[SashasDad]

Hello all,
We have recently, Jan 31, adopted a 1 y/o female Rottie. She was fixed the week before, and has a little of kennel cough. After we brought her home, she would not eat. She would take treats and eat those, but she won't eat her dog food. Everyone told us its normal for adopted dogs, but we are concerned. We thought about trying some wet food in with the dry. We tried putting a raw egg over her food, but she just licked off the egg. Help us please.
SashasDad

[labman]

Not all, but some adopted dogs do fail to eat at first. This is beginning to stretch past a resonable time to wait her out. If she is not eating by Monday, take her to the vet. The spaying, kennel cough, and a new home are a lot for her.

You are offering her what she was eating before? If not, try it. If you don't want to feed whatever it is, once she starts eating, you can switch back gradually over a week. Try hand feeding the food like you do the treat. I wouldn't mess with canned food and the raw egg was the wrong thing. There may have been a time when raw eggs were less risky and dog chows needed supplements, but this isn't the 50's. Raw eggs will do more harm than good today. You want to get her eating a dry, commercial dog chow. The modern dog chows are carefully formulated and tested to provide the complete and balanced diet dogs will thrive on. I am familiar with thousands of valuable service dogs, and that is what they eat.

Even another day or two without eating shouldn't hurt her. Give her lots of love and attention, butt rubs, belly rubs, walks, brushing, etc. For now, leave the food available. Free feeding works for some dogs, but most need the discipline of regular meals. You can go back to that once she is eating.

Overweight dogs are far likely to be picky eaters. There are charts giving average weights, but they are at best approximations. Any dog owner can learn to judge the correct weight for their individual dog. I can post a great illustrated guide. Even if you don't have to take her to the vet right away, when you do, the vet can confirm your judgment of her body condition.

September 07, link to chart replaced with LongLiveYourDog.com - Life Span Study - Rate Your Dog

There is an incredible amount of nonsense out there on feeding dogs. I figure the dog guide school I volunteer for with all their experience knows what they are doing, and I also see their methods working well.

[SashasDad]

We are not feeding her what they were feeding her at the pound. We had planned on getting some of it today after I get off work. Thanks

[lilfyre]

A couple of years ago I adopted a Pit-bull from the shelter, she would not eat when we brought her home, she was very timid and had been in the shelter for a long time, it took well over a week for her to settle in and was not eating on a schedule until well into the third week, she would nibble here and there but never really eat. But she loved to get goodies, so rather than spoil her with treats, I put her dry food in my pocket and gave that to her as a treat. After a while I watched her go to her food bowl more often. In no time she was eating, we tend to panic over the little things. As Labman said she has gone though a lot if she is not eating in the next few days, call you vet,