Dog isn't eating in the morning anymore

[Satana]

I was wondering if any of you had the same thing happen and what you did.

My dog just turned 2 years old, he is a pit/bull dog mix and he no longer wants to eat in the morning. He has been on a strict schedule where if he doesn't eat it in 20 min I pick it up and he doesn't eat until the next feeding since he was a puppy and we never had any problems.

I have heard of dogs getting fed once a day but my problem is I work 10am-9pm so he doesn't eat until I get home. I have always worked these hours and there has never been a problem. He is still active and healthy. I just don't like the idea that he isn't eating until 9:30pm.

Anyone have any ideas what could be the issue?

[lasweetswan]

Aw, I wish I had advice to help. My dog eats on a schedule 3 times daily and about thirty minutes before feeding time he starts acting like he's going to die if he doesn't eat immediately. He acts like he's not seen food in a month. The only time his schedule changes is on weekends when I get to sleep in and even then he doesn't let me get extra sleep bc he hovers around my head until I wake up. I wish you luck!!!!

[JLC]

Any other changes in the normal routine? My dog lost her appetite when we moved. It was challenging to get her to eat and she often skipped her breakfast during the transition. Once we got settled into the new home, she was back into her normal routine.....and just like lasweetswan says, about 30 minutes before meal time, she thinks she's just gonna DIE of starvation.

[Satana]

The only thing that has changed is that my girlfriend is sleeping over a lot, tho thats not really new. She has been sleeping at my place for the past 5 months. I was thinking that maybe my spoiled boy was jealous so I told my girl to stay at her place a few nights so he could have some mommy time but he continued to not eat in the am even with her gone. I dunno if its ok for a dog to only eat at 9:30pm that seems bad for them. He seems just as happy and active as always so I don't know if i should be worried or not.

[JLC]

I'm not a dog expert....but I'd think that if he's happy and his behavior is otherwise normal, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Satana]

Thats what I am thinking but Im a worrying mommy lol

[Lana's_mom]

Unless he starts to lose weight I wouldn't worry about it. Dogs do that sometimes. You could keep it up one morning and only offer him his evening meal, and than offer him his morning meal the next day. But if he is still his same old self and his weight and energy/behavior hasn't changed, I wouldn't worry about it.

[BbyBoa]

Exercise has a lot to do with eating when it comes to high energy dogs, If they aren't getting enough stimulation like "walks and play" every day it could cause them to skip meals.

[Satana]

I don't think exercise is the issue, we go on long hikes on my days off and even tho I work 10-9 my roommates son is home and we have a huge back yard where my dog and my roommates dog run a play pretty much all day.

I spoke to a vet and they said that it seems normal. Some dogs when they hit age two they settle down a little bit and choose to eat once a day. Either that or he is showing his anger that I am leaving him in the morning. She said he could be rebelling against me going to work and that is why he is only eating when I get home. She said that either way its not a big deal as long as he doesn't stop eating at night.

[rperry03]

Dogs will not starve themselves to death, offer food when you get home and take away in the morning am a few hours before work. I work 6a-6p and my dog eats a 1.5 cups in the am (sometimes) and 4 cups when I get home, along with table scraps, I use to feed when I got home, but found a little then a big meal works best.

Winter time food intake increases because he loves the outside.