How long is too long? Help!

Some dogs just prefer to "browse", while others would eat continuously if food were always available.
As long as it's portion controlled, I see nothing wrong with it!
 

Well, I ended up not putting his food down at all last night, and when I put it down this morning, he sniffed it, walked away and went back to sleep (even after I microwaved it).  GRRR I am soo frustrated!!

I want him to eat scheduled meals because I believe it is a good habit, and it's easier to control their weight this way.  When I would leave it out, some day he would eat not even 1/4 of a cup, and sometimes he would eat 3/4 of a cup (when he's supposed to be getting about 0.8 of a cup, at least!). 

Jana, I am facing exactly the same issue with Odie.  I am handling it the same way you describe.  I am looking forward to the responses.

I would stick to what you are doing.  Putting it down in the morning for 30 minutes and in the afternoon for 30 minutes.  If they don't eat it, take it up until next meal.  It's tough to do that and see your buddy not eating but when he'll get the idea (from my own experience anyways).  How about taking him for walks before feeding them?  I noticed when I would take him for a walk just before his scheduled feeding, when he came back he would have an appetitite and start eating.

It's hard for me to really post on this issue because I have NEVER had a picky eater.  But, here's my two cents anyway......
 
You put the food down, give them 20 minutes to eat and if they don't, the food goes away.  I would NOT heat it, add warm water, or put toppings on it.  This is dinner, eat it or do without.  I raised two sons that exact same way.  I'm not a short order cook and I'm not about to start.
 
If one of MINE doesn't scarf the food down then something is wrong with them.

ORIGINAL: papillon806
Well my question is (especially for those who have had experience with this), how long is too long w/o eating?

 
Dogs can go along time w/out having the need to eat, especially if they have been well fed prior.  I have personally witnessed my dog go 4-5 days without crumb.  I think a lot of it depends on exactly what you#%92re feeding.  A high quality feed should last you longer than a cheap bag of feed.  For example, my dog after full assimilation to the product
(Abady Classic Granular), immediately reduced food intake by 2/3rds, then after the reduction began skipping meals on occasion.  Important thing I feel is not to panic and run to the Vet at the onset of finicky eating.  Dogs will eat when their bodies tell them to eat.
 
CC

I personally agree with Tobylttledude and Jaye.  I leave food out all day for my Shih Tzu some days he eats more then other days,  By doing this my little dog who was a little under weight has gained a pound in the month making the vet and myself very happy.  if the food is out they can eat whenever and fill their hunger need.  I haven't had a dog with weight problems using this method.  But you gotta do what you gotta do.  Do what fits you!

   I would continue to offer the food and then take it away until the next scheduled feeding for a liitle while longer. You know he's okay because you had the vet check him. Dogs can be stubborn so you need to have a little patience. I don't see the harm in microwaving the food or adding a little warm water though.

A bit of warm water won't hurt, I just refuse to be held hostage by my dogs pickiness.  Microwaving, on the other hand, destroys the nutrients.

Glenmar.  Even by microwaving it 10 seconds, will it do that much harm to the dry kibble?

I use the microwave very little for anything.  It's handy to reheat my food for lunch, but honestly, I don't use it often for much of anything except maybe defrosting.  Yep, they are handy inventions, but I don't see A how nuking kibble is going to make it more appealing or B, why anyone would want to.  You shouldn't have to tempt your dog to eat.  Picky eaters are not born, they are created.  I'm just  a real stickler on this.

Ok....so after this morning with no interest (I just figured he didn't want to eat b/c it was so early) I put it back down right now since he just went for a long walk (I'll do so for about 20 mins then take it back up).  As soon as I put the food down, he actually saw me scooping it, and looked at me in disgust!? So I put the food in front of  him, and he gave me that "gross" look, and walked away.  That just makes me sooooooooooo mad! There are dogs starving all over the world and you won't eat this super-premium food because your a picky little b*@&, lol. ARRGHH Maybe I should just give up and leave the food on the ground and have him free-feed (but then I can't give him any treats b/c then he really won't eat).  I'm so confused! [&:][&:]

i agree with glen on the microwave issue, i actually got rid of mine completely, you put in food but you take out something different, even if only for 10 seconds. [linkhttp://www.herbalhealer.com/microwave.html]http://www.herbalhealer.com/microwave.html[/link]

Dont want to cause any more worry for you really but thought I would mention this...
 
Kayla stopped eating her food, for two days she would just sniff and walk away and sometimes take one bite... So I started picking it up thinking she was getting spoiled... two more days and nothing.  So that was four days with maybe a bite of food.  I gave her plain chicken and hamburger meat which she ate.  Convinced me even more than she was just being spoiled.  But, I brought her to the vet the next day anyway beacuse spoiled or not 4 days is a long time to not eat.  The vet said she was perfectly fine but that 4 days was too long.... and so she dd thorough blood work.  And Kayla had pancreatitis.  The vet said dogs usually display more symptoms than this but, thats what it was.  Well after three days of IV treatment at the vet and one day back home supposedly "better" she died in the middle of the night while sleeping because her pancreas hemmoraged, maybe due to a blood clot. 
 
Anyway.  I would get it checked just in case... and because the vet did say that 4 days was too long, that spoiled or not they dont usually go that long, and thats what prompted her to do the bood work.
 
 

BTW - Kayla was only 3 years old so its not just an old dog thing.