not interested in eating...

[Carole]

well here I am again posting because I need help from the doodlers... My 17 month old goldendoodle has lost interest in eating.  I am hoping it is because she is done growing and now she is not as hungry... but I have never had this experience before.  I have never known a dog not to be hungry at meal time.  I feed her three times a day --- approximately 1 and 1/2 cup each meal for a total of 4 and 1/2 dry kibble and about a tablespoon of canned with some water added to make a gravy mix.  She has little interest in eating.  She only ate once today and with a lot of coaxing.  Then this evening she started to throw up bile.  My vet previously diagnosed her with colitis, but I thought we were over that (back in November).   I am so sad about her health issues.  The sensitive stomach has been going on since she was 8 weeks old and I am at my witts end -- emotionally and financially.  I am also so upset because I found out the breeder I got her from has overbred her mother.  My doodle is from her mother's 3rd or 4th litter (9 pups per litter.  I have not been able to get a vet to confirm that my doodle's issues would be related to having been the result of an overbred mother.  Does anyone have any experience with these issues?  Please help? 

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I am not an expert and a vet could answer these questions better, but I will throw in my two cents. When we first got Fudge, every now and then in the morning, she would throw up a little bile. The vet told us that this could be due to an empty stomach. She had us feed Fudge a little later in the evening. I remember the stress I felt when Fudge would not eat, but have come to realize Fudge is just not a big eater. All the planets have to align to get Fudge to eat and she is VERY particular about the conditions around her when she finally does eat. I leave her food out and she is a grazer. Then along came Vern....he could eat his food and her food and still want more. I think every dog is different. However, that all being said, maybe keep a close eye out for more throwing up and contact the vet if it gets worse.

My dogs both eat Fromm and love it and I switch up the formulas to add variety. On the Fromm package, it does say Vern's amount of food per day is around 4 cups. He is 85 pounds. Fudge weighs 46 and her recommended daily amount is 3 cups. I think that is just the daily recommended amount, but you also have to take into consideration your dog's activity level, etc. Vern, if we let him, could eat all of his food and more. Fudge never eats 3 cups per day and seems happy and healthy.

The Food Group is the place to join and get more answers. I am sorry you are so stressed and have breeder issues.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Echoing others, I don't think you need to worry so much.  Join the food group with us! 

And my chihuahua (I know, not a doodle) will only eat sporadically and maybe 1x per day.

[Sarah]

My goldendoodle has similar problems when he was about 9 months old...you should ask your vet to x-ray him to see if he has ingested something that is causing a problem.  Mine had eaten a sock--  had to have surgery to remove it, but he is fine now! (And it is a common surgery.)      If your doodle is not eating, is vomiting, is not active and this lasts for more than a couple of days, then I would guess something is bothering her insides. 

[Gail+Kathleen,(Sydney+Olivia:)]

Could your Doodle have what our Sydney Doodle had during her puppy stage?  Sydney Doodle had what the vet called "billious vomiting syndrome (vomiting bile)" up until she was about 1 year old.  We had to feed her small amounts of whatever she liked throughout the day and give her a midnight snack before we went to bed.  Oh, it was lots of fun especially since we both had to get up for work between 4:30 and 5:00 am.  The vet said that some dogs never outgrow it.  We alo had to give her metaclopromide (sp?) with her meals.  We understand how you are feeling.  We had the same sentiments you are having (with all the time, care and $$$$s involved).  We were (and still are) as upset with the first breeder we got our first Doodle from just as you are with your breeder.  Not only did we have lots of medical issues over the years (different ones which we keep working on to resolve) but we have the worst shedding dog we have ever seen.  But we do love her very much in spite of all the headaches.  It's the breeder that we are so disappointed in who just kept telling us that we could rehome her and that she would give us the info to do that!  Imagine if someone made such a comment about one of your children?

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

At 17 months she can easily get by on one meal a day, two if you prefer to give her smaller amounts. My 50 pound doodles each eat 1/2 cup twice a day plus one milkbone each and some very small treats during training.  I have had two dogs with tummy issues, Tigger is one of them.  I have tried probiotics from the vet twice, within days of stopping the probiotics, Tigger's tummy is bad again.  I swear by the Perfect Form that I buy online from the Honest Kitchen.  It has slippery elm and some enzymes in it that seem to help him out.  Vets are often not really into these "holisitic" things.  Solid Gold used to put out a good tummy calmer also, I am not sure if they still do as they have been bought out, I believe.  You can google them online also.

[Christine & Shelby]

I agree with what many of the others have said.... 3 meals seems unneccesary.  Shelby started refusing her lunchtime meal at about 4.5 months.  Now she gets fed twice a day - and her reaction to her morning meal varies greatly - eat it all, pick at it, don't touch it at all.  She typically eats well at dinner.   4.5 cups of food a day seems like a lot... although I don't know the size of your Doodle or the type of food you are feeding - but it sounds like maybe she is getting too many opportunities to eat.