Hi,
This is my 1st post on these boards, though I have been reading for a while.
My CKCS is coming up 6 months and I just can't get him to eat properly!
We got him at 3 months old. His breeder fed all the puppies from one bowl which was constantly full and they just helped themselves.
When he came to us I changed this habit right away.
He's been on 2 meals a day since we got him - no way would he eat 3. And it's been really difficult to get him to eat 2 meals and to find a food he would eat! He is soooo not into eating his meals!! He's never had scraps from our plates, or been fed any human food. As far as I can see - I've done everything by the book!
For the last 6/8 weeks he's been on Burns puppy bites. He did well on this until the last 2 weeks, but now is eating nowhere near the amount he should. Probably about 50g a day. This concerns me as I realise Burns is pretty low in protein. He's gone right back to the early days where he wouldn't eat!
He's had all treats withdrawn and only gets a rawhide chew strip on the odd days he eats all his evening meal.
My question is, can I try putting him on 1 meal a day? I know he's very young to do this, but I think it may be my only solution! For the last week, his morning meal has been sniffed at and ignored. He'll maybe eat a few mouthfuls, but thats it.
Will it harm him to go on 1 meal at 6 months?

Personally I would NEVER feed a dog on one meal a day -mine always get 2 all through their lives as adults.  How long do you leave the food down for? Usually if you remove it after 10 minutes and then offer nothing until the next meal dogs will after a few days learn that they best eat or the food will disappear. :)

Now, I'm no expert but I tend not to even read what's on the packet regards quantities.  I give my dog what I give her and she looks great so as far as I am concerned she is getting enough and not too much.

Is your dog looking skinny? Is he about the right weight for his age (his breeder would be best to know this).  If he looks ok and is bouncing with energy then I would keep to 2 meals a day and just reduce the quantities a little as perhaps he doesn't need as much as the packet says.

My dogs all get two meals a day meat in one meal & complete in the other

Perhaps you should look at how much you are feeding If you are following the manufacturer's recommended amounts it could be way too much

Unlike the public idea Cavaliers(well all the ones I have had & those of friends)are not piggy eaters & feeding a high quality food could mean you actually feed less  than than a cheaper food.

Have you tried reducing what you offer so that he eats all that you offer & gradually increase it ? & I do mean gradually

How much does he weigh & is he skinny without muscle or like my JD small(within  the breed standard)but is very well muscled He now eats well but did go through a stage of eating one day & not the next

Unlike the public idea Cavaliers(well all the ones I have had & those of friends)are not piggy eaters

LOL my Rufus nearly ate himself to death once (it really was touch and go), he just never stops!

I've been leaving it down for 15 mins a time. Once at 8.30 after his morning walk and again at 6pm. I was convinced he'd eat this morning as he MUST be starving by now!!! I have walked and walked him and free run him in the fields to work up an appetite - but it just won't work up!!!
He's perfectly healthy - has been checked, and is full of bounce. He's not skinny, no.
He's also my very 1st dog - so I have very little idea of what to expect!

if he's not skinny then why are you worrying. your lucky that your dog will only eat what he has to. most of us have a problem regulating their food so they don't turn out fat :)

if he is not too skinny and is healthy then well done for having a brilliant dog who regulates his own food ;) put his food down in the morning and evening and if he's not hungrey he s not hungry.

hope you are enjoying your first dog and try not to worry  - he won't starve himself

How much in total does he get a day and eat.

My dogs that weigh 20kg as adults get at most 200g a day of Arden Grange.

Chances are that your overestimating how much he needs.

If his condition as opposed to weight is not as good as you w9uld like (skin, nails and coat) then I would only then change his ffood to a richer one, otherwise he sounds like he is doing great.

Also you shoudl not feed straigh6t after excersise, even though bloat is a probelm mainly of large deep chested breeds, it isn't a bad idea to not feed a dog for an our before or after excersise as it coudl give them indigestion, therrby making a picky dog even less inclined to eat.

flynn was on one meal @6months. the only way i could get him to eat anything :(

My Cavaliers are happy eaters but not greedy - but my boy was a very picky eater as a puppy, we struggled for ages to find something he would eat. We did put him on one meal a day at around 9 or 10 months to encourage his appetite. Now he's grown up he's much less fussy. If your boy is slim with a waist, but not skinny, you can faintly feel his bones but not see them, and the vet has checked him and said he's fine for his age, I wouldn't worry too about it. Certainly my two eat half what the packets recommend they should be getting! :-) How tall is he? How much does he weigh? Compare that with the breed standard, and you should have some idea.

Hi

I dont think I have ever fed what the packet recomends. I have weighed it out occasionally to see and it has always been twice the amount I fed. If you feed the amount of tins they say most dogs would have upset tums.

I know feed totally raw and judge it by how my dogs look. My GSD is slightly on the plump side at the moment so have cut him back a bit

I feed twice a day as it suits my dogs and me better.

Wendy

Thanks for all your replies!!
Feel much reassured!
He's currently weighing 6.6kg at 6 months and eating approx 80-100g of his burns.

Well that sounds plenty if you think my21kg girl gwts 180 to 200g, and that with an average of 1 1/2 hours brisk excersise a day.

The cavalier breed standard under size says:
Size
Weight: 5.4-8.2 kgs (12-18 lbs). A small, well balanced dog well within these weights desirable.

You should be aiming to keep him nice and slim, especially with the breeds predisposition to heart trouble.

Some dogs prefer 1 meal a day but personally I feed ours on 2.  Two smaller meals are easier to digest than one large meal and of course prevent the dog getting hungry throughout the rest of the day