About Cindi Bass Expertise I can answer health, nutrition, excercise, breeding,behavior,color, temperament, obedience training and conformation.
Experience I've owned Great Danes since 1975 ,taught obedience, protection classes, shown Great Danes in conformation and obedience and am in the process of getting back into showing after a long absence.
Organizations allexperts.com expert in dogs, nutrition,breeding and whelping and German Shepherds
Education/Credentials Vet tech for many years, learned training techniques from a superb instructor and have kept abreast of the changes in both the Great Dane world and in the dog world in general.
Past/Present Clients references available privately upon request
Expert: Cindi Bass Date: 5/6/2008 Subject: Great Dane puppy won't eat
Question I have a three year old female Great Dane and a four month old Great Dane puppy. Both of them are extremely finicky eaters. They will eat one brand of food (pup is given puppy food and adult is given adult dog food) for about two weeks then they won't touch it. I have tried adding gravy, boiled egg whites, chicken, but not much help. They are very healthy and vet said not medical reasons for this problem. Neither of them is maintaining weight especially my adult female. HElP!!
Answer Have you had them checked for health issues? Teeth? Parasites/ thyroid?
Barring all those things, if there is nothing wrong with them, then you can safely repeat after me. "I have spoiled my dogs" :)
Get them on some vitamin C, start with five hundred mgs per day in two doses for your adult, gradually working up to fifteen hundred mgs in three doses. Start with 250 for your pup and work up to 750 in three doses, Vitamin B supplements, according to weight, vitamin E, ditto, omega fish oil supplements, and a good calcium/bone meal supplement, oh and flax seed oil
Find a GOOD food, one for the pup that is 23 percent protein or less, with no corn, wheat, soy or by products
Same for your older girl but you can use a higher protein level.
Stop ALL additives. no gravy, no goodies, no treats during the day.
For your adult dog., put her dog food down twice per day for forty five minutes at a time. Remove it with no comment whether she eats or not. And IGNORE her while she either eats or doesn't. For your pup, right now I would try three times a day , thirty minutes per feeding. Same method. They may not eat for awhile, maybe even days, but they WILL eat. They will NOT starve to death though they would like you to think they will. You can do it :)
Cindi
