[nagdu] A Food Concern

[Robert Hooper]

Hello list:

Perhaps I'm a bit late in posting this information, but I returned home last Thursday with my new Seeing Eye dog Bailey, a male German shepherd. He stands 25-1/2 inches at the shoulders and is a pretty laid back fellow. I contacted The Seeing Eye about the concern I am about to introduce, but thought I could do with some reassurance/opinions from fellow list members as well. I might also add that this is my first guide of any kind from any school. Anyway, on to my issue.
When I brought him home Thursday, he seemed to take everything pretty well, considering that in order to get home, I met two people for lengthy car rides and arrived home to two undisciplined dogs, who, surprisingly enough, calmed down pretty quickly. Now, they pretty much ignore Bailey. He ate and drank his normal ration of food and water. I might also add that I've worked him for about an hour total each day in a city with a pretty speedy pace, which was probably the total amount of time spent working each day at the Seeing Eye. On Saturday, his enthusiasm level concerning his food began to decrease. He still got excited when I approached him with it, and sat and rested as I put the bowl in front of him. After telling him to "take it", however, there was a bit of a hesitation before he began eating. This hesitation continued, and his momentum decreased and he finished with about half (maybe less) the food remaining in the bowl. I might add that I haven't switched foods. The only thing I did was put a large quantity of it in a food vault I bought at a pet store. He still drank and relieved fine. His enthusiasm level continued to decrease, and this morning he didn't touch a single piece of kibble or a drop of his water. At his second park time at 11:30, he emptied normally and even produced some solid waste of normal consistency for him, despite not drinking at this park time either. At 5:30, following some of the advice given to me by a training manager at TSE, I gave his food to him one cup at a time and he ate all of it, along with a usual amount of water. We then went outside and he relieved normally. I was told that many shepherds are sensitive to change and can become one-time a day eaters. I was told that if he continues to show no interest in his morning feed, that I could try putting a small amount of water on a smaller portion of food in order to increase the palatability of said meal. He hasn't showed any signs of lethargy or sluggishness on route, however, which is why I decided to call TSE before calling a vet. He did wretch a bit when we stopped for a while, but I'm sure that's because of his high activity level and lack of any food in his system. Luckily we were outside and what he produced was very insubstantial. I was told also by this trainer that carrying around treats on route would be good to negate the possibility that he might vomit or wretch whilst in transit. Has anybody had any similar issues-and if so, how did they come to a resolution? I am curious as he did not show immediate signs of anxiety or lack of appetite when I first got home, however I am aware that some symptoms can be latent in their manifestation. Any input of any sort regarding the topic outlined above would be greatly relieving. :)
Thanks,
Robert Hooper
Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
The Ohio State University
553 Morrill Tower
1900 Cannon Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210
(740) 856-8195