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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Starving one of my Dogs

14 replies

LetThereBeCupcakes · 07/01/2013 12:55

Pupcake 2 has a tummy upset - very loose stools. Been on chicken & rice for nearly a week and only a little improvement, so we're back to the vet tonight. I suspect they will tell us to starve her for 24 hours. I am feeling stupidly anxious about this (am 38 weeks pg with DC1 so my usual practical nature is a bit lacking!). How on earth do I starve her and feed the other one? It seems so cruel to feed Pupcake 1 but not her. DH has very helpfully said to put her out of the way, but where? Anywhere in the house and she will hear him being fed. DH will be at work come breakfast time tomorrow.

She's a rescue dog - very badly neglected in the past and half starved when we got her. She gets very anxious over food (i.e. if she thinks she's missing out will cry). I also tend to feed a lot of their food as rewards, rather than just in the bowl, so they'll both be a bit baffled by that, won't they?

Also, will it just be one meal she misses? If I feed them dinner at 5pm tonight, they can eat again at 5pm tomorrow, yes?

I know I'm blowing this all out of preportion. Honestly, before I was pregnant I would just have knuckled down and gotten on with it! Can somebody come and hold my hand and tell me pupcake won't think I'm an evil mummy tomorrow?

OP posts:
1MitchellMum · 07/01/2013 14:31

I hate feeding one and not the other! Two options (a) ask a friend/neighbour/fellow dog walker to take one dog out for 10 minutes while you feed the other or (b) don't feed either of them (most dogs can go a day without eating). If you had something like Schmackos (soft rather than crunchy) you could feed one 'in secret' if the other is elsewhere. Good luck!

SpicyPear · 07/01/2013 15:01

She won't think you are evil! If someone can take her out that would be great, but otherwise put her out of the way and she'll have forgotten about it by next meal time. Dog's don't bear grudges!

I'm at the end of three months of giving the puppy a lunch and dealing with SpicyDog hanging around by the stairgate looking mournful and sometimes wimpering while he eats it, so I've become tough! She still loves me Smile

LetThereBeCupcakes · 07/01/2013 15:31

See, SpicyPear you have one up on me already - when Pupcake 2 first arrived she was so underweight we had to split her meals up into 4 portions a day (or she'd be sick) - I couldn't bare not feeding pupcake 1 as well so he had 4 meals a day too! I'm far too soft Blush

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 07/01/2013 16:48

My mum has two rather obese JRT s and if either of them needs to fast for 24 hrs she doesn't feed the other just gives it something when the sick ones not looking. TBH she could probably not feed them for a week and they'd be ok living off their flab. ( they're not grossly overweight BTW just a couple of kg but I'm weight obsessed with my dog!)

HoneyDragon · 07/01/2013 16:51

I don't think vets recommend starving a sick dog anymore?

LetThereBeCupcakes · 07/01/2013 18:21

Honey just got back and yes, 24 hours of starving recommended.

Floral we've managed to feed Pupcake 1 his dinner, with me in the other room with pupcake 2, loud music and dancing around like a loon with squeaky toys to distract her. She doesn't seem too bothered at the moment. Pupcake 1 turns into a monster scavenger if he's hungry so would rather not do that really.

I just keep telling myself it's only one day. Seriously, I should not be making such a fuss! Pregnancy hormones getting to me again!

OP posts:
HoneyDragon · 07/01/2013 18:26

Bummer. Would've been easier if vet said no Grin

LetThereBeCupcakes · 07/01/2013 18:47

I know! Mean vet.

Pupcake 1 has just dropped a treat dispensing toy on my lap. Apparently he is not dealing with this well. And he's not the one being starved! Hmm

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LadyTurmoil · 07/01/2013 23:20

Think you're doing brilliantly as you're 38 wks pregnant! What have you got organised for when you go into labour and after the birth - you won't want to go out walking the dogs for the first week or two? Just being nosy (sorry)... and good luck with the birth, hope it goes wonderfully well x Smile

LetThereBeCupcakes · 08/01/2013 07:30

LadyTurmoil we have a combination of things in place! Should we have to go to hospital in the middle of the night, our lovely neighbour has offered to let the dogs out first thing in the morning for us. Then we have a choice of either their regular daycare coming to get them, or my Dad (depending on time of day and how things are going). Daycare also do dog walking so they will help out after, and I seriously hope DH will be doing a bit too!

OP posts:
SpicyPear · 08/01/2013 08:52

See, not that bad was it! But what about when you are feeding baby? Smile

LetThereBeCupcakes · 08/01/2013 09:03

Erm... not sure. Do they eat a lot then, babies? I don't actually know much about them. Never actually met one, really. Seen them from a distance though.

Can they be clicker trained?

OP posts:
NewYearNewNN · 08/01/2013 09:06

Grin clicker training babies... next you'll be wanting an on/off button for the them

SpicyPear · 08/01/2013 09:14

I don't see why not. Operant conditioning isn't species specific Grin Might not want to use kibble as a treat though...

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