Do Shelties Need to Eat Evey Day?
- Thread starter Fasb's Owner
- Start date
Fasb's Owner
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Fasb is eating fine at the moment - much better than the previous six months. Been feeding him his regular kibble + a small amount of usual moist food smeared on top of kibble to entice him). Had tried a few other moist foods for flavoring, but he's having some stomach issues I thought were probably due to the new food).
Interestingly, we've discovered that feeding him 2 x 1/4 cup for each meal is better than feeding him 1/2 cup. He'll sometimes pick at the first 1/4 cup, but once he eats that, is ready for more and devours the second 1/4 cup immediately. Basically, he sometimes picks at his food like he's not interested, but once he gets going and eats more than a few bites, he's fine,
We've also noticed that, if he doesn't want to eat, we can pick up the cup of food, give him something a little different, then put the first cup back down after he eats the second and he'll devour it. He also seems to prefer fresh moist food to something that's been in the fridge, but we don't give him a lot of moist at one time, and it's not practical to open a fresh can every meal (wasting it). I throw out most cans well before they are empty anyway. Don't want them open very long.
He is having intermittent stomach issues. Nothing too serious, but it's not quite going away either. Once a week or so, he coughs up some phlegm - basically coughs up a small bit of spittle. Phlegm is yellow/bright yellow in color, which is usually a sign grass is upsetting his stomach. Doesn't do this a lot, but has been doing it once a week approx. for the past month.
He's also had some soft stool. Again, not routinely. Once every 5-7 days. Not extremely soft. Not formless or pudding-like, but a little softer than usual. Usually, he's fine next time to has a bowel movement. Good for a few days, then I notice it again.
Doesn't appear sick otherwise. Pretty normal. Eating eagerly right now. I had thought the stomach issues were due to the new food, but now not sure. Could be eating grass (he's trying to do a lot of that lately) or could be something else. Vet isn't too concerned. He's had bloodwork and tests done lately, so it likely isn't kidneys or anything else severe. Fecal check didn't turn up parasites. We've been looking for signs of worms, but not seen anything, so probably not that either. All in all, he seems pretty normal.
Little things are just concerning me a bit.
Interestingly, we've discovered that feeding him 2 x 1/4 cup for each meal is better than feeding him 1/2 cup. He'll sometimes pick at the first 1/4 cup, but once he eats that, is ready for more and devours the second 1/4 cup immediately. Basically, he sometimes picks at his food like he's not interested, but once he gets going and eats more than a few bites, he's fine,
We've also noticed that, if he doesn't want to eat, we can pick up the cup of food, give him something a little different, then put the first cup back down after he eats the second and he'll devour it. He also seems to prefer fresh moist food to something that's been in the fridge, but we don't give him a lot of moist at one time, and it's not practical to open a fresh can every meal (wasting it). I throw out most cans well before they are empty anyway. Don't want them open very long.
He is having intermittent stomach issues. Nothing too serious, but it's not quite going away either. Once a week or so, he coughs up some phlegm - basically coughs up a small bit of spittle. Phlegm is yellow/bright yellow in color, which is usually a sign grass is upsetting his stomach. Doesn't do this a lot, but has been doing it once a week approx. for the past month.
He's also had some soft stool. Again, not routinely. Once every 5-7 days. Not extremely soft. Not formless or pudding-like, but a little softer than usual. Usually, he's fine next time to has a bowel movement. Good for a few days, then I notice it again.
Doesn't appear sick otherwise. Pretty normal. Eating eagerly right now. I had thought the stomach issues were due to the new food, but now not sure. Could be eating grass (he's trying to do a lot of that lately) or could be something else. Vet isn't too concerned. He's had bloodwork and tests done lately, so it likely isn't kidneys or anything else severe. Fecal check didn't turn up parasites. We've been looking for signs of worms, but not seen anything, so probably not that either. All in all, he seems pretty normal.
Little things are just concerning me a bit.
Caro
Moderator
My cats are the same with their tinned food. They prefer the food to be room temp so I sometimes zap it in the microwave for 5secs just to take the cold edge off it. With the canned food - if you leave food in the tin after it's opened it takes on a tinny taste. You might want to try putting the food in freezer bags in the fridge when you need to store the remainder and see if it's the tinny taste that's putting Fasb off.
Fasb's Owner
Forums Enthusiast
Good idea about storing it in something besides a tin can. I'll try that.
About heating it, do you just heat the portion you're giving him for that meal? Any concerns about microing moist food? I'm a little leery about heating food that's supposed to be refrigerated. I guess it's not too different from warming up human food, but I'm a little concerned it'll go bad if I micro it a bit.
About heating it, do you just heat the portion you're giving him for that meal? Any concerns about microing moist food? I'm a little leery about heating food that's supposed to be refrigerated. I guess it's not too different from warming up human food, but I'm a little concerned it'll go bad if I micro it a bit.
I always get a bit of a smile when I read things like, "my Rover doesn't like to eat food that is this or that temperature" or "Spot won't eat anything from a can/bag/box". What makes me smile is that statement juxtaposed with those comments from owner's who's companions will eat rabbit poop, dead animal carcasses found in the yard and dandelions. 
Fasb's Owner
Forums Enthusiast
Yeah, it seems insane that Fasb would be a foodie. He doesn't eat poop, but he will eat grass, anything edible he finds in the street, once tried to eat a popsickle stick, etc. But, yeah, he's gotten really picky about his dog food.
Sigh. I want him to eat, so I don't have a lot of choice except to go along with it.
Sigh. I want him to eat, so I don't have a lot of choice except to go along with it.
The way I see it, this whole owner/companion thing is like a business contract. What ever the two parties agree to and are happy with is "all good" as the young folks are want to say. I get a great chuckle out of a lot of stuff that I read here (and even sometimes go away shaking my head). But, at the end of the day, if the owner is happy and the puppy is happy, healthy and safe, that is a contract that is working. I say, keep on keeping Fasb happy.
Caro
Moderator
I just warm up the portion they are about to eat. It's perfectly safe as they eat it within the half hour.
Up until two months ago my pup used to be a grazer. Not particularly into his food either. We would put out his morning portion and he would return to it periodically throughout the day, finally finishing it at about 3 pm. Then when it came time for dinner at 6pm we'd set out his food and he would work at it until 8pm.
If he ever did not finish a meal before the next one, we weren't that concerned because it would just carry over and we'd reduce the new portion we were adding on. Is it possible to just let your dog graze throughout the day and eat it on his own schedule? If your concerned about it altering his toilet schedule, I can say that my pup always pooped at the same time, once in the morning once at night regardless of when he finished eating.
If he ever did not finish a meal before the next one, we weren't that concerned because it would just carry over and we'd reduce the new portion we were adding on. Is it possible to just let your dog graze throughout the day and eat it on his own schedule? If your concerned about it altering his toilet schedule, I can say that my pup always pooped at the same time, once in the morning once at night regardless of when he finished eating.