Eating

Question
I just got my 2 year old husky about 4 days ago and she barely ate 1 bowl of food from it i don't know what to do i tried feeding her the food the previous owner fed her and its mostly grains so ive been trying to mix it with other healthier dog food and she ate both separate befor but i just cant get her to eat more than a few bites of food a day i just don't know what to do and i tried giving her soft food she seemed to like it a bit more only when i heated it up and she barely touched it i don't know if this is normal or shes still getting used to the environment or what?

Answer
Andrew,

This is rather common in a new environment, so don't worry too much.  Also, Siberians have very efficient metabolisms and it is not uncommon for them to go a few days eating very little or none at all.  They are well-known for self-regulation of their diet.  A few things to keep in mind:

1) Keep an eye on the dog's weight.  If it drops by a pound or two, no big deal - much more than that, and you will want to start to worry a little.

2) Two weeks is about average for a dog to adjust to a new environment/home, so don't expect too much.

3) If the dog is eating some, just not much, that's alright.  Sibes actually need very little food (mine eat 1 cup of food per day).  Granted, the quality of the food is important, but it's not nearly as much as you would think for a dog that size.

4) If the dog does need extra encouragement eating, I've found that low-sodium chicken or beef broth poured over the food can be a great encouragement.

Sorry for the delay in writing back - AllExperts email system doesn't always work to tell me I have new questions, but if you need anything else, feel free to write back!