DDog refusing kibble, but will eat biscuits etc

[anonymousbird]

DDog (Lab, 11) has always been a classic greedy dog. We have to limit her quantities to ensure she doesn't get over weight. She usually can't get her kibble (split morning and evening) down fast enough and she also has the odd biscuit as a treat and a Dentastix.

Last two or three days, she has flatly refused kibble, but still desperate for biscuits and Dentastix so clearly hungry and wanting food. I put a broken up biscuit in with the kibble and she picked out the biscuit but left the kibble.

Same kibble she's had for years. I even tried a new bag (which had just been delivered) in case something with the old bag wasn't quite right, but still won't touch it. I've added water to soften in case it's the hardness she is struggling with, but no luck

She goes to the bowl lowers her head as if to eat and then just stops.

No sickness, no diahorrea, exercising as normal. She had a "funny turn" a few days ago - she has had mild epilepsy for most of her life - but it was short and she seemed fine afterwards which is her usual pattern. And she's never been off her food for even a short time after a seizure, let alone several days.

I know you will say " take her to the vet" and ultimately, I may have to, but in the meantime, just wondered if anyone else had had any experience like this? I do like our vet but they tend to be "let's run loads of tests just to rule things out" and she's too old for insurance now, so we don't have that luxury. Hence, maybe getting some pointers first.

TIA.

[BiteyShark]

Well I would say vets for a check up but as you are reluctant at the moment to do that I wonder if she is just fed up of kibble because let's face it it is pretty bland. I know you say she is eating her biscuits but they may be tastier and simply nicer to eat.

Maybe try her on a tin of wet food (which will be smellier and tastier than kibble) or some cooked food like chicken to get her appetite back.

[anonymousbird]

Thank you - yes, I will get some wet food and try that. Kibble is dull! But she's eaten it, devoured it, inhaled it for over 11 years without a moment's hesitation so for her to suddenly stop eating it, but be happy/able to eat her other (equally dry unexciting) Winalot Shapes seemed strange....

Also thought, could be an issue with her mouth, but the Shapes are quite tough to bite and she will gnaw on a Dentastix without any troubles.

[GetOffTheRoof]

Have you tried hand feeding her the food? See if it's acceptable to her that way?

[Mrsjayy]

Have you tried putting something nice on top of her food some grated cheese or some chicken ? It sounds like there is something though maybe her teeth

[BiteyShark]

I know dogs and humans are different but I remember my DM saying her appetite went as she got older and just didn't fancy a lot of foods that she once liked. I was therefore wondering if your dog is just 'not that bothered' anymore in a similar fashion.

Obviously there could be underlying medical issues as well but at least something tastier is a quick thing to try out.

[Mrsjayy]

Or mix her kibble with some water mush it down a bit we

[RB68]

I would get her teeth checked - kibblle is quite hard and crunchy even compared to biscuit

[Sexnotgender]

Definitely get her teeth checked and in the meantime I’d add warm water to her kibble.

[missbattenburg]

I think kibble can sometimes be hard on the stomach for older dogs and it may just be that she now requires something a bit gentler. The stomach lining starts to degrade which can make digestion a bit more difficult.

As bitey also says, I thing age alters the taste buds quite a bit and so it may also be she experiences the taste of kibble differently and this has put her off.

Or even something such experiencing the funny turn recently and (rightly or wrongly) associating the taste/smell with feeling bad. Like me with cardamom (thanks India ).

[Greyhound22]

My DDog went off his kibble when he needed his teeth done. He had 3 out and was ok again a couple of weeks later. He is also 11.

[anonymousbird]

I put broken up biscuit on top, no good. I mushed with water, no good. I tried to feed from my hand - no good either! Grabbed the biscuit from my hand though!

She will eat the biscuit, they are the hard Winalot ones, as I did wonder if her mouth was uncomfortable. And a Dentastix is pretty chewy/hard on the mouth as well (deliberately as supposed to clean the teeth). She is fine with both of these which suggests her mouth is not sore.

She had some lean chicken last night, but left the kibble underneath. I can't give her cheese (dogs are allergic to diary, certainly ours always has been).

It's literally happened within a few days, that's the strange thing. I can certainly understand that an animal/human's tastes can change, but seems odd that SO sudden. She's been on this kibble for years and years.

Maybe it's not the actual eating, but the digesting, as missbattenburg suggests. To be fair, she does seem slightly more desperate to do a poo when we go out, she sometimes drags off to the long grass almost immediately but otherwise all seems quite "normal" in that department.

I am getting some soft tinned food later, so will try that on its own first and then see if we can mix with kibble.

Thanks all of you for your help.

[Bookworm4]

Wainwrights at Pets at Home do soft trays that aren't jelly and cone in various flavours, I've used them recently to entice post op dog to eat. Failing that boiled rice & chicken always a winner.

[anonymousbird]

So, just to update, she devoured a tin of Chappie, is eating biscuits and dentastix so it just seems to be a sudden aversion to her kibble. I have got some chicken and rice in too. We will stick with combo of these for a few days, perhaps try to mix in a bit of kibble again at the weekend, but if it's a non starter then so be it.

At least she is eating again. She got quite distressed later on yesterday, I think it was sheer hunger. Nice walk today, now fast asleep with a full tum.

Phew. Thanks for moral support and excellent suggestions.

[GetOffTheRoof]

Ah, great news! Have you got a nice independent pet food shop nearby? Maybe pop in there with her, and see if they have some suggestions and trial packs. Or might get her taste buds going again as well!

[BiteyShark]

So glad she is eating again.

[anonymousbird]

Sadly our lovely local pet shop closed a while back, but she's now on Pedigree chicken chunks and I'm feeding her smaller amounts a bit more often whilst she adjusts to the food. She seems to like it and although her tummy has been a bit funny (such a sudden change of food I'm not surprised!) I think it's settling down....

Poor old girl! She lives to eat so must really have been put off that kibble - just can't work out how it happened quite so suddenly.