Eating Disorders For Dogs and Puppies

By Craig McPherson

Here are the 3 signs that tell you your dog has an eating disorder. And you could be the reason they have it.

OVER EATING

Over sized dogs are generally lethargic an unhealthy. Your dog's meal size should be no bigger than the dogs head. The meal can be given once in the morning or at night. This, of course, refers to the adult dog. A morning feed will give the dog a chance to burn off any unused fats / carbohydrates.

See the Feeding section for some value added feeding and nutritional hints. Exercise should be a part of the dog's daily routine. A lot of walks and dog obedience training is good for you and your pocket.

UNDER EATING

Dogs that are too thin or do not eat well (loss of appetite or fussy eater) should be taken to the vet for a check-up. The Vet will advise you on the condition of the dog and the proper course of action to take.

SCOFFING

Dogs that scoff their food are generally doing this so that no other dog may take their food.

This may have begun when the dog was a pup in a litter and has become a learned behaviour. The pup may have always been pushed away from the teat at a young age by the other pups and had to franticly fight to get a feed.

If there are no other dogs in the family then the dog may scoff it foods because it feels that the family is a direct threat to the dog at feeding times.

So the dog consumes the food quickly so that the owner may not take pieces of food.

This is conditioned into the dog by a people continually taking food away from it.

The solution to this problem is to feed the dog separately well away from the other dogs.

Some large dogs can feel discomfort or end up with deformities if they continue to eat food off the ground. Bones are OK because the dog may lie down which is natural. Try putting the bowl food higher off the ground to avoid any problems.

You may also want to try and feed the dog small amounts by hand and encourage the dog to eat gently.

Also feed the dog food it does not like so much, vegetarian meals should slow the consumption rate down. Also try feeding bigger and tougher foods that the dog has to chew. A couple of days feeding just bones wont hurt.

For a complete tutorial on correct feeding for your dog and other relevant hints and tips, go to http://here-is-your.info/dog-training/