My dog won't eat - help!

[katie3677]

Can anyone help me to understand why my dog won't eat?
He is a healthy 8 month old Jack Russell and I feed him a combination of puppy biscuits and meat, usually Pedigree. He has never been a voracious eater but for the last week he has hardly touched his food. I feed him twice a day, but he shows no interest in his own food and probably has only a couple of mouthfulls a day. He is not showing any signs of being unwell otherwise and nothing has changed/ happened to put him off his food as far as I am aware. He will eat the titbits I give him and hasa go at the cats food until he's told off.Is there something I can do to encourage him to eat?

This may sound harst but i mean it so nicely. Dogs usually don't eat if they're given titbits, treats and our food. Its like offering a child sweets or lunch - they prefer the sweets. Daft as it sounds, your dog knows he will get other food if he doesnt eat his own.
Also, pedigree are famous for changing their recipe in their food so often can cause upsets in dogs.
I'd recommend only feeding your dog his own food, cut out treats for now, never give him our food or titbits. He'll soon get the message and eat his own food. Dogs can go for up to a week, sometimes longer, with no food, just water. He won't let himself starve!
Like i said, harsh but true.
If he doesnt eat in few days of only offering his food, contact vets.

Try him with Boiled rice and a bit of chicken.
Maybe he doesnt like the food you give him or maybe it is a s frazzled has said and he is holding out for the treats.

It's really common for dogs to do this. Obviously, we worry and give them anything to tempt them, its only natural we would. But, they then do it more, we worry more, vicious cycle!

Thanks. I don't actually give him treats very often, have only done so in the last day or so because of concern. I will stop though so that he knows he only gets his food or nothing. I'm pretty doggy wise, but having previously had labradors who can't get enough food, I'm finding this a bit of a concern. Thanks for you advice all.

Katie: I used to have a JRT and found it very strange he wasn't mad about his food, as my other dogs have been. There's been some good advice here and I think you just need to stick to your guns (as long as he's well in all other ways, drinking etc.) but if he still wasn't eating after a couple of days I'd get him checked out. HTH!

He actually ate most of his meal last night, but wouldn'tlook at it when I gave it to him, only tucked in when DH gave it to him - do you think it's a pack thing? As he didn't finish it I haven't given him any breakfast, in the hope that he'll be hungrier tonight. Is that fair do you think?

Think that's fine. Often we just don't realise how little dogs eat. We assume they must need more than they actually do. Just stick with only dog food for him, no titbits, give him treats when he does something good. After all, we all need treats!