thre times as much and b) she stopped eating it alltogether as we think she got bored

Her poo is healthy. 2-3times a day

I can only think that shes being fussy then, Zeus is the exact same.

I would try the 10 minute rule and see how it goes. Also, you can get some 'doggy gravy' from most pet stores which works well.

You could try just a small meal in the morning to keep her going & then her main meal in the evening?

Caryll wrote:You could try just a small meal in the morning to keep her going & then her main meal in the evening?

Good idea, I've done this with Zeus also and generally works.

I personally feed one meal a day from roughly 10 months old and have never had fussiness

Morning or evening?

We feed once mid afternoon they are raw fed and it works for us

ella wrote:We feed once mid afternoon :)they are raw fed and it works for us

It always worked for me as well - until Dempsey got bloat. With any future dogs I'll just try to be open about it & take the cue from the dog.

Can i ask how much a month it is to feed raw? sky isnt a massive eater

I feed twice a day but its a very small meal in the morning and then a larger one around 5 but its what works for Hugo.

How expensive?

Daisy has dry with some either wet food, mince, fish or eggs, 2 meals a day, breakfast is just under half what she has for tea.

I think as i know for us ' breakfast is the most important' so think i think thats the same with dogs lol

Not really, it pretty normal to allow a non food day, they digest food differently to humans. Maybe she would benefit from just 1 meal per day.

For me as I have lots of contacts it cost me approx. £15 a month to feed a staffy and ambull