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How To Get My Shiba To Eat.


gugububz
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He must be picky because he came with a big bag of Chum Beef, Bone & Veg dry food and he hasnt touched it, and iv tried canned food like beef veal and somthing and a can of four meats none of which he is eating much of! i dont no what to do? do i take it off him and try another flavour? how long do i leave his bowl out for him before chucking it out? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :rainbowbridge:

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gugububz - there are many threads on DOL about picky eaters :rainbowbridge: Do a search on fussy/picky eaters and also on different diets.

There are so many different ways to feed your dog so you need to do a little reasearch to figure out what you reckon would be the best for you and your dog.

Did the breeder give you Chum? If so, that is the food your Shiba is used to, so you shouldn't change the diet immediately. Once you find a good diet for your dog, change over gradually. Just personally, I don't feed supermarket brands as most contain a lot of additives and so it's kind-of like eating Mc Donald's all the time

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Your dog won't starve itself so just stick to one diet at the moment. He might be being fussy because of a change in environment and owner.

Put the food down, leave it for 15 or 20 minutes and then pick it up and take it away. Don't feed anything else until next meal time. Depends how often you are feeding him as to whether or not you chuck it away but don't leave it sitting out all day and then expect him to eat it - just follow what you would do with your own food ie. refrigerate or store in an airtight container.

How old is your Shiba? :laugh:

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Shiba Inu's are quite rare

Does he have pedigree papers?

contac the Shiba Inu breeders on DOL, they might know where he came from if you give some of them the general area he came from

They are beautiful doggies

Try some raw food and bones

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Did the breeder give you Chum? If so, that is the food your Shiba is used to, so you shouldn't change the diet immediately. Once you find a good diet for your dog, change over gradually. Just personally, I don't feed supermarket brands as most contain a lot of additives and so it's kind-of like eating Mc Donald's all the time

I am not sure if the last owner or my bil bought the chum for him. i'll search around like you said. Thanks!

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Sorry, you were posting while I was typing :)

A 10 month old should be ok on one meal a day depending on his body condition. Is he fat/skinny? Have you taken him for a vet check up? If you haven't, I would suggest a general health check and also discuss flea and worming regimes with the vet. The vet will be able to better assess his condition for you.

Sounds like he's under a bit of stress from the move. :thumbsup: Just give him a bit of time to adjust and get used to you, his new surroundings and FOOD :laugh:

Check out some of the premium kibble available. There are quite a few different brands and they do sound expensive to start with but you feed in much smaller amounts and they are packed with all the good vitamins and nutrition necessary for good health. :rainbowbridge:

Also pick up some cheap bones from the supermarket - usually around $3 for a big bag. :thumbsup:

Is there any way of finding out what he was fed previously? And do you know why the previous owners were rehoming him?

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As t-time said there are many threads on picky eaters.

Dogs get very stressed with a change of environment even though they might not show it and it shows in their eating routines.

You should investigate feeding raw all natural foods as opposed to the yucky canned and dried variety of foods that only serve to put money in the pockets of the manufacturers and doesn't do you dog any good at all.

You could give your dog say raw chicken necks in the morning and then of an evening give it raw minced chicken frames mixed with lots of raw veges, yoghurt, sardines, eggs, etc. - the combinations are endless.

Just takes a bit of thinking outside the square - not just feeding what the dog food manufacturers have brainwashed dog owners into believing they must feed their dogs or the dogs will suffer.

Your dog will shine with good health on a raw all natural diet.

Try to stick to a routine - dogs love routines - and only put down the food for say 10minutes, if it is not eaten in that time take it away. Don't fuss over the dog not eating initially - just stick to the routine however I must say I haven't seen a dog that can refuse raw chicken necks or the raw all natural meals that I serve up. :rainbowbridge:

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I think his pretty average in the weight department, dosent look to fat or too thin. We will be taking him to the vet this weekend. I was told by my brother in law that the owner was moving and couldnt keep him but im not 100% sure if thats true or not.

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I'm with peibe as well - Shibas are a rare breed so even if you just know the name or location of the previous owner, the Shiba breeders might be able to give you some great advice and background information.

You could give your dog say raw chicken necks in the morning and then of an evening give it raw minced chicken frames mixed with lots of raw veges, yoghurt, sardines, eggs, etc. - the combinations are endless.

Yes! Absolutely! :rainbowbridge: I'm all for raw feeding and you can make it easy on yourself by using any of the above ingredients. (Just suggested a premium kibble because that is also an easy option for gugububz :laugh:) Also, there is SO MUCH info on food that it can be confusing.

gugububz - can you tell that none of so far think that Chum is great food!?! :laugh: I think most people here on Dogzonline steer clear of supermarket brand foods.

I do use some premium kibble in my dogs' food but their main diet is everything suggested by STITCH plus I use all different meats and bones and one of my dogs can't eat eggs. And I find that using my imagination and feeding raw food, I actually save a lot of money and I have 5 dogs!

But you just figure it out for yourself gugububz - whatever is the best option for you and your new doggy :thumbsup:

CONGRATULATIONS BY THE WAY!! :thumbsup: Does this new boy have a name? and where are the pics :)

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Can u give raw mince meat? is that good for a dog? Also i just gave him a raw egg in his food, and hasnt eaten it, but i want to keep pushing the egg thing for his coat! so if he doesnt eat this meal and i take it off him after 15mins do i store it away and give it later this evening or not until tomoz? god i suck at this but i dont want to be a dog owner that just gives their dogs crap, i want to do the best possible thing for him, if you know what i mean? thats why i ask heaps of questions which i know is annoying for alot of people.

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If you just feed raw mince then the calcium to phosphorous ratio will be unbalanced.

Better to feed raw minced chicken frames or if you can't find a butcher or chicken place that will do that then feed the whole chicken carcass and let the dog do the mincing!!

Sounds like you are getting stressed over this so it would be a good idea to stop ad hoc experimenting.

Give the dog a break until dinner time, get some raw chicken necks today, wait until tonight before you feed it anything else and try giving the dog a few necks tonight. If he doesn't eat them remove them after 10 minutes but I think you will find they will be devoured quickly if there is nothing medically wrong with him.

If you try to entice the dog by giving it one thing you will only confuse the situation.

Eggs are good for the dog but at the moment you have a very confused dog that isn't eating properly and you have to get him used to eating what you give him and get him into a routine.

Start off with the raw chicken necks and progress from there.

Edited by STITCH
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If he's not thin, I wouldn't worry about him not eating at this stage.

It is important not to over exercise the Shiba Inu until it is 12 months of age . It is advisable to avoid long walks , jumping off beds , lounges , chairs , stairs etc . Also playing on slippery surfaces such as tiles , lino or highly polished timber floors should be avoided . Shibas are generally a very healthy breed . But they can have hip , patella , eye and heart problems. Also a healthy balanced diet is essential. Shibas can develop grass allergies and food allergies.

from DOL Breed Pages: http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/inform...n/shiba-inu.asp

What you feed depends on budget, but Chum is poor quality food. Give it to a local rescue and start again. I found Purina One is a reasonable dry food from the supermarket- about $28 for 7kg.

I also feed raw foods like brisket bones, chicken wings, chicken carcasses.

What state are you in? eta: Microchipping compulsory in NSW.

Do you have some paperwork for him e.g. Microchipped? Vaccinated? Registered with council etc.?

If he's m'chipped you'll have to have his ownership changed over officially, otherwise you can have him m'chipped when you take him to the vet (about $40).

Other things to consider:

* Heartworm. If status is unknown he'll need a blood test before starting tablets for prevention.

* Intestinal worming

* Flea prevention

* Tick prevention, if you're in a tick prone area

* Desexing.

Reckon a vet check is a good idea. Don't buy the stuff there, though. Better prices at http://www.pricelesspets.com.au/products.php3?page=prod

Edited by Poodle wrangler
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I wont go into the what to feed side of it as you have been given good advice here and I have answered what I feed in the other thread. :)

However both my Shiba's came to me very finicky and very fussy eaters. I have found that the Triangle of Temptation did wonders for them http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101 I can now even feed them any tablet off my hand with them thinking it is a treat!! :mad The vet laughed at this the other day and insisted on trying it himself asking Toby to sit and giving him a cortisone Tablet as a treat :cry:

And this is from a dog that originally wouldnt even it his normal meal, no matter what it was..........

Edited by catzatsea
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Ha, ha!! My Shiba thinks his heartworm tablet is a treat as well!!! I started him on Revolution, but he would scream when you tried to spot it on his skin (sook!). I have changed to Sentinal Spectrum, doesn't cover a couple things that Revolution doesn't, but it does do intestinal worms.

Anyway, what I'm saying is Shiba's can be a bit funny if you touch them in funny places (sorry that sounded a bit suss!). If they don't like something chances are there is a simple solution. BTW most of us get heartworm medication from www.pricelesspets.com.au , I have found it to be the cheapest.

Food wise my boy has a combo of high quality dry food Advance (can be expensive so something like Supercoat may be ok), Chicken neck, frames, Kangaroos meat (his favourite), sardines, and heaps of bones!

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