My dog/food

[PennyNotSoWise]

Bit of background, a while back my small dog suffered a neck/back injury. He had to rest for 4 weeks, vet was very strict about not letting him run around, jump up or down anything.

During that time, he couldn't lower his head to eat from his dish, so we put his dish up to his level but he still refused. I had to feed him his dog meat from my hands, it was the only way to get him to eat anything.

Thing is though, now I think he thinks this is normal. He's fully recovered, doing really well, but still won't eat from his dish. I put the food down, and he sits watching my hands waiting for me to start feeding him the meat. If I leave the room he'll just wait by the dish for me. I've tried different dishes at different levels and he's not having it. (Thank God he'll drink out of a dish because I'd hate to try and give him water with my hands)

Has anyone got any tips at all that could help? I appreciate this probably isn't a common problem.

The obvious answer is to just leave him and 'he'll eat it once he gets really hungry', but he doesn't. He can go all day, and I can't see him not eat so I cave in and hand feed him.

Just want to add, he definitely isn't in any pain anymore. He's been checked over and everything's good health wise.

Appreciate any insight :)

How good is the dog food? I might be putting something down like actual chicken or raw food that he's going to find very hard to resist.

I had one of mine on crate rest over the summer for the same thing so I sympathise.

I might be putting something down like actual chicken or raw food that he's going to find very hard to resist.

That's a good idea, thank you! He usually has Pedigree, wet meat/chunks. He does love chicken, and tuna, so I'll try filling his bowl with it.

I had one of mine on crate rest over the summer for the same thing so I sympathise.

Oh, it was torture. Did you get "why are you doing this to meeeee" puppy dog eyes every day too?

If you want to try him on raw food I really rate Paleo Ridge's complete mixes. They do all the work of balancing muscle vs organ and bone. My dog absolutely loves them. They're a pretty good price for all-meat mixtures.

Bonus! Raw fed dogs' poos are smaller and less smelly.

Thanks ThatLibraryMiss, that looks really good, I'm going to order some tonight, thank you. Wild Venison and Duck! He'll think it's his birthday bless him

Hi there,
You could try holding the food in your hand as you were doing before, but moving it closer to the dish each handfull until your dog has to go back into the dish to eat. I hope that makes sense.
Glad to read he is all recovered and well again now.

I hope he enjoys them! My dog loves them all but just a warning: the ones containing tripe smell AWFUL. You wouldn't think something from the top end of the digestive tract would smell so much like the other end. I'm not trying to put you off trying them - tripe is nutritious - just to let you know before you open the lid and reel back.

Ha, thanks for that ThatLibraryMiss, appreciate the warning :) I've actually never tried him with any of those kind of flavours on that site, so hopefully something new will be tantalising for him.

You could try holding the food in your hand as you were doing before, but moving it closer to the dish each handfull until your dog has to go back into the dish to eat. I hope that makes sense.

Makes perfect sense, I'll give it a go. I know it's going to take time, he needs kind of 'untraining'.

Glad to read he is all recovered and well again now.

Aw thanks, me too. He gave us a fright, but he's a proper little trooper :)

Hello, be aware that with raw feeding you must wash your hands after and isnt advised to let your dog lick you or little ones if they eat it. Hope your pooch starts to eat normally soon!

Oh, it was torture. Did you get "why are you doing this to meeeee" puppy dog eyes every day too?

Oh yes! She was an absolute master at the "you don't love me any more; my life isn't worth living and I'm clearly never being walked again" look, and of deep sighing. She had a back injury from jumping (she jumped on everything previously so we've had to rearrange the house a bit). We were worried it was going to mean an op, but she seems to have recovered well. At the start of the crate rest she was a bit stir crazy, but after a bit she became a much calmer quieter dog. I do think she was probably a bit depressed though.

The first time we took her out for a (really short) walk she thought all her Christmases had come at once. She's now back to expecting normal length walks, and plenty of them. She's the lively entitled naughty madam she was before but I'm weirdly grateful!

I could have written that word for word about our boy music.

Especially this She's the lively entitled naughty madam she was before but I'm weirdly grateful!

I used to curse him always being under my feet and following me to the loo , but I'm so, so glad of it now.