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Husky won’t eat


TKK

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So it will eat....I am simple with things like this Feed what you want your dog to have, leave it for 15 mins then take it away repeat next feeding time...do not over do it with the yummy treats during this time or even any treats as they then become treat eating only pups...

All the fussing about with different foods makes them funny and fussy eaters....

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I totally agree with @robke

Every since my boy (18 months) has been diagnosed with GI disease, I had to constantly switch up his food, he has become so picky. Would go 2 or 3 days without eating. Which for us is a medical concern because of leaky gut.

If you try enticing him with yummy stuff then he will expect it every time. Then protest when he doesn’t get it.

From the research I have done this seems to be very common. My vet says it is actually good for them to purge their system.

As long as they are healthy and it’s not do to a blockage or something I would keep offering his meals 15 minutes down then pull it. Don’t stress over it.

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One of my boys is very fussy,  I used to get very upset about it   -    then I found he had 9 different food allergies, and it turned out he did not want to eat the stuff he was allergic to  -  because it was making him sick.   He was very ill for around 6 months  - but when I finally got on top of it   -  he was still fussy   -   so despite his pleading eyes,  it was tough love.   He gets an extremely high quality raw diet anyway   -  its not as though he was being fed rubbish.

If the meat is cut too chunky - he wont eat it  (he is a delicate eater)  -  does not even like big bones  -   if he had it two days in a row he wont eat it,  he usually gets two different meats and one fish  (fresh sardine or herring) in his bowl  - but because of his allergies his meat diversity is rather small  (no poultry of any kind or pork).  It really helps now that I have another dog  -  because he is concerned that if he walks away from it like he used to  -  the other dog will definitely steal it if he can!     If he is going through one of those days  (usually around once a week)  I say  "don't you want it"?   then take it away and put it in the fridge  -   later in the day when he is wanting his lamb ribs  (favourite treat and the bone portion of his raw diet)  -  he gets offered his dinner instead  - if he wont eat it  - it gets put back in the fridge and he does not get his lamb ribs either.   He is not allowed a rib treat until he eats at least half his dinner   -  if he doesn't,  -  he does not get fed until the next morning  (tinned sardines in the mornings - only way to get his meds down him).

At the end of the day if there is nothing wrong with him medically  -  and he is getting a good quality food  - then going without a meal or two will not hurt him.    However if he is getting exactly the same thing  day after day   -  well,  would you be enthusiastic if you just had porridge every day of your life?????

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hi! 
My husky is just over a year old, has numerous allergies and health problems. He can only eat fish but the food has to be grain and gluten free...which makes feeding him on a commercial diet a challenge. A homecooked diet on fish and butternut squash did wonders and he ate it happily. But this isn’t a complete food, was too expensive for us and he is very skinny, bordering on underweight. He is now back onto a commercial dry food and I usually put yoghurt into it which he likes and makes the food more palatable. I’m concerned however as he refuses to eat it until the evening after his night walk, and he is only eating at most about half of his daily amount. My husband and I think he is very fussy and we have consistently implemented rules such as only allowing 15 minutes for meals, plus ‘if you eat your dry food, you get your cake (homemade cakes with fish, sweet potato, cheese and carrot)’. This worked once or twice and we have repeatedly enforced this but it’s not working anymore and he will just refuse to eat his dry food and will only eat just enough to keep himself going. 
What can I do to encourage him to eat all his food? Due to other health concerns it’s really important for him to gain weight and build muscle. At the moment I’m fraught with stress over this because he just won’t eat properly. We have changed his dry food too many times to count, have tried toppers, pumpkin, broth...at the time it will help but he seems to wants something different for every meal which we don’t allow because this makes it hard to feed him and encourages the fussiness. As I said he does get a time limit and doesn’t get any treats until he finishes his food, which is becoming rarer and rarer...
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. 

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To guarantee the fish is free of gluten and grain  (and soy etc)  you need wild caught only.   Sardines and herrings (raw) are the best fish to give your dog as they are prey fish  -  and have far less toxins in them from the sea  ...........   predator fish also pick up the toxins from their prey fish.    They also contain every single vitamin and mineral there is.   I may be able to help you further once I know exactly what your dog is allergic to, and what the symptoms are  - what tests have been done etc.

 

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He seems to be allergic to any other protein source than fish! He had a strict diet trial following advice from specialists - fish and sweet potato/butternut squash. This was great for him but as I said very very expensive due to the amount he needed and how expensive fish is!

Before the trial...We used to give chicken and rice when his tummy was upset (which seemed to be all the time as a young pup) - his stools would solidify but then go bright yellow so chicken is not good for him. We recently tried this again after about 4 months and he became very bloated and was passing lots of gas. Also recently tried a bit of rice again but bloating occurred. Before the diet trial we also used to feed a turkey dry food, again runny stools. Tried canagan highland feast (various poultry) again runny stools. 

I am toying with the idea of maybe he has a salmon allergy too? He is currently on Eden kibble (fish cuisine that has white fish and salmon - all grain and gluten free) and also has Wainwright’s pouches (tuna and sweet potato), he’s just reluctant to eat until he’s absolutely desperate to eat. This means he’s really struggling to put weight on as he eats so little...so I think we are trying to ascertain whether the problem is psychological or physiological...

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Even  grain free/gluten free kibble - still contains loads of starch  - its the only way the kibble sticks together  - no dog should eat that amount of starch  - especially one with dietary issues.  In addition all the added vitamins and minerals mentioned on the back of the packet are chemical not natural - and not easily absorbed by the body.  They have to be added because the production method of kibble 'kills' all the vitamins & enzymes and destroys the minerals.

Have you had blood tests done to find out EXACTLY what your dog is allergic to?      an elimination diet can take far too long to discover what the underlying cause is, and could easily be causing your dog's intestines to become more inflamed  -   I know to my cost - Marley almost died. He developed salmonella poisoning, vet estimated around 100 bleeding ulcers and other problems.  Marley was allergic to :   High positive for soya and potatoes, positive for  corn, wheat, rice, oats, carrots, peas & sugar beet.    I had to eliminate anything that had been fed any of these things in its lifetime prior to becoming my dog's meal.    He only survived because he was raw fed  and I had total control over what he was eating.

I get a kilo of mackerel for £3.50, a kilo of sardines or herrings for £4.50,   sprats £3.50   (all frozen)    my dogs get around 250-300 grams a day  i.e.a kilo of food lasts two dogs two days  - I know this does not sound a lot - but they do get extras   (I usually try to give two different meats and one fish per day)    Even on 400-500 grams a day your dog will cost no more than £2 a day fed purely on fish to start with until you find other foods he can eat.     As I mentioned in my previous post  both herrings and sardines contain every single vitamin & mineral there is  -  they are more nutritionally complete than eggs  -  an egg does not contain vitamin C.     However you have to feed the whole fish, head (brains), innards  -  i.e. not filleted.

To start with Marley was put on a white fish only diet  - cost me £16 for 3 days food for him from the supermarket - then I learned it was farmed fish (farmed fish are fed soya and loads of other crap)- so had to get some from Fleetwood docks to ensure it was wild caught only before I found a cheaper source.   Salmon is a predator fish -  and contains far more toxins than a prey-fish  - 95% of the toxins are stored in the skin  -  which forms the greatest proportion of animal feed salmon.    All prey-fish are wild caught  - not financially viable to farm them.

A blood test wil show things you can not give your dog - but will also show what you CAN give him  - like raw or very lightly scrambled eggs,  -  Marley cound not take eggs because hens are fed soy, corn, oats & wheat.   Until you know exactly what is upsetting your dog, you will continue to have feeding problems, more importantly your dog will continue to have problems.    Palaeo Ridge frozen raw foods were the only company I contacted that replied positively about Marley's allergies - guaranteeing four of their foods were suitable for him.

A year later Marley's allergies have reduced to  only positive for soya, rice, & corn,  and borderline for wheat, (no high positives) but he still cannot eat any meat that has been fed these things in its lifetime, so no poultry of any kind, no pork, no farmed fish, - he has grass fed beef & lamb, venison (in season) and occassionally kangaroo - otherwise it is whole raw wild caught fish.   a novel protein (like kangaroo or venison) should not trigger any allergies.   However if you feed the same thing day in day out then eventually it will trigger a reaction in a susceptible dog.

Get him a blood food allergy test  -  its not 100% accurate but gives you and your dog a good fighting chance.   There is a food allergy test that is 100% accurate - done in the USA - but it is really expensive - a blood test is less than half the cost, done in the UK and results are back in 5 days.

 

 

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That’s so interesting to know. In terms of symptoms of allergies, what should I look out for? There’s no indication that he has issues with his current food as his stools have never been so good!  He just doesn’t seem keen to eat. 
that amount doesn’t sound right - even on homecooked he was eating over 1kg a day as recommended by the specialists 

he has had 3 blood tests already and they’ve shown nothing. I’ve never heard of a blood food allergy test...

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marley hurt NW Lab results - Allervet (2).pdf

  If you click onto the first one  (pdf) save it - then you should be able to open it to see it more clearly.    This was Marley's first test.     For a dog on a raw food diet then  roughly 2% - 3%  of his bodyweight in food daily is perfectly sufficient.    Raw food is highly nutritious.   Marley weighs 25 kilos and Mikey weighs closer to 30 kilos - but he is a couple of inches bigger and stronger than Marley.    For a dog that needs to gain weight I would go for 3%.    Try your dog on raw food and see if he is as fussy  -  if you get say 80% lean mince  (the cheap one from your butcher) mix a raw egg in it  - see what he does with it.    You were the one who mentioned allergies initially,  Marley was being sick around once a week,  did not want to eat unless absolutely starving, sometimes a good stool but  getting the runs as well.    More than anything he just seemed to be extremely fussy - although would always eat a tin of sardines for breakfast (the only way I could get his meds down him).   I did not realize anything was wrong until he vomited blood.

I have done a few posts on here detailing what vitamins and minerals are in certain meats and fish - it is very easy to see what nutrition your dog may be lacking in and what you need to feed him to get him to have everything he needs.   If you have the specific blood test done and he is not allergic to anything - then just get him off kibble and onto real food.

Possibly he does just not like kibble   -  would you be happy eating nothing but dry cheerios  day in day out?    One thing to remember that for a dog used to eating kibble changing straight to raw food might give him the runs initially - until his body gets used to the extra nutrition.    It sounds as if your dog might have a problem with kibble - if he does not in fact have any specific food allergies.   One thing seems clear to me is that your dog is apparently not thriving on his present diet of kibble whether he has allergies or not.

It has surely got to be worth speaking to your vet about specific food allergy testing   - as I said they are not 100% accurate - but will give you both a fighting chance of sorting him out one way or another.

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That is an amazing test!! I love it. How did you find out about it? I would be interested in getting this done for him because although he’s happy and playful (and ignorant at times - seems to selectively forget his name when called) he needs to bulk out. 

We have tried him on commercial raw food but it didn’t suit him, he was throwing up almost instantly (Followed the instructions to the letter). I guess it may be worth trying a pure raw diet though, I think processed food doesn’t help. 

We’re wary of changing the protein source as he has had the runs with any other meat. My dog’s stools have been great  since being switched to fish so I guess that’s why we’re considering this could be behavioural. However I definitely agree that the dry food isn’t doing any good for him as he’s struggling weight wise. 


Thank you so much for your advice, that’s so useful - I’m seeing the vet today and I’ll express my concerns and try to get him booked in with a nutritionist. I don’t want to change his food so drastically without consulting an expert because of the potential consequences, but yes I definitely agree it’s worth looking into! 

 

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Hi , I might not know any medical problems..  associated with your pup... since you already got it checked ...... since  its just eating behaviour or being fussy about feed.. try circulating 2-3 different premium brands dry food.

I usually feed my Simba (5 months) ..  try rotating them after 2-3 months and try adding peanut butter or any treat which is healthy for him and also makes the food taste differently.  Going to raw diet is always better but pls make sure to feed all the required nutrients which is not present ..  mostly people feed raw chicken n rice or fish n rice.. but they forget to add minerals and other required vitamins which might not be present in this raw diet..  mine was a fussy eater also... i tried switching to other brand food and add some treats which are ok nutrient wise for him like peanut butter or calcium biscuit .. 

when he feels gut leak i feed him pumpkin based food as its good .. when u feel like allergies try feeding salmon fish based diet.. .. Now he is healthy and fluffy and plus he likes his food... sometime he will look at me to add something  but then i have to be hard and just let him eat his required food. sometime here n there something to take his mind off his regular feed you can also feed some gravy food but always make sure whatever feed your are providing wet/dry should be healthy and rich of nutrients required for your pup.  

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WhatsApp Image 2019-12-03 at 7.15.11 PM.jpeg

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2 hours ago, PParmar1993 said:

That is an amazing test!! I love it. How did you find out about it? I would be interested in getting this done for him because although he’s happy and playful (and ignorant at times - seems to selectively forget his name when called) he needs to bulk out. 

We have tried him on commercial raw food but it didn’t suit him, he was throwing up almost instantly (Followed the instructions to the letter). I guess it may be worth trying a pure raw diet though, I think processed food doesn’t help. 

We’re wary of changing the protein source as he has had the runs with any other meat. My dog’s stools have been great  since being switched to fish so I guess that’s why we’re considering this could be behavioural. However I definitely agree that the dry food isn’t doing any good for him as he’s struggling weight wise. 


Thank you so much for your advice, that’s so useful - I’m seeing the vet today and I’ll express my concerns and try to get him booked in with a nutritionist. I don’t want to change his food so drastically without consulting an expert because of the potential consequences, but yes I definitely agree it’s worth looking into! 

 

My vet suggested it after he went into anaphalactic shock and nearly died.      If you can print it out  or somehow take a photo of it your vet will be able to get the details to send off.  I really would get it done just to eliminate allergies if at all possible.     It may be able to explain why your dog threw up when given raw meat.     Historically huskies ate mainly fish so they are biologically attuned to it  - and it is possible to give them a diet of just fish and them get all the nutrition they need,   ..........   however fish today are nowhere near as healthy as they were thousands of years ago.   Pollution, and radiation are factors.      Prey-fish are your best bet.      There is only one make of raw food that Marley can eat  -  and he only likes two of the four that Paleo Ridge confirmed were suitable for him.    I feed raw from scratch most of the time  -  I have far more control when his food is from scratch.

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Hi guys

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet. So good news is that my pup has put back on 2.6kg of the 3kg he lost, so looks like overfeeding did work in the interim...

Still struggling with him eating his dry food and the vet essentially rubbished our notion that my dog needs to be grain and gluten free...which basically was a ‘no’ to further allergy testing. I’m going to speak to our usual vet next time and insist on it because I want to know what he can and can’t eat. 
 

I also spoke to a canine nutritionist friend of mine. She has over 20 years experience with dogs and is brilliant. She’s also recommended a pure raw diet (home prepared) if he doesn’t put weight on sufficiently. I’m giving it another 2-3 weeks to monitor his weight. If it hasn’t gone up by much even with overfeeding and lots of high fat/protein treats, I will be switching him to raw. However I will be starting off with a higher fat meat like chicken as she’s suggested. 
 

Fingers crossed everything goes well...! Thanks for your help all 

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4 hours ago, PParmar1993 said:

Hi guys

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet. So good news is that my pup has put back on 2.6kg of the 3kg he lost, so looks like overfeeding did work in the interim...

Still struggling with him eating his dry food and the vet essentially rubbished our notion that my dog needs to be grain and gluten free...which basically was a ‘no’ to further allergy testing. I’m going to speak to our usual vet next time and insist on it because I want to know what he can and can’t eat. 
 

I also spoke to a canine nutritionist friend of mine. She has over 20 years experience with dogs and is brilliant. She’s also recommended a pure raw diet (home prepared) if he doesn’t put weight on sufficiently. I’m giving it another 2-3 weeks to monitor his weight. If it hasn’t gone up by much even with overfeeding and lots of high fat/protein treats, I will be switching him to raw. However I will be starting off with a higher fat meat like chicken as she’s suggested. 
 

Fingers crossed everything goes well...! Thanks for your help all 

One thing to watch with chicken is that it is fed the things most likely causing any food allergies.   Soy, Corn. Wheat and Oats    -   Marley was allergic to all 4  -  and is still is allergic to soy and corn and borderline for wheat.

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Yes that’s definitely a concern if I’m honest. Where would you say is the best place to source chicken that isn’t corn or grain-fed? 
 

Well I say chicken. I am looking into other meats too. I’ve heard rabbit is good but we also need to consider cost too, if raw works for our pup...

 

@wolfpup you seem to be so good with diet, so any suggestions are welcome! 

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To be honest the first thing to do is get an allergy test done   - otherwise you are just guessing.    The vet  cannot refuse to do it   -  you can go to ANY vet and request a food allergy test you dont have to stick to your normal one.

check out   https://www.naturaw.co.uk/   a new raw feeding supplier that appears to be extremely good and VERY much cheaper than Paleo Ridge   - with free delivery.    Stick to one protein source food  (i.e. lamb or beef or venison,  not a  beef & chicken mix)

All chicken is fed grains unless it is a pasture raised chicken  -  but they cost around £14-£16 each.    Chicken & pork are the two worst fed animals on the planet  -  and duck does not fair much better.    Also bear in mind that there is NO commercial chicken supplier that does not feed their hens on soya  -  so if that is something your dog is sensitive to then its best you dont feed him chicken   -  but only an allergy test will show this.

I paid £10 for two rabbits  (whole but skinned and gutted) at my butchers   -  expensive, but Mikey, my new dog, just wont eat it although he wolfs down everything else I put in front of him.

CHICKEN PORK BEEF LAMB EGG SARDINES HERRINGS SALMON  
A A     A A A A  
B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1  
B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2  
B3 B3 B3 B3 B3 B3 B3 B3  
B5 B5 B5 B5 B5 B5 B5 B5  
B6 B6 B6 B6 B6 B6 B6 B6  
B9 B9 B9 B9 B9 B9 B9    
B12 B12 B12 B12 B12 B12 B12 B12  
          C C C LIVER  KIDNEY
        D D D D  
        E E E    
        K K K    
CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM CALCIUM  
COPPER COPPER COPPER COPPER COPPER COPPER COPPER COPPER  
        IODINE IODINE IODINE IODINE  
IRON IRON IRON IRON IRON IRON IRON IRON  
MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM MAGNESIUM  
MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE MANGANESE  
PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS PHOSPHORUS  
POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM POTASSIUM  
SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM SELENIUM  
ZINC ZINC ZINC ZINC ZINC ZINC ZINC ZINC  

 

Above are the vits and mins contained in various meats as far as I am able to determine   -  however the majority of vitamins and enzymes are contained in the organs  - heart is categorized as muscle meat, not organs.   Liver, spleen, pancreas, brain, lungs etc are all important, although I find spleen and pancreas almost impossible to get hold of, butchers are not allowed to sell it   - an abbatoir is your best bet or a 'complete' raw food commercially bought.

There is a facebook group called   Giving Up The Game  -  it is a page of hunters who give away a lot of their kills  or sell it cheaply   - with you living in the midlands you will probably find people fairly near to you with game  (all birds, deer etc)  to get raw food cheaply   -  I am in Lancashire and there is very little available up here.

The long-term residents here must be thoroughly fed up with me banging on about raw food benefits  -  I have loads of articles on raw feeding but to save putting it up here again if you private message me (top right hand corner  - the envelope sign) with your email address I will send you the lot -  its a lot of reading but will give you basically everything you need to know.    Either that or check out my past posts under the Husky diets & health section.

First stop is to see if he is actually allergic to anything or just fussy.

 

 

 

 

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