To get a dog to eat?

[Caro Perry]

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Harri has always been a little glutton but he's not eaten normally for a few days now. Food in his bowl is ignored- I've tried warming it and adding gravy. All the usual tricks.

That food that is so despised in the bowl is however delicious when stuffed in a pink B M snake. He'll worry away and gobble it so it's not that he isn't hungry or doesn't like the food. He is being just plain awkward. ( It's a noted breed trait being awkward!).

The snake though doesn't actually hold much and I've already refilled it 3 times this afternoon and he's still working away at it. I've plenty of dried food dispensers but I'm at a loss on some novel ways to serve his wet food. I'm going to try serving more later in one of the cat's dishes....

Any ideas folks? I'm not sure I'm up for stuffing pink snakes for ever....

 

[JudyN]

Could you stuff wet food into kongs? Not great if it all dribbles out on the carpet though.

If he's a healthy weight you could try reducing the amount you give him and taking it up if he doesn't eat it straight away. Hopefully by the next mealtime, or the one after, he'll be hungry enough to eat it. But it won't be quite as much as he needs so next time he'll be hungry... the idea is that eating all his food becomes a habit, so he'll carry on doing so when you return to the quantities he needs.

Alternatively, feed him dry food only and feed it all from dispensers. Or supplement it with raw.

 

[Violet Turner]

A great tip is add 1 egg into the food. Also adding a tablespoon of plain yoghurt also might work. And if it doesn't work try a different food brand or put him on a raw diet; raw diets are much better to manufactured food. I have a thread in dog diet, it might be handy that you read through it and do some research. If he wont eat try him with some apple/pear it may help him to eat. Hope your little munchkin eats something soon!

 

[Caro Perry]

Thanks both! I had clean forgotten about his kong. We haven't used it much as he was never interested. It's worth a go. I'll try the other tricks too. Little wretch!

I'm reluctant to change his food as it's a super premium wet. I'm not a big fan of processed kibble and as a veggie of 30 years plus I'm not very keen on a freezer full of raw meat but it's not off the table. If he continues like this I'll be ordering one of the starter packs from Honey's.

 

[Caro Perry]

If he wont eat try him with some apple/pear it may help him to eat. Hope your little munchkin eats something soon!

His appetite for treats is undiminished which is partly why I think he's just being difficult! If he wasn't eating his treats then he really would be off his food and I'd be worried enough to take him to the vet. I have cut back sharply on the amounts he got today (but was somewhat undermined by the pet shop owner who gave him half a doggy sausage - which he wolfed down of course!)

 

[Violet Turner]

His appetite for treats is undiminished which is partly why I think he's just being difficult! If he wasn't eating his treats then he really would be off his food and I'd be worried enough to take him to the vet. I have cut back sharply on the amounts he got today (but was somewhat undermined by the pet shop owner who gave him half a doggy sausage - which he wolfed down of course!)

Most dogs get too attached to treats, so i would add a couple of dog treats to the bottom of his food and see if he eats it. Also you could add a teaspoon of peanut butter and mix it in.

 

[JudyN]

Be aware that some peanut butter is toxic for dogs - check that it doesn't contain xylitol. However, I'd be reluctant to add anything tasty but unhealthy to his food as he'll probably expect it all the time and refuse to eat it otherwise.

 

[Violet Turner]

Be aware that some peanut butter is toxic for dogs - check that it doesn't contain xylitol. However, I'd be reluctant to add anything tasty but unhealthy to his food as he'll probably expect it all the time and refuse to eat it otherwise.

All peanut butter? but at least he will be eating food. I would try the egg more than anything (raw egg)

 

[JudyN]

No, some peanut butter, i.e. peanut butter containing xylitol. But as he isn't ill and is just being fussy, this is like letting a child have jam on his veggies to make him eat them - it's not a long-term solution.

 

[Violet Turner]

No, some peanut butter, i.e. peanut butter containing xylitol. But as he isn't ill and is just being fussy, this is like letting a child have jam on his veggies to make him eat them - it's not a long-term solution.

Oh i always give Olive peanut butter, even when we got her (that's along time ago!) to do tricks like close the door and turn off the light switch etc. i will have to be more careful of what peanut butter to buy her in future! Thanks @JudyN

 

[Caro Perry]

No, some peanut butter, i.e. peanut butter containing xylitol. But as he isn't ill and is just being fussy, this is like letting a child have jam on his veggies to make him eat them - it's not a long-term solution.

He's definitely being fussy! We've just come back from an evening visiting friends. They'd saved my poor deprived puppy some liver from their own supper (he's never had it before - the lot of a dog in a vegetarian household!) and it vanished in seconds. The appetite is there - but only on his terms!

 

[Biker John]

I cant see how it could help in your situation, but out of interest, a friend had a dog, (lovely terrier mix), that was a fussy eater. As they were going on holiday it came to us (we had two Border Collies a Shelti and a Whippet), the first morning we got all the food ready, told them to sit then put the food down giving permission to eat. The Terrier sniffed her food and turned away. Now one of the Collies finished hers, looked accross saw a full bowl shot over and ate it. The look on the Terriers face was priceless we allowed it. Second meal, all the same to a point, again she sniffed turned away then looked over at the Collies then back to her bowl a couple of times then went and ate it all. The rest of the time she was with us she ate every meal quickly. After returning home for a period she was fine then started to get fussy again.

 

[Caro Perry]

I

I cant see how it could help in your situation, but out of interest, a friend had a dog, (lovely terrier mix), that was a fussy eater. As they were going on holiday it came to us (we had two Border Collies a Shelti and a Whippet), the first morning we got all the food ready, told them to sit then put the food down giving permission to eat. The Terrier sniffed her food and turned away. Now one of the Collies finished hers, looked accross saw a full bowl shot over and ate it. The look on the Terriers face was priceless we allowed it. Second meal, all the same to a point, again she sniffed turned away then looked over at the Collies then back to her bowl a couple of times then went and ate it all. The rest of the time she was with us she ate every meal quickly. After returning home for a period she was fine then started to get fussy again.

An excuse for a second one!!

Harri has eaten practically nothing now for 3 days other than the liver scraps. I've just given him a bowl of my very small supply of emergency kibble ( Millie Wolfheart sample pack) and he's eaten the lot and licked the bowl clean so he's clearly hungry and he's noticeably lost weight. So do I wait him out or switch food?

I do have an appt with the vet later just to put my mind at rest that there isn't some underlying reason

 

[Violet Turner]

I


An excuse for a second one!!

Harri has eaten practically nothing now for 3 days other than the liver scraps. I've just given him a bowl of my very small supply of emergency kibble ( Millie Wolfheart sample pack) and he's eaten the lot and licked the bowl clean so he's clearly hungry and he's noticeably lost weight. So do I wait him out or switch food?

I do have an appt with the vet later just to put my mind at rest that there isn't some underlying reason

He could just be messing you around.

 

[JudyN]

Even if he's just messing you around, it's clear that he's not that bothered about the food you're giving him. I would definitely ask the vet first , but then I'd be looking to find something he does enjoy. Is there any reason you don't want to feed him Wolfheart permanently? Or do you think he'll just end up being fussy about that one?

 

[Caro Perry]

Even if he's just messing you around, it's clear that he's not that bothered about the food you're giving him. I would definitely ask the vet first , but then I'd be looking to find something he does enjoy. Is there any reason you don't want to feed him Wolfheart permanently? Or do you think he'll just end up being fussy about that one?

I may have to! I know it's an absolute top quality kibble but it's still very heavily processed and dogs (nor humans) were not designed to eat such things. I'd really rather switch him to raw. I've just put in an order for a taster pack and we'll see how we get on

 

[Violet Turner]

I may have to! I know it's an absolute top quality kibble but it's still very heavily processed and dogs (nor humans) were not designed to eat such things. I'd really rather switch him to raw. I've just put in an order for a taster pack and we'll see how we get on

Natures menu do meat that is already packaged ready to go into the food bowl, your vets may do a kibble that he likes. i would recommend going raw or home cooked just for health benefits.

 

[JudyN]

Fingers crossed the raw works! I know how you feel about a freezerful (or half full) of meat as I'm a veggie too, but you'll soon adapt

 

[Caro Perry]

Well clean bill of health from the vet. No lumps, bumps, nice pink gums, bright and alert and no temperature - diagnosis robably being awkward! He's just eaten another bowl of kibble with alacrity so he's had his food allowance for the day which makes me feel better as it's the first day he's eaten "enough".

Recommendation is to wait him out. Put the food down twice a day and remove after 10 minutes. If he's still holding out after 3 or 4 days or shows any sign of illness to take him back.

 

[Violet Turner]

Well clean bill of health from the vet. No lumps, bumps, nice pink gums, bright and alert and no temperature - diagnosis robably being awkward! He's just eaten another bowl of kibble with alacrity so he's had his food allowance for the day which makes me feel better as it's the first day he's eaten "enough".

Recommendation is to wait him out. Put the food down twice a day and remove after 10 minutes. If he's still holding out after 3 or 4 days or shows any sign of illness to take him back.

hes a little monkey isn't he!? that's great that he has nothing wrong with him