# Feeding raw? Underweight pup! Need help!



## Jinxed (Aug 28, 2009)

Hello There,

I have a male pup named Kaiser who really doesn't like dry food. I've tried every trick in the book to get him to eat it.. wetting it works to an extent, but he's still not eating as much as the feeding guidelines suggest he should be.. he also eats some food if I hold it in my hand.. but way less than he should..

I started feeding him Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy and recently tried switching to All Natural.. he doesn't seem to like either one of them.. I know there's better stuff out there, but I live in Puerto Rico and Royal Canin is the best I could find..(it actually costs 20$ per 6lb bag here :/) They don't distribute the better brands here, and if I were to order online, shipping would cost me more than the actual food..

As far as his weight/height goes.. I think he's slightly under a month behind.. he only weighs 18 pounds and just turned 3 months.. He came from a litter of six and I had first pick, he was actually the biggest in the litter at the time I got him. When I told the breeder about the problem he was completely dumbfounded as he's never had a puppy with that issue and at the time I got him, my puppy was the one that fed the most.

What I did notice though, is that as I was cooking the other day, he sat behind me looking at what I was doing and then started barking. I figured he was interested in the food I was handling at the time and decided to give him a small amount of raw beef to see how he'd react. He loved it.. I've actually never seen him so interested in any kind of food before. 

So basically.. what I'm trying to figure out is if it would be acceptable/feasible/favorable for my Kaiser to eat a raw diet, and if so.. how should I go about structuring this diet? I know there are some resources on the internet about raw diets, but i figured both myself and my kaiser would be better off if I took the time to ask experienced German Shepherd owners about the issue..

Thanks in advance!! I really love this dog and want to do whatever's best for him


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

If you look down the board a bit further you'll find the Raw feeding section









Perhaps a moderator can move this thread for you

Oh and Welcome to the board!!!


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

Try to heat up his food!
That worked for my dog for awhile!
<3 **** Luck!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Has he ALWAYS had issues eating since you got him or is this recent?

What was he eating so well at the breeders place? 

Has he been to a vet to rule out any underlying issues?

All that said raw is a good choice IF it is done correctly and if there are no other underlying issues. I switched all of my dogs to it as adults but I currently have a pup that was weaned on raw and is now 8 months old.

One thing that *could* cause issues if this started recently is teething. Even the food hound Jethro went off his food when he was teething.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: AmaruqHas he ALWAYS had issues eating since you got him or is this recent?
> 
> What was he eating so well at the breeders place?
> 
> ...


Ruq asks good questions.

I would definitely take this pup to the vet for a thorough exam. Bring in a fecal and urine sample; perhaps even get some bloodwork done.

It's not particularly your pups's size that concerns me. My pup only weighed 21,5 lbs when he was 3 months old. But he was the smallest of his litter and he has gaining weight consistently. It's that your pup has slowed down his growth so much. That says to me that something MIGHT be wrong. Maybe, maybe not. I'd want to rule out any medical problems before I assume that the diet is to blame.

How is your puppy's energy level? What does his coat look like? His stools? Does he chew/carry around/eat foreign objects? Does he look and act like a healthy puppy? Anything else you can think that might be relavant? 

Keep in mind that most dogs will be interested in new food (I call it the Other Dog's Food syndrome. When a dog visits a friend, he will almost always want to eat the other dog's food and visa versa, regardless of quality. Novelty makes food more interesting.) So if your little guy isn't interested in food now, it may be the food; but it may be that in a few days of eating raw, he will lose interest in a raw diet too.

Let's make sure that he's healthy. Then, let's look at a few other issues. 

1. Is mealtime stress-free? Is the location relatively quiet? Some dogs don't eat when there's a lot of people coming and going. 

2. Oddly enough, what are you feeding him from? My little guy doesn't like to eat from bowls, but he will eat fine from plates (yes, even during the few weeks that I fed him kibble.) Weird, but it made him happy, so I went with it. I've experienced that most of my dogs prefer ceramic bowls to metal or plastic. 

3. When are you feeding him? If he's tired, he may be too tired to eat. I find that what works for us is after my dogs wake up, I let them walk around the back yard for a little bit -- not really romping or playing, but just getting their systems moving a bit -- then they're ready to eat. Even better (and depending on my schedule), a walk accomplishes this very nicely. When my kids first wake up, they're just not ready to eat a full meal. 

4. Some dogs work better with three (or even 4) small meals than one or two large meals. 

5. Canned food stirred into the dry may make it more palatable too. 

6. A raw diet is certainly an option. Raw food doesn't have the overwhelming smell that commercial food does, so dogs aren't as tempted the first several meals, though. It's also been my experience that raw-fed dogs grow more slowly (less spurt-y). But I prefer a raw diet (although I don't feed it to all of my dogs. I choose the diet that works best for that particular dog). 

Surf around the Raw/BARF thread and see what it entails. It's not rocket science, but you willl need to learn a bit about nutrition. If you're interested, there's plenty of information here; at rawdogranch.com, and we can recommend a few good books, if you're interested. (I like books because it's all right there as a compact resource when you're in the kitchen, writing out your shopping list, or weighing/measuring and feeding).


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## smyke (Sep 24, 2009)

I would actually like to learn about this diet before I get my pup. What books would you recommend?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Mike, 
there is great up to date info on raw feeding right here in the different threads. 
Spend some time on Lauri's site and you'll learn alot- http://www.rawdogranch.com
Another good informational raw site is http://www.aplaceforpaws.com (they also sell premade) 
This book by Dr. Ian Billinghurst is a good one: _Give your dog a bone_
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=dn138


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## smyke (Sep 24, 2009)

Thanks Jane,
already visited "the ranch". yes, tons of info although some sections are still work in progress. cant wait for the finished product.


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