Boxer Not Eating

[tanyacain]

Hi I would like advise about my Beautiful Boxer,

He is an 18month old Boxer who has recently taken a dislike to his meals. From 8 weeks of age we have fed him a 'raw mush meal' as per the breeders directions, he absolutely loved it morning and night. We recently fed him a prepared raw meal from a local supplier ((for some variety) and he was sick from it.

Ever since eating this he has been turned off his raw mush meal. I am feeding him advance biscuits, dog polony, chicken carcasas - necks, just to try and get him interested in eating again like he was but this isn't working.

His personality has not changed at all and his is still energetic like normal.

I would love some advise on whether this is a normal Boxer problem, he is at a very healthy weight if anything he is a little on the skinny side at the moment and I don't want him to start getting unhealthy and developing problems.

Can anyone please offer some solutions.

Thankyou

[persephone]

What is in teh raw mush meal? Did it have some of the same ingredients as the bought, prepared food?

Is he eating the chicken carcasses, etc?

[tanyacain]

What is in teh raw mush meal? Did it have some of the same ingredients as the bought, prepared food?

Is he eating the chicken carcasses, etc?

Hi,

In the mush meal is spinach, beef mince raw, grated carrot, eggs with shells, sometimes rice to bulk it up, and sometimes capsicum ends, celery, a tiny bit of garlic. The mix is very similiar to the bought food and he is eating anything chicken at the moment. Where before he ate everything.

Thanks

[Stitch]

If he is eating the other things you mentioned then he is eating, maybe not what you want him to eat but he hasn't actually stopped eating???

If this is the case then you just have to get him back into his old routine - presuming there is nothing wrong with the food you are feeding him & there is no medical reason for his fasting.

There is nothing like a bit of temporary hunger to get a dog into a good eating routine.

If he is not eating what you put down for him then after 15 minutes just pick the food up and he gets nothing until 24hours later.

It sounds a bit harsh but it is up to him if he eats it or not and he is not going to suffer any ill effects by going without food for this amount of time.

Then feed smaller portions so that he is kept on the edge of just getting enough and is looking forward to his next meal when it comes.

Of course during this period there are no treats, bones, extras, etc. only the main meal.

Keep this up for about 1 week and then gradually go back to your usual routine making sure that you are not overfeeding - overfeeding can make a dog a picky eater very quickly!!

Boxers are a bit lean when they are young but will body up later on especially if you can keep them looking forward to their next meal.

Crushed carcasses etc. are very high in fat so that will eventually put the weight on them.

[persephone]

Ok- so he IS eating- just not what you want him to eat?

I agree with stitch

oh- an I presume he does get lots of bones as well as the mush ? perhaps this is his way of telling you that he is a big boy now and likes to chew and work at his food?

Edited June 9, 2010 by persephone