Post by Joelle on Nov 24, 2009 12:57:13 GMT -5
OK, we're having some issues with our two Australian Shepherds, so I thought I'd run this by my KFC family to see if anyone has suggestions.
Ozark and Dakota are brother and sister, and generally get along very well. We've had some issues with food aggression in the past, namely Dakota rules the food bowl. She'll growl Ozark away from it, which he submits too with little complaint, and eat most of the food, which means that she's getting fatter while he's staying lean and mean. We've actually had to supplement his diet in the past to keep him from being underweight.
Well, we took Dakota to the vet recently for a skin tear, and was told she really needs to go on a diet, her weight was at action level (15+ pounds over her ideal weight.) So, instead of leaving a food bowl around, we've started taking Dakota inside so the dogs eat separately, and giving measured portions to Dakota. Oddly enough, she's not really gobbling the food we give her, she's lurking around the door as if she's far more worried about keeping Ozark away from "her" food than actually eating any herself. Ozark, on the other hand, is not eating much and seems more interested in guarding the favorite dead animal pelt.
Well, over the last several days they've gotten into quite a few rip-roaring fights, the kind where they walk away limping. They got into another one this morning, with the result being Dakota is on the way to the vet yet again, this time to stitch her ear back together. They have NEVER injured each other like this in a fight before, and up till now such fights were very rare. I figured the new diet is a part of this behavior, but I simply cannot let Dakota eat herself to death. I should have taken the pelt away before now, I fault myself for that. But otherwise, I'm rather befuddled and more than slightly concerned at this aggression I'm seeing, especially from Ozark who is generally as sweet as they come.
Should I stick with the plan, and chalk this up to the animals getting used to a new routine? Is there something I could be doing to make this transition less stressful? I'm already planning to make sure that I don't allow food-related toys like dead animal pelts to lay around for them to fight over. Any other ideas? I don't want my animals to keep hurting each other.
Thanks in advance, for listening to my ramblings if nothing else.
Ozark and Dakota are brother and sister, and generally get along very well. We've had some issues with food aggression in the past, namely Dakota rules the food bowl. She'll growl Ozark away from it, which he submits too with little complaint, and eat most of the food, which means that she's getting fatter while he's staying lean and mean. We've actually had to supplement his diet in the past to keep him from being underweight.
Well, we took Dakota to the vet recently for a skin tear, and was told she really needs to go on a diet, her weight was at action level (15+ pounds over her ideal weight.) So, instead of leaving a food bowl around, we've started taking Dakota inside so the dogs eat separately, and giving measured portions to Dakota. Oddly enough, she's not really gobbling the food we give her, she's lurking around the door as if she's far more worried about keeping Ozark away from "her" food than actually eating any herself. Ozark, on the other hand, is not eating much and seems more interested in guarding the favorite dead animal pelt.
Well, over the last several days they've gotten into quite a few rip-roaring fights, the kind where they walk away limping. They got into another one this morning, with the result being Dakota is on the way to the vet yet again, this time to stitch her ear back together. They have NEVER injured each other like this in a fight before, and up till now such fights were very rare. I figured the new diet is a part of this behavior, but I simply cannot let Dakota eat herself to death. I should have taken the pelt away before now, I fault myself for that. But otherwise, I'm rather befuddled and more than slightly concerned at this aggression I'm seeing, especially from Ozark who is generally as sweet as they come.
Should I stick with the plan, and chalk this up to the animals getting used to a new routine? Is there something I could be doing to make this transition less stressful? I'm already planning to make sure that I don't allow food-related toys like dead animal pelts to lay around for them to fight over. Any other ideas? I don't want my animals to keep hurting each other.
Thanks in advance, for listening to my ramblings if nothing else.