[mogrann]

Need some advice about Owen. I think he is playing me to feel sorry for him and feed him when he wants to be fed but want to make sure I am not being mean.
He went off his food for a few days barely eating but was okay otherwise. Still playing, still drinking lots of water, still active and yes still pooping. That is one thing I watched for as I was worried that he may have a blockage. Duri
Ng this time he was still eating any and all crumbs off the floor and eating bunny poop.. yeah I know GROSS.
We cut his food back thinking he was getting too much but he started losing weight and was looking skinny. During this time he was acting very hungry and wolfing his food(we did this for a week only).
So we added 1/2 cup more food. He is fed a high quality food and it is salmon only (allergies) . His food is Pacificana (hope I spelt it right as I don't have the bag to look at). The first few days he was eating it all. Today he went back to how he was at first. He finished his breakfast at supper time. I told Henry do not feed him his supper as he only just finished his breakfast.. am I being mean?
To put numbers to it:
At first he was getting 1 cup breakfast, 1 cup lunch, and 1 cup supper
First time we changed it : 1 cup breakfast 1 cup supper
Now 1 cup breakfast, 1/2 cup lunch, 1 cup supper

If he does not finish his meal and it is the next meal time do I say too bad so sad to him? OR do I give him his next meal as well as what he had left over?

[Alty]

He's not a puppy anymore and shouldn't be getting 3 cups of food a day unless the vet recommends it. I feed my adult dogs 2 cups a day, one in the morning, one in the evening.

I think he's just getting too much, which is why he isn't finishing it. He's full.

No, you're not being mean.

One thing I do have to mention, and I know you think it's gross, but bunny poo is actually not bad for him. Bunny poo is almost 100% pure. In other words, what a bunny eats gets pooped out pretty much the same way it went in, but in nugget form. If he's having tummy issues the bunny poo might actually help, depending on what you feed bunny. Gross yes, but not bad for him. :)

[mogrann]

Alty we thought he was having too much to eat so that is why we decreased his food. Then he started losing weight and his skin started to umm sag? That is the best way I can describe it. Owen's ribs are wide (at least I think they are) and he does not have rolls of fat on him. After his ribs his body tucks in so he looks very skinny. The saggy skin was around his neck and face. How do I know if I am overfeeding or underfeeding? Should I go back to the 2 cups a day? Ugh I don't know what to do and as you know I want the best for him. I don't want him to be hungry. Wish I spoke dog language it would be so much easier. Forget about dog psychology we need to learn dog language :)

[Lucky098]

Our dogs can get upset stomachs and be "off" just like we can be. He may have a belly ache, which is why he went off feed in the first place.

I think you're switching his food around way too much. Dogs love to be in a routine. When you break that routine, they get confused and do dumb things. I think you need to find a routine that works best for you and stick to it.

If he doesn't eat breakfast in the morning, put the food up and try again in the evening. He's not starving to death. He'll be fine.

Dogs will also start scarfing food when the weather changes and becomes colder. During this time, I wouldn't recommend you increase his food. Try to not give him people food or overload him with dog treats.

What I would do, is I would look at breed standard for weight and compare your dog to it. Is he at a good weight? Or does he just look good?

Here is the body condition score that is most common in vet clinics.

Purina.Com | Dog | Caring | Understanding your Dog's Body Condition

Read it and poke around on your dog. Take into consideration he does have a big barrel chest, but you should still be able to feel ribs and a back bone.

"saggy" skin on bull dogs is pretty common. Don't go off skin sag to determine him being over or under weight.

Dogs wanting to eat feces of grass eating animals is pretty normal as well... I have horses, and my dogs graze in their poops.. and rabbits and horses have the same digestive system :P