Turning nose up at food - 5 days now

[Lozislovely]

Hi, could do with some advice. Bubba has turned his nose up at his dinner for the past 5 days.

He isn't ill so far as I can tell, though we did have a grass eating incident on Thursday last week which resulted in runny poos the next day (I bought a tin of Chappie thinking it might help but he didn't go anywhere near it).

He is energetic, drinking water and behaving completely as normal except when it comes to dinner.

He's currently on Burns and I mix a bit wet mixed in.

He eats his treat that I give him when I need to go out and gnaws away at his bone.

I know he would happily eat a chopped up chicken breast or a packet of ham but I don't want to go down the route of exclusively feeding him like that just so he'll eat.

I'm also concerned about buying several different types of kibble to find the one he likes and the effect that will have on his digestion.

I've even tried BARF but he hates raw meat.

Any suggestions welcome

I worried when I started reading your post (straight to the vet was my opinion) but relaxed when I saw that he was eating treats. Presumably he's drinking OK? My inclination would be to feed him something that he likes (or maybe a good quality wet food?) - I rescued a dog who wouldn't eat the offered food when she first arrived - but did after 2 or 3 days. But five days is a rather long stretch ... as you're feeding Burns now maybe try something else and then go back to it? Or buy something to mix in with it. Maybe try the chicken breast just to see if he'll eat it, then perhaps go to the vet if not? Poor Bubba, hope you get him sorted.

I would test him on something delicious. If he wolfs down some chicken breast then he's probably fine. If not then take him to the vet. Perhaps he is just getting over last week's upset stomach though.

Thanks both. I chopped him up a chicken breast on Saturday hand fed him half and then put the rest in with his kibble and he just ate the chicken!!

He's also shared my toast this morning and is currently munching on a pigs ear!

He's a little bugger I tell you. I so want him to like his dry food and wish you could buy sample sizes instead of the £10 a bag jobbie.

I think I'll just have to buy a stash of chicken and perhaps a variety of wet food to at least get him eating and have a think about what kibble to try next. He's a westie and they are known to have sensitive tums so I'm cautious of what he has.

Eats better than I do!!!

Hi Loz, I feel your pain! Pizpup is a total fusspot and willhhappily not eat for a day or two if he doesn't fancy what's on offer.

I have given in and gone down the BARF route but even then he's picky and will only really eat chicken and mince, so I end up making his own dog food to get a bit of variety into him! He's exactly the same, maybe a slightly dicky tummy from time to time but full of beans and happy with treats. Although he also likes novelty so will raise out hopes by scoffing something new for 2 days before going off it again (once we've spent a fortune stocking up!).

Will watch with interest and send you lots of luck!

Piz

So he has had diarrhoea.
Eaten grass often associated with nausea or belly ache.
Pica eating some foods (usually high value) and not others (usually low value).
All of these suggest to me as a vet several different medical conditions.
The fact that it has now gone on for 5 days I would get the dog seen.
I have so far whilst typing this come up with 5 common possibilities.

I just opened a tin of Spencer's Deli chicken and liver. Put it in his bowl, r sniffed and walked away. I pulled out some chicken and waved it under his nose, he took it! I have just freakin hand fed him a tin of food.

He's playing me

Totally feeling your pain Piz - glad I'm the only one!!!

I'm convinced that mine thinks he's human as our food seems to be the stuff he wants!!

And yes, it's costing a fortune trying out different foods. I've tried to keep the kibble as the 'standard' thing as much as i can (he was on JWB previously) but reckon it might just be that he doesn't like it (sods law I've only just open a new packet!).

Op I agree with Lonecatwithkitten, please take your dog to the vet. Don't mean to scaremonger, hopefully you just have a fussy dog but being off her food was the only sign that something was wrong with my dog last week, sadly we no longer have her with us, she wasn't even 2. (She had an undiscovered tumour)

Thanks for your concern Grumpalo and really sorry for loss, can't even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been.

Bubba is eating like a horse today. Breakfast gone in a flash, carrot crunched and dinner digested.