Why is my dog suddenly eating half her food, finishing when I return?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The best mechanism is to leave the food for 30 minutes to 1 hour and to take it away from her if not eaten at the end. She will eventually eat it all at once when she realizes that you will take it away if not eaten. This will make her feedings more consistent and she will get used to eating when you offer her food. Good luck and have a nice day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is probably that her eating habits have changed. This is actually not uncommon and to correct it, this behavior has to be discouraged as much as possible. What I recommend is to give them their food and give them a certain amount of time (about 1 hour) to eat it. If she does not eat it then you can remove it and feed her again whenever she is due to eat again. This usually will get this resolved as she will eat it at more controlled times giving her less time to graze. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your frustration. Soska will not choose starvation. I would put her meal down and give her a set amount of time to eat it then pick it up. Do that for several days to a week and see if she starts to finish her meals. Keep treats to a minimum. If after a week she still isn't finishing her meals then try adding water to the food to make it more tempting. You can try a different type of food after 2 weeks in case she doesn't like the food. If she continues for several weeks Soska should be evaluated by your Vet for any medical reason for her poor appetite. I hope this helps. For my dog it simply took adding water to his dry food and now he eats it without us having to sit with him.

She may be "saving his food for later". not be hungry or you are giving her too much food. Try feeding her smaller amounts three times a day and take away whatever she has not finished in 10 minutes.

Thanks for using the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There could be several reasons for this. One explanation could be that Ida has YOU well-trained! She knows that if she just waits long enough, you will give her something yummy from your plate. Another explanation is that she is a “social” eater. Some dogs do not seem to want to eat anything until their human sits down to eat as well. Your giving a bite of your food may be her signal that it’s time to eat. Finally, if you haven’t had her in for a yearly exam with some routine bloodwork, I strongly encourage you to do so. Dental disease and early liver or kidney disease can all affect appetite and eating patterns so be sure to get those ruled out. Best wishes to you and Ida!

You should be glad Soska doesn't always finish her food. If she hasn't done much exercise she may not be as hungry. Dogs are better at regulating their intake to equal their calorie burning than humans. Most dogs who are allowed to free feed are normal weight because they don't over eat. As long as Soska is normal weight and feeling fine this is nothing to be overly concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Soska.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Haley. This can be a problem with dogs, and there are a few things you can do about it. You can buy a dog food that has tiny bites, such as Hill's Science Diet Small Bites adult dog food. You can soak her food in water before giving it to her, making it mushy and easier for her to swallow in one bite. Finally, you could considered breaking down the kibble yourself, but that's a lot of work. I'd think about trying the two things I suggested above. I hope this helps!