Hello animal experts,

I am in a desperate crisis. I have a 11 month old German Sheperd and he is in great health and extremely playful. When we first got him, he ate like a monster. We fed him dry Nutro Large Puppy Breed food. Suddenly, he stopped eating his food, then I got him the Nutro Large Breed Adult dry food and mixed it with Nutro's Chicken chunks in gravy which he ate for few months. He is extremely finicky and now he won't eat anything. He is actually in recovery because he sprained his right leg so I am sure he's in pain. The Vet told me to let him rest and he'll recover in two weeks. Can the pain cause the loss of appetite? I have to admit that he does eat some table food that's only because he won't eat anything else. Oh, I forgot to mention that he loves to eat doggy biscuits. Should I be worried that he'll starve himself to death? Just an FYI - I have had dogs before and I do currently have a two year old Lab she has a big appetite. I know these are two different breeds but I really need anybody's help out there. What steps should I take next?

Sincerely,

Sheperd Owner

I tend to take the stand that dogs are dogs, and the different breeds are more alike than different. There are exceptions to that, and the eating habits of the typical Lab and typical Shepherd, are completely different. The Lab will eat what ever you give it and look for more, gleefully eating their way to a life shortened by obesity. On the other hand, a Shepherd will keep itself lean to the point of bonyiness. Posts like yours are common.

I would cut back to one chow, the Nutro large breed if you like it. Once a day, separate the dogs, and put down 3-4 cups for each dog. After 15 minutes, take up what isn't eaten. Limit what else the dogs eat, no more than a token taste of your food, and not too many biscuits. They may not be too bad, since many of them are formulated much like dry chow. If you are using them for training, use small ones or just break off little pieces.

You need to keep both dogs lean. The Shepherd may never eat as much as you think it should, dogs seldom harm themselves by not eating enough. It can be tough. I had a Shepherd go 3 days without eating. I was a wreck, but she was fine. The chart below will help you keep both dogs in good shape.

http://www.photolocker.net/images/Labman/proplanc.jpg