Baron wont eat????

[The_Red_Baron]

@curlytails:

Do you mind if I ask what his current kibble is? Aside from EVO, the other brands you mentioned aren't generally well-rated brands – sorry if that makes me sound like a dog food snob! laugh But really, Baron may benefit from a brand with more higher quality ingredients and less filler.

I agree about structured eating time. And even if you have good kibble right now, you may want to continue shopping around for other brands of pet food, maybe try a different protein source (and transition gently so the change doesn't wreak havoc on Baron's digestive system). If you find the right one, it really can make a difference. I like Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance, and Canidae for good mid-price kibbles. Orijen, Acana, Before Grain, etc. are some more expensive (but not bank-breaking) brands you can look into. However, I don't think these are generally available in the chain stores like PetCo, PetSmart. In my area, I've been so pleasantly surprised by what I've found at the locally-owned pet stores (including prices!), that I almost never shop at chain petstores anymore.

And I also support the option of raw, if you want to run with it. We've done really well with Primal Raw, a pre-made frozen option, and other grocery store-purchased meats here and there.

Our B came to us eating a really low quality brand of kibble, and only grazed lightly, sometimes not finishing her food. Her previous owner said she was always like that... and part of her slowness may have been due to the transition process. But we didn't take long to transition her to better food, and we've had zero problem with her appetite since.

Also check out:
Dog Food Advisor, Dog Food Chat, and Dog Food Analysis for some good info on choosing a good kibble.

I'm learning about all the different foods available, he never had a problem up until about three weeks ago, now he just seems very dis-interested in his food??

He's been picky from the get go with his dog food preference.

I have rotated and mixed 3 different foods to give him a little bit of variety, he has an appetite because he'll eat treats and people food, so I guess I just need to get him on a schedule, which I have started.

[The_Red_Baron]

@sharronhurlbut:

I do have some foods you can fix to help your basenji put on weight.
But the free feeding is probably part of the problem.

Sure what foods do you recommend?

[The_Red_Baron]

@DebraDownSouth:

Sayblee had lymphoma. However, she had some auto immune issue before that we treated for over a year and 3 surgeries. We did every chemo protocol, she crashed on all of them, even just steroids (4 different types). But we gave it our all for 5 mos.

That sucks, sorry for your loss. She definitely sounds like she didn't give up without a fight!

[curlytails]

@The_Red_Baron:

I have rotated and mixed 3 different foods to give him a little bit of variety, he has an appetite because he'll eat treats and people food, so I guess I just need to get him on a schedule, which I have started.

Hopefully this will help improve his appetite. And if the change is a more recent, noticeable development, it'll be worth ruling out some of the other medical conditions other folks have mentioned. Best wishes and let us know how it goes!

[The_Red_Baron]

Since we have started him on a more structured feeding schedule he seems to be more interested in his food.

We have him on 100% EVO Red Meat small bites and his poo is solid

Thanks for all the recommendations!

-Phil

[dmey]

Like Baron, Ayo is always uninterested in HIS food.I have tried everything myself. Ive heard all the suggestions , he has fixed meal times, twenty minutes and it's gone, ive mixed up his food with rice, with pumpkin, with carrots, with eggs, Ayo eats well one meal and then doesnt eat for a few meals. and he used to keep his weight , he was 21 pounds but now he is down to 18 and I can't stand seeing him skinny. I am thinking of switching the kibble to something with momre fat in it instead of so much protein, he is getting eukanuba premium performance, we cant get the good organic foods here. He used to get eukanuba puppy small bites and kept a better weight.
He is always hungry though, he will eat anything he finds in a second it's just HIS food he doesn't care for.
Any advice on things I can add to his meals to make him gain some weight?

[DebraDownSouth]

I truly would try cyproheptadine. Your dog is like Sayblee, she never cared even with the best of food and got very thin. It's cheap, it's safe and it is usually very effective.

[sharronhurlbut]

this works for b's who are around bitches in heat…so you might want to try it.
SATIN BALLS
#10 of cheap hamburger meat
1 lg box of Total cereal (1 lb box in USA)
1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked) (the 32 ounce in USA)
1 jar of wheat germ 10 eggs
1 1/4 c. veg oil
1 1/4 c. unflavored molasses
10 sm pks of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt and garlic
mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf... put into
separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed. I mixed it in
with kibble. Make "meat"
balls (golf ball sized) and mix with food as well.
Do not cook.

[dmey]

Thanks im at thegrocery store right now buying all the ingredients. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow morning anyway to get a blood test and urinalysis, iml worried because he is very skinny and I think he is loosing weight!!!

[dmey]

All right, I made the recipe,… Not sure about all the proportions because I didn't make so much and I wasn't sure how much #10 of cheap hamburger meat was or a jar of wheat germ , cause it came in a bag here, but, I more or less mixed it up into a thick paste.
he loved it!!! He ate almost two full cups I don't want to give him more for now, just because I don't think he has ever eaten two cups of anything!!! I ink I put al little too much molasses because it smells mostly of molasses.
Anyway, thanks for the recipe I hope it will help him put some weight on. Tomorrow I am going to the vet to chuckle his blood and urine, hopefully everything is fine!!!

[dmey]

By the way how is Baron doing??? … I am sorry I didn't mean to "steal your thread" ..:p, I just felt identified with your situation.!!!!

[The_Red_Baron]

@dmey:

By the way how is Baron doing??? … I am sorry I didn't mean to "steal your thread" ..:p, I just felt identified with your situation.!!!!

No worries, I'm glad that this thread has hopefully been beneficial. Baron is doing better, he still will go all day and not eat but it's less frequent and he has been eating more with the scheduled feeding times.

so we'll see.

-Phil

[dmey]

Thats good news, hopefully he will continue to improve. You should try that recipe because , and its only been two days so I dont know if he is going to get tired of it, he is usually interested in new things for a day or two, but he is really liking it, he gulps it down and wants more!!! Thanks a lot Sharron!!

[lvoss]

@dmey:

All right, I made the recipe,… Not sure about all the proportions because I didn't make so much and I wasn't sure how much #10 of cheap hamburger meat was or a jar of wheat germ , cause it came in a bag here, but, I more or less mixed it up into a thick paste.

#10 is 10 pounds, they just used the pound key instead of spelling it out. Be careful feeding too much, Satin Balls are very rich and you don't want to cause pancreatitis. Also, they really aren't meant to fed long term so you will still want to find a food that he eats well and does well on.

[tanza]

And Satin Balls came to being as a trick that Show Handlers used to put "quick" weight on a dog for the ring. Not as a way to generally put weight on a dog.

[dmey]

Hi, I was going to start a new thread but since you mention that, i will go ahead and ask you here. I am very worried now, because Ayos tests results came back and I dont have them physically but here is what my vet told me she was concerned about.
The urine density was 1.058
the PH was 8
there where 2+ proteins
tripple sulfates
and traces of Glucose!!!

I really have no clue about PH or density but when she mentioned glucose y got really scared.
She thinks it has to do with his diet, and when she heard from her assitant that I mentioned the satin balls , she thinks the tests could have come up like that because he had that the night before and the morning of the tests. She says a diet really high in protein and also excesive excercise could cause that.
His blood test was all normal and so was his "coprologico) i dont know how to say that in english, they tested his stool. and it was fine as well.
She suggested I stop the satin balls and give him the regular kiblble and then do some more tests….
What do you think? I know Fanconi has to do with glucose in urne, but, he is only 11 months, he is supposed to be clear from being affected because his father is clear.. But i dont know, I never heard about high protein causing that in their urine!!
PLease let me know what you think and what you sugest I should do. My vet is my cousin and I trust her and her capacity but she is just now learning about basenjis and is reading up on Fanconi syndrome and everything so any input from you would be really appreciated.
thanks

[lvoss]

Has Ayo been tested for Fanconi? Dogs who are spilling sugar and protein in the urine with normal blood glucose are showing positive for Faconi and should have blood gases run.

[dmey]

I dont understand. I thought Ayo could not be affected by Fanconi… No he has not been tested , i am not sure they do that test here. His parets were tested. Is there no other reason that could be the cause of that??....

[dmey]

Here are his parents tests results from OFA

BENI KUKUTUT OF DELOUISE
BENI
M BJ
HP23934001 Fanconi DNA linkage Received: 02/01/2010
Processed: 02/04/2010
Test: FANCONI SYNDROME
Results: PROBABLE CLEAR/NORMAL

JUBILEE RUWA JOY
JUBILEE
F BJ
A06XYDG39778D
Fanconi DNA linkage
Received: 03/09/2010
Processed: 03/11/2010
Test: FANCONI SYNDROME
Results: PROBABLY AFFECTED

[tanza]

So by the results of the above tests, your boy would be a carrier… UNLESS there was a lab error with the Sire or that is really NOT his sire.... DNA parentage testing would have to be done. And since there is always room for human error and seeing that the Dam is tested Affected... I would suggest that you do the DNA test on your boy, because if it comes back affected, the I would question the parentage of the breeding.

Does the breeder of the litter have any other males around?

By the way, the DNA test is done by you, not a Vet. You order the cheek swabs from OFA and then you swab the dog's cheek and send the sample to OFA.