# Semi-anorexic???



## aerialdreams (Apr 12, 2013)

Hey everyone,
I wanted to see if anyone's had similar experiences as me and get some advice on what to do. 

My Havanese girl Coconut is 11 months old now. Ever since she was little, she has never been food motivated and she never ate her meals well. I've tried to feed her only high quality foods like Acana and Fromm, and after we started Fromm grain free for a while she was eating ok (ate most of her meals). Currently at her age, she's supposed to eat 1-1.25 cups of food a day, and I usually divide that into 2 meals. However, in the last 2 weeks, she has not wanted to eat her meals at all. She would go a day or 2 without eating anything, until I can coax her to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food on the 3rd day. At first I was told to just wait it out, that she'll eventually get hungry and eat, but it didn't happen, so after a week I got her a new bag of food with different flavors. She started to eat that a little better, but still would only eat about 1/2 cup a day. This is now the second week of this, and I'm getting really worried!! This can't be healthy right? I mean, how long can this go on? She's been eating only 1/2 of her food for a while now, and I'm really scared that she's not getting enough food and nutrients. I've changed her food flavor twice now and it's not working, and I can't afford to keep buying more bags of food while the old bags are still pretty full and just sitting there. Any ideas on what I should do?? I also don't want her to get in a bad habit and become a picky eater so I don't want to change her food too often, but I'm really scared that she's gonna starve! How long should I wait it out before doing something?? She's been acting fairly normal (puppy energy and all) until last night when she got really mellow and just wanted to cuddle. Not sure if this is her growing up or not having enough energy because she hasn't been eating all her meals!


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Sheba is only supposed to eat about half that amount of her kibble each day. are you sure you have the proportions right?


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## aerialdreams (Apr 12, 2013)

I followed the calorie calculator from here: http://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/basic-calorie-calculator

Coco is 13 lb, so it comes out to ~530 calories she needs per day, and usually for these kibble there's ~440 calories per cup... Please let me know if I have the numbers wrong!! It would be great if she's eating the right amount


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

I think you are doing the math wrong. try going to this website, which has a plug-in formula. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator


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## aerialdreams (Apr 12, 2013)

I think the reason the calorie count seem so high for her is because she's still a puppy, so in the calculations its 2x the RER calorie count. But even if I use the link you posted, it still came out to 1.02 cups a day...


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Obviously, I am not a math whiz! What does your vet say?


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## aerialdreams (Apr 12, 2013)

Haha, no worries, that's why I have a calculator handy! I hate doing math too  

I haven't taken her to the vet yet and wanted to get you guys' opinion first since I wasn't sure how common of a thing this is and if this is actually serious. Ever since I've gotten my little baby I feel like I've become super paranoid about everything, and I want to make sure I'm not freaking out over nothing! Also, I guess if this is more of a behavioral issue I don't know how much vets can help


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Sheba is 8 months now, and each time we go to the vet, I ask him whether her weight gain is appropriate. So long as it is, I don't worry about what she's eating. I also give Sheba a fair number of treats during training. So that adds to her calorie count. I know what you mean about paranoid. We just want to do what's right!


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## Ollie"s Mom (May 23, 2014)

Wow, that seems like a lot of food. Ollie has a total of 3/4 of a cup of his Acana and he gets that split up one meal in the morning and one meal in the evening. Ollie is a big boy at 16 pounds, he is definitely not skinny. He does get vegy treats during the day. Not much though, a piece of brocolli when I have my lunch, a piece of cauliflower mid afternoon and a mini greenie at 9:00 p.m. That is it.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Seems that Coco is at a good weight for her age. Scout occasionally decides he doesn't want to eat for a day. I always keep a small dish of kibble out and just measured 1/2 cup. Usually they eat Acana Grasslands and sometimes Orijen Regional. They both graze on that throughout the day. They always have chicken or some sliced roast beef at dinner time. During the day they do get treats. They love Lancaster smoked turkey, paddywacks and bully sticks. Scout is 17lbs and will be 3 yrs on 5/11 and Truffles 10.5lbs @ 1 1/2 yrs old. You might try giving Coco some chicken breast. I also worry about everything so I know how you feel.


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## HavGracie (Feb 27, 2012)

I feed Gracie Acana Wild Prairie, and she gets 1/2 cup a day total. I give her 1/4 cup and a few green beans in the morning and in the evening, and she's been maintaining her weight at around 13 lbs. When she was s puppy she ate 3/4 cup a day, but I stopped that when she was 6 months old. (Believe me, she would LOVE to eat a full cup every day, but that's not happening:biggrin1: )


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## Freckles (Feb 2, 2015)

Milo is a picky eater.… I also feed Acana and tried mixing the flavours up. I keep supper leftovers for him (basics- beef or chicken that doesn't have any sauce or major flavourings on, veggies, rice.) I mix some in with his food, really mixing it so the food flavours go on the dog food. He will almost always eat his whole bowl when I do that. If it's just dog food, well he just gives me the look. lol.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

aerialdreams said:


> Hey everyone,
> I wanted to see if anyone's had similar experiences as me and get some advice on what to do.
> 
> My Havanese girl Coconut is 11 months old now. Ever since she was little, she has never been food motivated and she never ate her meals well. I've tried to feed her only high quality foods like Acana and Fromm, and after we started Fromm grain free for a while she was eating ok (ate most of her meals). Currently at her age, she's supposed to eat 1-1.25 cups of food a day, and I usually divide that into 2 meals. However, in the last 2 weeks, she has not wanted to eat her meals at all. She would go a day or 2 without eating anything, until I can coax her to eat maybe 1/2 cup of food on the 3rd day. At first I was told to just wait it out, that she'll eventually get hungry and eat, but it didn't happen, so after a week I got her a new bag of food with different flavors. She started to eat that a little better, but still would only eat about 1/2 cup a day. This is now the second week of this, and I'm getting really worried!! This can't be healthy right? I mean, how long can this go on? She's been eating only 1/2 of her food for a while now, and I'm really scared that she's not getting enough food and nutrients. I've changed her food flavor twice now and it's not working, and I can't afford to keep buying more bags of food while the old bags are still pretty full and just sitting there. Any ideas on what I should do?? I also don't want her to get in a bad habit and become a picky eater so I don't want to change her food too often, but I'm really scared that she's gonna starve! How long should I wait it out before doing something?? She's been acting fairly normal (puppy energy and all) until last night when she got really mellow and just wanted to cuddle. Not sure if this is her growing up or not having enough energy because she hasn't been eating all her meals!


Kodi is a big Havanese at 17 lbs, and he has eaten approximately 1/2 cup of food a day for his whole 6 years. He is strong and fit without extra weight, but he is definitely not skinny. I think you are trying to get her to eat more than she needs.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

aerialdreams said:


> Haha, no worries, that's why I have a calculator handy! I hate doing math too
> 
> I haven't taken her to the vet yet and wanted to get you guys' opinion first since I wasn't sure how common of a thing this is and if this is actually serious. Ever since I've gotten my little baby I feel like I've become super paranoid about everything, and I want to make sure I'm not freaking out over nothing! Also, I guess if this is more of a behavioral issue I don't know how much vets can help


Is she too thin? If not, I wouldn't worry about it!


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## aerialdreams (Apr 12, 2013)

Thank you guys so much for all your advice! I think the consensus is that I'm feeding Coconut too much. She doesn't seem too thin to me, but then I'm not really sure if I'm the best judge of that since she's my first dog and the only other dog I know really well (family dog) is really obese so I have no good reference. Haha. I will stick to 1/2 cup a day and see what happens!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

aerialdreams said:


> Thank you guys so much for all your advice! I think the consensus is that I'm feeding Coconut too much. She doesn't seem too thin to me, but then I'm not really sure if I'm the best judge of that since she's my first dog and the only other dog I know really well (family dog) is really obese so I have no good reference. Haha. I will stick to 1/2 cup a day and see what happens!


You should EASILY be able to feel her ribs, and she should have a nice tuck-up behind her ribs. Her spine and pelvis should have a good covering of flesh (more than over her ribs) If you have to press to feel her ribs, she's carrying too much fat. If you can easily feel her spine and pelvis without pressure, she's too thin.


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## prettysmartchic (Jul 21, 2012)

krandall said:


> You should EASILY be able to feel her ribs, and she should have a nice tuck-up behind her ribs. Her spine and pelvis should have a good covering of flesh (more than over her ribs) If you have to press to feel her ribs, she's carrying too much fat. If you can easily feel her spine and pelvis without pressure, she's too thin.


This is excellent guidance. I had the same issue with Parker and came her for help. He's just a small guy and didn't want that much kibble and following this group, I learned that my dog was just self-regulating. When it came to treats he would go overboard but he ate until he wasn't hungry. That's all. so We changed from grazing to distinct 15/20 minute periods for scheduled times each day. It worked to create predictable eating habits. Also, I fed him In treat balls and he was a little more interested. I also learned that Parker would be more discriminating about food when the weather warmed up... which seems normal to me I guess.

Karen's advice is spot on though. Lower the quantity and see if she finishes the bowl. Then, build from there.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Willow is not an aggressive eater either. I was a little concerned when we first got her as I come from the corgi world who are known for their kibble dances and food addictions. Willow gets a high quality, grain free food and the bag says to feed 1/3 to 1/2 cup per day for a dog her weight. She probably eats that amount but it takes her all day. I've always been an advocate of scheduled feedings and not leaving it out, but with her I just leave it out all day and she comes and goes to it at will. I'm curious if others leave food out all day of if you maintain a schedule. I worry that if she is on a schedule, she won't eat when she is supposed to. She seems to just eat a few pieces at a time and then leaves.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Willow is not an aggressive eater either. I was a little concerned when we first got her as I come from the corgi world who are known for their kibble dances and food addictions. Willow gets a high quality, grain free food and the bag says to feed 1/3 to 1/2 cup per day for a dog her weight. She probably eats that amount but it takes her all day. I've always been an advocate of scheduled feedings and not leaving it out, but with her I just leave it out all day and she comes and goes to it at will. I'm curious if others leave food out all day of if you maintain a schedule. I worry that if she is on a schedule, she won't eat when she is supposed to. She seems to just eat a few pieces at a time and then leaves.


When you leave food out all day, you encourage that "grazing". If you set a schedule for her meals, and left the food down for no more than 5 minutes (unless she was actively eating it for longer than that) it wouldn't take long for her to learn to eat up. My dogs finish their food in less than 2 minutes. (Kodi in less than one )


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> When you leave food out all day, you encourage that "grazing". If you set a schedule for her meals, and left the food down for no more than 5 minutes (unless she was actively eating it for longer than that) it wouldn't take long for her to learn to eat up. My dogs finish their food in less than 2 minutes. (Kodi in less than one )


Ok - it's worth a try. I ran into someone else when we were camping that had a hav that ate like Willow. She said she started putting food down on a schedule and left it for 20 minutes. She said if he didn't eat it, too bad and would pick it up after the 20 minutes. Tough love I guess! She said he's now eating better and finally figured out he better eat while it's there.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Ok - it's worth a try. I ran into someone else when we were camping that had a hav that ate like Willow. She said she started putting food down on a schedule and left it for 20 minutes. She said if he didn't eat it, too bad and would pick it up after the 20 minutes. Tough love I guess! She said he's now eating better and finally figured out he better eat while it's there.


Oh, believe me! They are smart dogs, and MASTERs of manipulation!  Twenty minutes is far too long to have the desired affect. You want them to THINK you're going to take it away before they have a chance to finish. This is why having another dog for "competition" works really well.

Kodi was a "picky puppy" too, until I went to Europe for 10 days, and left him with a friend with 4 large dogs. Of course, he ALWAYS was fed in his ex-pen, and there was never any REAL chance that the other dogs were going to get his food, but HE didn't know that&#8230; he learned to eat up. 

Pixel has NEVER been picky, because she knows that Kodi would just LOVE to finish her food up for her!


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## havimom3 (Jul 11, 2015)

My 6 month old is currently eating grain free puppy food. At her last vet visit two weeks ago, my vet told me to switch from feeding her 1/3 cup three times per day to 1/3 cup twice per day. She weighed 10.5 lbs. then. She does get training treats also. My older havis, 6 and 4 1/2 years old) eat 1/3 cup twice per day of Earthborn Holistic grain free plus treats. That said, my 4 1/2 year old is very picky and has to be coaxed to eat. She will occasionally skip a meal and I generally feed the ocean catch version of Earthborn but add some of the Earthborn Feast of the Plains (bison) for her. In training classes she wouldn't eat any of the typical training treats. She would only eat deli smoked turkey.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

How is Orajen or Fromm puppy food? Rudy is on Royal Canin Puppy Mini and I'm thinking of switching to one of these.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Scout was already on Fromm puppy food when we picked him up from the breeder. I had to order it because isn't available where we live. When we got Truffles I started her on it. The kibble is a good size for a puppy. They both did very well on it.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Can you tell me which one? I'm not sure which one to get. I don't think they make one specifically for puppies.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

There is one made especially for puppies. It is called Fromm Puppy Gold and comes in a pink bag. The kibble is very small. I also gave them a little moist Wellness puppy food. I ordered it our pet store, but you probably could order it online.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

Have you ever tried Orajen puppy food?


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I think I did try a sample of Orijen puppy, but Scout did so well on Fromm I just continued it. Trufffles was pretty little and the size of the kibble was perfect. I now alternate between Orijen Red and Acana Grasslands. We also add a little chicken, vegetables and cottage cheese to their diet. I have tried all the freeze dried patties, Orijen, Primal and Stella & Chewy's but they turn their noses up and walk away.


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

I think Coco is a really good weight. My pup is also 11 months and only weighed 7 lbs. at her last vet visit (about a month ago). The vet said he would like to have her gain a little more weight. She is also a very picky eater and doesn't like most dog food, even the freeze dried. I have tried so many raw, freeze dried patty's, and high quality dog foods. She only eats chicken breast, beef, hard boiled eggs, steak, and sweet potatoes. I have to try to get her back on dog food.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Zoe093014 said:


> I think Coco is a really good weight. My pup is also 11 months and only weighed 7 lbs. at her last vet visit (about a month ago). The vet said he would like to have her gain a little more weight. She is also a very picky eater and doesn't like most dog food, even the freeze dried. I have tried so many raw, freeze dried patty's, and high quality dog foods. She only eats chicken breast, beef, hard boiled eggs, steak, and sweet potatoes. I have to try to get her back on dog food.


Yes, that's not a balanced, healthy diet for her. You need to be firm about not giving her any choices. Choose a high quality food and STICK to it. Healthy dogs won't starve to death. If you have a healthy dog who is eating well and on a high quality food, but STILL too thin, you can increase their calorie intake by adding a small amount of coconut oil to their food.


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