Brie only eats 2x a day..

Is this ok? I always thought pups were supposed to eat 3-4 times per day. She is 13 weeks old and started out eating 5x a day and then went down to 4x, then 3 and now the past few days she's refused her afternoon meal but still eats her fill at breakfast and dinner. Nothing has really changed- she is still active and drinks. She is getting over pneumonia but that hasn't changed her appetite because she was eating 3x a day when she was sicker than this. The only new thing is a different antibiotic because the baytril was making her vomit horribly. I suppose her appetite could have decreased from the marbofloxacin but she still eats a good amount twice a day. I just worry because she is still skinny. I can very easily feel but not see her ribs but I can see her hip bones sticking up. I cannot see her backbone though. Her vet says she is gaining nicely and never mentioned she is too thin. Her body reminds me of an IG- all legs and a real slender body. Her legs are much bigger around though and she's not as frail. Just hoping someone can offer me some peace of mind that something is not wrong with her. She has already been to the vets 8 times since I've had her and been on 5 different medications.

I would just keep an eye on her weight and how she feels, but it sounds like she weaned herself off the many meals, not you. You can't force her to eat, and if she isn't losing weight at an alarming rate, I bet she's just fine! My moms GSD is a good sized dog, she STILL feeds her twice a day but Hailey tends to bury her food from the second meal! Someone once told her her dog looked "too skinny", but really if your dog is refusing/burying the food and isn't losing weight, they may just not be hungry!

I agree with Kelly. All my dogs have done this same thing at time. Kiele is my worst. Somedays she will maybe eat a piece of chicken and then leave the rest and not eat anything the rest of the day and even do the same thing the next day. This might go on for another day but then she is back to her normal amount. I used to freak out about it but now I just figure she will eat when she is hungry. If you are really woried about it try mixing some egg, yogurt and ground turkey or beef and a drop or 2 of karo syrup. Since she is still so young and not feeling well I would try and get her to eat alittle more but not stuff her to the point it makes her sick. My first shepherd (the reason I started feeding raw) would do this. He was such a sickly dog and would throw up everything he ate. Which made him not want to eat. So I would make up this soup as I like to call it and he would eat it right up. Its alittle costly but I'll eat ramon noodles for a month so my dogs have the food they need ! Trust me I have lol . Well hope this helps and hope your little girl is feeling better.


Chrissy

She ate quite a bit at dinner last night and now this morning she ate 2 oz or so. I atleast got her meds in her. She has had some phlegm causing her some problems this morning so I'll try and feed her something else in the afternoon to make up for half the amount or so that she ate this morning. I am just surprised she is regulating herself (I suppose) because normally beagles are ready for food 24/7! She isn't too fond of beef I don't think because she eats pretty good on everything else. I'll try feeding her some mice later as she really seemed to enjoy the one she had before. I have just been thru so much with this dog and have spent $600 in vet bills alone in the past 4 weeks. I wouldn't trade her for the world so this isn't me complaining but I'm just so exhausted worrying about her all day and night and any little thing that changes sends me over the top wondering if it's SOMETHING ELSE that's going on which will mean another vet visit (so stressful for her) and more meds and more worrying. I can only hope these meds she's on will get rid of this damn pneumonia she's had for 3 weeks. It's getting better but sometimes I wonder if she'll ever really be "better" or if somehow she'll always be sick. Sorry for going waaaaay OT here.. just a worried mom needing to spill the beans.

ETA: Brie DOES "bury" her food when she's not hungry and this morning I let her carry her beef around outside and she went in a tall patch of grass, set it down and nosed the grass over it. I get the biggest kick out of her when she does this so after she was satisfied I went down to retrieve it only to find she hasn't gotten the hang of it yet and buried it on a pile of poop. LOL! In the house she takes in on one of the dog beds and digs the fabric up a bit on all sides and leaves. Unfortunately it's still in plain view and Amos or Waverli end up eating it.

Oh trust me I know what you are going thru. Diamond was very sick from the day I got him. I knew what I was getting myself into when I bought him but that didn't change anything. My ex had this great idea to buy me a gsd puppy for valentines day and called an add in the paper and set it up for me to go pick out my puppy. Well when I pulled in the driveway my head told me to back out and get the hell out of there but something made me walk up to that door. I almost cried when I walked in that house. The smell was just horrible and then I saw this tiny tiny 9 wk old puppy come running around the corner and I knew right then and there that I was taking this puppy home with me no matter what. Diamond was 9 wks old but was the size of a 6wk old. I thru the money at her and scooped him up and off we went. The next morning we were at the vet and what started the 1000's of dollars in vet bills out the butt and then eventually 4 yrs of steroids. He had a digestive disorder from being so malnurished on top of everything else from alergies you name it. I couldn't get this male gsd over 50lbs and it was actually hard to take him anywhere because people looked at me like I was starving him. But I found raw and amazingly the skin cleared up he held down food and ended up being a happy 68-70lbs. The dog that the vet said wouldn't make it to 5 made it to a few days before his 11th bday. So again I do know what you are going thru !! I only wish when I was going thru it with mine I had friends like on here to listen to my worries and understand that these guys aren't just animals.... They are our kids.



Chrissy

Thanks Chrissy. It really does help to know I'm not the only one on the planet that's ever gone thru a sickly pup ordeal. Brie was pretty normal the first week or so she came home but I believe most of her problems came from being vaxed with a DHLPP and bordatella, being stuck in a shelter for a week, then spayed and then taken away to a new home. Her immune system was shot and then that's when she got sick. First it was diarrhea, then she began getting thick green/yellow discharge from her nose, sneezing and coughing until her throat bled. The vet put her on Clavamox for 10 days but after 3 days she was getting worse so I went back to get doxy for her. She relapsed after that round of antibiotics and then recently got put on clavamox again and baytril. The baytril made her vomit terribly to the point she was lethargic and wouldn't eat. The vet wanted to take her off the baytril and wait 3 days (this is after we found out she has pneumonia) to see if the vomiting continued. I called her normal vet, the one we see when she's there and is first choice, nearly in tears because I feared she would get worse by Friday and wanted a different med for the pneumonia NOW. She is so awesome and prescribed marbofloxacin. Both that and the clavamox are for 14 days. I just want this all to go away. I don't want her sick anymore and it seems to be lingering on and on and on.

Really everyone should read this and probably his whole site. This man is amazing !!! You saying about the vacs made me think of linking this. http://leerburg.com/vaccinosis.htm I hope your little girl gets better soon


Chrissy

Yep, I read Jean Dodds and also R.D. Schultz studies about vaccines. The shelter did the vaccines, the early spay (9 weeks). When she is well I am going to get her one distemper and one parvo vaccine and her rabies at 5 mos if possible. Amos received one DHPP and will not receive another if I can help it (he will be coming to daycare with me though as will Brie) so I guess I am cursed with annual titers now cause I won't vaccinate if I don't have to. We have to have UTD shots or titer results every year in case we get reviewed by the health department.

Ya I worked at a kennel so I know all about the shot requirements. Kiele and dahlia already had shots when I got them so they could go to the kennel. Luckily I started my own business at home before they would of had to have them again cause I won't vaccinate them other then rabies every 3 yrs only because I have to. I'm kinda torn about giving the puppies shots. I don't want to give them any but I'm afraid people will expect it. So I am gonna talk to the new holistic vet that I foundand see what he says. I'm thinking about printing up some info on shots and giving it to new puppy buyers and then putting in my contract that I do not vaccinate blah blah blah and that if they choose to vaccinate they can do so on there own after they take the puppy. This way I can still have my beliefs and they can have thiers and hopefully with the education I give them they will make the right choice. I'm also giving them papers on raw feeding and will urge them to continue after they take them home. So we will see what happens.

I wish that these shelters would get a grip and see that by spaying and nuetering these dogs at such an early age is a health risk to these puppies and kittens ! But thanks to PITA that will probably never happen. Oh speaking on Pita did you see the new one they came up with ? Remember the Pet Shop Boys ? Well Pita asked them to change thier name to the Animal Shelter Boys.... Have they lost thier minds ??? Oh wait I already know that answer to that ... Sorry if any of you are Pita supporters.


Chrissy

Chrissy,

I think it is a good idea to give out flyer for vaccine information,and educate the new puppy owners.

I used to think that what all vet say is things we need to follow because they are an expert in animal health care until I read about raw diet and start educating myself on vaccine and other overall health care thing about dogs.

I did not know much about vaccines reactions or what it is,what is not good for etc.I am glad I read on the topic.Otherwise,I would still be giving shot to Palette.I no longer shot my dog after reading all the article on shots.No more lump on her hip (It happened only once.It subsided but it was scary moment).

Heather,

I think as long as your Brie keep the weight not losing weight dramatically it is fine. I agree with everyone's suggestions. I think Palette was on antibiotic once for something,and she needed probiotic with meal.Otherwise,she had very runny poop or diarrhea.Antibiotic kills good bacteria so you need to get good bacteria back in so that they are not killed off by antibiotic.