Golden Reteriver - not eating

by Diana
(Switzerland)

I have 8 months old Golden Retriever bitch who does not want to eat dry food. She had first season 1 months ago and since then I have problem with her eating.

She would like to eat the food that we are eating and refusing her own food. I took her to the vet and everything was ok, blood exam was good. At the moment she is on Royal Canine Junior Maxi food.

I have notice that after her period she is more calm and her behavior is better, and she is a lovely dog. We are going out twice a day for a at least 1 hour each time. Sometime with bike and she is enjoying, but still not showing any interest for her food. Her weight is 30 kg.

Please, if you can give me any advice how to get her on track with eating again I will be very grateful.
Best Regards
Diana




Hi Diana
I wouldn't worry too much about this just yet. As you've had your veterinarian examine her and everything is okay, you don't need to worry about her health for now.

At 8 months old, her growth will be slowing down somewhat, and her appetite will follow suit. Puppies are like children, and they go through ages/stages where they eat a lot, and then others when they don't seem to be hungry.

It's not a good idea to fuss with her eating too much, as that can encourage bad eating habits. Also, don't be tempted to 'free feed- (ie leave her food bowl down all the time), but offer her meals twice a day, and remove the bowl after 15 minutes - whether she's eaten it all or not.

Nature will not allow her to starve herself, even if she doesn't eat as much as you would like. Also be sure not to feed her treats, biscuits or snacks between meals, as this will make her less likely to eat her 'real' food.

Royal Canin is generally a good food, but you could try to switch over (gradually) to another premium food (see my Dog Food Ratings page for a list of some of the best foods) and see if she likes it better. However, don't be tempted to keep changing foods as that will not help the situation.

I think you will find that this is just a 'stage' she's going through, and if you continue to offer her a good nutritious diet she will eventually start to eat more.

If you do get worried though, or she starts to lose weight I would suggest talking to your vet. Best of luck with her.