# My GSD Stopped eating his food. HELP!



## prncess23

Hello. Diesel, my GSD will be 1 year old on April 22. We have fed him Eukanuba since he was about 5 months old. We also would mix in canned food (purina Alpo Beef chunks with homestyle gravy and sliced beef in gravy). He would eat it perfectly fine...however for about a week now he stopped eating his food. When i mix it with his dry food, he will just pick out the meat and leave the rest. I feel like he is loosing weight, as a result, we give him people food so he doesnt get skinner and at least that way he will eat something. He eats steamed rice and yogurt perfectly fine. i Also gave his 4 scrambled eggs...again ate them fine.

should we change his dog food? is eukanuba good? Which is a cheaper alternative? I was thinking about getting BLUE.


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## sagelfn

Blue is not only cheaper but a much better quality IMO. Please do me and your dog a favor don't feed your him ALPO anymore  

there are many many threads on here about good kibble. I would also advise you check out these websites 

The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble


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## codmaster

prncess23 said:


> Hello. Diesel, my GSD will be 1 year old on April 22. We have fed him Eukanuba since he was about 5 months old. We also would mix in canned food (purina Alpo Beef chunks with homestyle gravy and sliced beef in gravy). He would eat it perfectly fine...however for about a week now he stopped eating his food. When i mix it with his dry food, he will just pick out the meat and leave the rest. I feel like he is loosing weight, as a result, we give him people food so he doesnt get skinner and at least that way he will eat something. He eats steamed rice and yogurt perfectly fine. i Also gave his 4 scrambled eggs...again ate them fine.
> 
> should we change his dog food? is eukanuba good? Which is a cheaper alternative? I was thinking about getting BLUE.


no healthy dog ever starved himself. after you are sure he is ok, i would put his food down and pick it up after a short while. He won't starve.


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## arycrest

My question is could maybe you have accidentally gotten a bad bag of kibble since he's eating everything else except the Eukanuba? 

One time when the Hooligans refused to eat their dinner (they only stop eating if they're sick) I got a call the next day from the feedstore that the brand I used had been recalled because of mold - and sure enough - that was the problem - all the bags I had were involved in the bad run. I exchanged the bags and they ate their meals after that without any problems.


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## prncess23

Its not the a bad bag, because he has been eating food from that bag for about 2 months now. 

his stool is good; normal color and viscosity. i think he is just picky. Vet exams are expensive. i dont think its necessary for me to take him to a vet. one of the most reliable indicators of a dog's health is his stool.

the weird thing is...he eats eggs, sticky rice and yogurt mixed (i heard its good for his coat and helps decrease his shedding), but like i said...he just picks out the meat from the canned food from his dry food...picky dog. lol.

i thought eukanuba was a high end brand and good quality too...at $60 a bag i thought it was! lol. I think im going to switch him to Blue. The weird thing is, his vet recommended eukanuba. 

he hasnt eat anything straight for a week...he will eat on and off. I think he looks skinny because he is growing..(?). He is a big boy though. Ill post up a picture of him.

He is also shedding...a lot for a few months now. is that normal? Its coat is starting to get black/darker on the top...


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## doggiedad

it's absolutely a necessity to take your dog
to the Vet when it's not eating right
or feeling bad. Vet care is one of the things
you figure into dogs maintance before you
bring a dog home. <

are you feeding your dog plain/organic yogurt
or the kind with sugar in it? <

at $60.00 a bag you can afford a good quality
of food. <

once you take your dog to the Vet to make
sure he's ok you should switch your brand 
of food.<

my dog stopped eating his kibble. once i switch brands
he was fine. sometimes they stop liking what
they're being fed. <

i feed my dog several brands of kibble and can
food. he also gets raw ground beef, fresh fish,
fresh veggies, cooked boneless and skinless
chicken breast, fruit, organic yogurt and
table scraps depending what they are <



prncess23 said:


> i dont think its necessary for me to take him to a vet. one of the most reliable indicators of a dog's health is his stool.
> 
> the weird thing is...he eats eggs, sticky rice and yogurt mixed (i heard its good for his coat and helps decrease his shedding), but like i said...he just picks out the meat from the canned food from his dry food...picky dog. lol.
> 
> i thought eukanuba was a high end brand and good quality too...at $60 a bag i thought it was! lol. I think im going to switch him to Blue. The weird thing is, his vet recommended eukanuba.
> 
> he hasnt eat anything straight for a week...he will eat on and off. I think he looks skinny because he is growing..(?). He is a big boy though. Ill post up a picture of him.


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## onyx'girl

The reason he isn't eating the kibble, is because it probably tastes bad compared to the canned food, yogurt/eggs etc you've been feeding.
I agree, look at the links above for info on good nutrition choices. 
My dogs don't eat kibble and I'm not sure they would if other options were available.


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## roxy84

based on those pics, he certainly does not look too skinny at all (though its easier to tell from the side standing up).

i cant believe eukanuba makes anything that is $60 a bag. that is closer to the price of a high quality grainless food, which are in a whole different league from eukanuba (as are pretty much every food with grains that would run that high).

...and it is not weird that the vet recommended eukanuba. it is a general consensus on every dog forum i belong to that most vets are not well versed in dog nutrition and spend surprisingly little time on it in veterinary school. furthermore, Hills (makers of Science Diet) funds all types of program and seminars in vet schools, so many vets have become convinced (brainwashed?) that SD is a quality product.


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## Anja1Blue

Diesel is a sweet looking guy! And thinner is better for health than overweight......... as far as not eating his kibble, he may just need a change. Dogs need variety, and with all the dog food recall scares of the past years it's a good policy anyway not to feed the same brand all the time. I feed raw now, but when I was feeding kibble I used to change formulas every six months or so, just to be safe. Eukanuba (way overpriced if you are paying $60 a bag) nor Alpo are good choices IMO - I think for that price you could get something like Natural Balance or Wellness, much better quality.

BTW, the appearance of a dog's stool isn't ALWAYS an indicator of good health - I lost a dog under anesthetic some years ago. An autopsy showed cancer: we didn't even know she was ill, her appetite and stool were normal. Just an FYI...... and I agree with the above poster, vets have rudimentary training at best when it comes to nutrition - they are one of the last people I would ask for advice.

Good luck with your boy - let us know how it goes!
_______________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge


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## FuryanGoddess

I called once and asked about food to the vet I use/used.. not thinking I'm going back after they saw Zeva the other day, 

They recommend Iams and Eukanuba over the phone. In office, the Vet ASt said the higher the price, generally the better the food w/ dog food and then tells me that she feeds her dogs Purina Pro Plan, the grey bag one, which is 40 bucks for a big back and has as 1* rating. 

I told the vet what I was feeding Zeva and they never heard of it, had no idea or didn't care to learn at all about it. They also told me that dogs need corn in their diet lol. yeah, getting a new vet


*OP, get the doggie checked by a vet, then if he's all clear, change the food to better quality and stop giving him so many other yummy choices... Bet he'll start eating again.


roxy84 said:


> based on those pics, he certainly does not look too skinny at all (though its easier to tell from the side standing up).
> 
> i cant believe eukanuba makes anything that is $60 a bag. that is closer to the price of a high quality grainless food, which are in a whole different league from eukanuba (as are pretty much every food with grains that would run that high).
> 
> ...and it is not weird that the vet recommended eukanuba. it is a general consensus on every dog forum i belong to that most vets are not well versed in dog nutrition and spend surprisingly little time on it in veterinary school. furthermore, Hills (makers of Science Diet) funds all types of program and seminars in vet schools, so many vets have become convinced (brainwashed?) that SD is a quality product.


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## RubyTuesday

> *no healthy dog ever starved himself. after you are sure he is ok, i would put his food down and pick it up after a short while. He won't starve.*


IF you have any doubts as to his health see a vet. IF you're certain he's healthy read & re-read the above. People stress & fret that their dog isn't eating when the greater concern s/b that by & large they're eating waaay too much for optimal health & longevity. Some dogs are naturally lean. IF yours matures into one of those, be grateful. As with people, senior dogs tend to slow down & gain weight. This is easier on 'em if their adult weight isn't already excessive. Note that many notions of a healthy or desirable canine weight are flatout fat. People see the glimmer of a rib & PANIC. Crazy stuff.

Also...please don't assume food is still good b/c you've been feeding from the same bag for several weeks or months. There can be pockets of spoilage/contamination. It's also possible that good food has turned over the course of time, especially if it's been exposed to any moisture, which includes high humidity. Some grain molds are lethal to dogs & cats. When in doubt, either toss it, or store it & open another bag of the same food (different lot # preferably) to determine whether the dog is just being picky. 

Kibble must be kept dry or it isn't safe. This is especially true of foods containing grains. Be very, very sure there's no dripping, seepage or puddles near the food being stored, especially if it's stored in the original bag. Those bags are usually moisture resistant, but not waterproof. My apologies if I sound a little nutso, but I know someone who nearly lost her dog to this.


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## onyx'girl

One other thing to add to Ruby Tuesdays great post, is food that is in a warm/humid environment can go rancid. I would keep it in the freezer if the temps got too high. And if you don't keep it in the bag it came in, be sure it is in a food grade container, some plastics can be toxic and contaminate the food.
Good thing to remember with the heat of Summer upon us.


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## ChrisR2010

Just start getting Diesel 2 brands of some good food (TOTW, ORIJEN, EVO, ACANA, Blue wilderness, etc...), mixed with a little bit of warm water plus a 1/4 of a good canned food, and he will start to eat again. Eukaniba is corn and rice dipped in sauce made of natural and artificial flavors.


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## rickaz80

I feed my dogs wellness, but I do have a three year old that eats when she wants to period. I did try some of the things you did with the different foods. We then settled on one food. All the dogs get fed two times a day, if the three year old does not eat, we pick her food up and save it for the next time. I think she does this when the weather gets warm.


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