Changes in Eating Patterns

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So, I was all set to start a new discussion about the fact that Jackdoodle has only been eating once a day. For the past week or two, his breakfast has stayed in his bowl until dinner time. I have been giving him his usual dinner on top of the uneaten breakfast kibble, and he's been eating all of his food for the day in one meal.

This concerned me, because it increases the risk of bloat, and because he also has a habit of "holding" it for too long, especially between his evening walk and the next morning's walk, which is not good for his kidneys or his anal glands. It's better for him to get smaller amounts of food throughout the day than to get everything in the evening. I had planned to discuss it and ask for ideas here.

Well, this morning, he was back to eating his entire breakfast shortly after he got it. Nothing different about his breakfast today than yesterday or the day before. For whatever reason, he just wasn't hungry for his morning meal over the past week or so, and today he was.

Jack will be 6 years old this month. I think we can say that changes in eating patterns are normal throughout the course of a dog's life, or at least some dogs' lives.  It's something to watch, but not necessarily something to be concerned about.

Anyone else see this kind of thing with their doodles?

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Not yet with Peri, she's always ready to eat. I think one time she skipped breakfast and I was concerned. It was a daycare day and I brought the food with me and told the owner to give it to her during lunch. Well apparantly she was so pissy due to hunger, they had to feed her at 9am. LOL!

Now Taquito is another story (I know he isn't a dood though). He always only ate once a day until he stopped eating all together due to sickness. Then he went back to one time a day. Then Peri enters the picture and he eats twice a day but never really all at once. Grazes in the morning, we put food up. Grazes around 6, we put food up. Then eats a big meal (a whopping 1/4 c) at 9pm. Crazy chihuahua....

[Kim]

Are you sure you haven't been in my house? You sound like you are talking about Allie!!!!

[Leigh & Allie]

I have done the same thing with Allie. She would not eat her breakfast or all of it anyway and I would just add her normal amount at dinnertime. She has now changed and will now eat breakfast at breakfast time and dinner at dinner time. She has never been food oriented though. She will even leave some treats where they are for a while. Go figure. I have noticed that several people worry about how much their doodle eats. I have never worried about what she eats. I figure her body knows what it needs and she will eat it eventually. Now, I wish I had done the same with my son;0

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

If I let Peri go with what her body wants, she would weigh 40 pounds! (she is 25)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca will definitely do this. Sometimes he eats on schedule, sometimes he's nibbling at 2 am. He doesn't always ear his daily "allottment". He is very thin but healthy. Calla may not eat all of her food, rarely by the next meal but it always gets eaten entirely at some point and she still sneaks Luca's food when she can.

[Christine & Camus]

Camus is turning into a fussy eater or maybe I am turning him into a fussy eater. Anyway, there are days he does not eat his breakfast and it worried me at first, but then he would go back to eating normally (breakfast and dinner), so I stopped worrying when he skipped breakfast. I did findout if he does not like something I added, like fish oil, he will flat out refuse to eat it! He will also spit out treats he doesn't like. And I do mean spit. He had everyone in the vet's waiting room laughing when he spat out a treat - it flew several feet. I gave him another one and he did the same. Maybe he is developing a refined palette!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Camus takes after JD. He even turns his nose up at gourmet treats, and things he previously loved. When Duke & Sheba visited, they could not believe the bones, tendons, etc lying around the house!

[Christine & Camus]

They sure are picky! Camus has now decided he is not fond of pumpkin!

[Carol and Banjo]

Karen I'm so glad you posted this! I didn't know anything about "bloat" or the issue of "holding" it too long. I had NO idea this wasn't good for a dog! Banjo can "hold" it from 5-6 in the evening til 9 in the morning. (I've always been kind of proud of him for this!) Now I feel terrrible! Although we usually take him out earlier than that there have been mornings where we may not take him out til 9-10. Of course, if he asks to go out....out we go....but more often than not it's us that makes that decision. I'll be sure to get him out first thing in the morning from now on.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I didn't mean to worry anyone about the "holding it" issue. In Jack's case, he is already predisposed to having impacted anal glands, and all the steroids he got before he started his allergy treatments create a risk of kidney issues down the line, as well. So I worry. I'm actually kind of proud of his ability to hold it, too. I would not get too worried about Banjo's camel tendencies, and I certainly wouldn't feel terrible about it. You do take him when he asks to go, so I'm sure he's fine. Jack has "issues" about "going" in the yard, too, so he won't let me know when he has to go, which adds to my worries. He just waits until I decide he needs to go!

[Carol and Banjo]

Ahhhh...thanks for easing my mind! : )

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

But as dogs get older, it is natural for their kidneys to be under more stress. So, while Banjo is young, no biggie if you wait that long if he can wait. When he is 10, that is when you need to take him out more.

I am with Karen on this because my chihuahua has some kidney issues so although he would LiKE to stay in bed until noon every day, we have to pry him out of bed to go potty because he should not be holding it 12 hours!

Sorry for the tangent....