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The doghouse

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

Original poster

Is it possible that my fog will starve herself?

30 replies

crazydoglady6867 · 26/02/2018 19:54

I am finding it difficult to get my dog to eat her meals, she will happily have treats so I know it is not a medical problem but as I don’t want her to live on treats I have stopped all extras and just put her food down, nothing, she just ignores it. Are they like children and if they are hungry enough they will eat what I put in front of them? She will try and eat old, mouldy food from the pavement but will still ignore her food bowl. Any advice?

OP posts:
SpiceRack · 26/02/2018 19:56

Try different food maybe? My house rabbit will only eat hay from ASDA but won't eat the same type of meadow hay from pets at home or wilkinson's, she just sniffs it and walks away and won't eat for days! So try different brands/types of food

Original poster
crazydoglady6867 · 26/02/2018 20:01

I do, but it isn’t good to keep changing their food is it? Not sure whether I just made that up!!!

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 26/02/2018 20:02

What food are you feeding?

Mine turned his nose up at kibble but loves the same brands wet food. They tend to eat 'with their nose' so the wet food is smellier and more interesting.

BiteyShark · 26/02/2018 20:03

As for changing food I swop the same brands wet food around so he gets a variety of flavours. We have never had any issues with doing that.

Original poster
crazydoglady6867 · 26/02/2018 20:04

She has s Raw diet as any other will make get trump.

OP posts:
SpiceRack · 26/02/2018 20:04

It's bad to suddenly change their food but over 5 days you can gradually have less of the old food and more of the new one. Might also be worth just having a check up at the vet to make sure he doesn't have an ulcer or any problems with his teeth that are stopping him eating a certain type of food.

SpiceRack · 26/02/2018 20:04

she* sorry

Original poster
crazydoglady6867 · 26/02/2018 20:05

I think I will take her vets just to check it out.

OP posts:
Rodgerrabbit29 · 26/02/2018 20:06

My
Dogs scared of her bowl so
I have to put the food on the floor. It's weird. Try that.

Worldsworstcook · 26/02/2018 20:07

I think we share the same dog. Other shihtzu digs are round and fat. Mine is thin and bony. She loves people food but that's not good. She starves herself to the point she starts being sick and bringing up bile. I've changed her food so many times and every day it just goes in the bin. No I don't think taking her food away encourages her to eat, it makes no difference. Her saving grace is spag Bol or chicken and rice black bean sauce. Sooooo much salt but when she literally only eats once a week it's the only thing keeping her alive. And yes she too like mouldy old dry nasty food. Vet says she's healthy and nothing wrong.

One thing though - she will eat off a fork 🙄 Or if her food is tipped directly on the floor with no bowl or dish. God knows.

Original poster
crazydoglady6867 · 26/02/2018 20:08

I will try Rogerrabbit!

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 26/02/2018 20:33

How long will she not eat for? If you’re putting it down and taking it back up after 10 minutes...

Are we talking days and days or just she’s only picking at it?

VandelayIndustries · 26/02/2018 20:44

My dog is a terrible eater. She gets amazing food and she will just ignore it. She won’t eat at all unless you put some on the floor first and when we are desperate we will feed her by hand.

Last week I spoke to a vet at Butterbox about her as she had been eating Butterbox for a couple of months then stopped. The vet said it was a classic sign of being removed from her mother too soon.

LoislovesStewie · 26/02/2018 20:52

My dog only eats wet dog food if I spoon feed him. He eats dry, complete from the bowl, but won't eat actual meat unless I hand feed him! I don`t understand why , I just go along with it. Oh and he loves cat food. In fact he prefers cat food, obviously a mixed up dog.

englishnose · 26/02/2018 20:57

Have you tried a different raw? I use naturaw, dog has never had an issue with this, but will not touch the nature's menu selection.

N0tfinished · 26/02/2018 20:58

Mine is similar but he stalks the kids & snaffles any dropped toast, biscuits etc. food in bowl is completely ignored. I have policed him very strictly & made sure he doesn't graze but he'll still ignore food in his bowl for days on end.

He'll always eat it if I mix in a can of sardines though.

It's frustrating as the food gets covered in dog hair so I have to throw it out.

Wolfiefan · 26/02/2018 21:02

How old is she? Is she spayed? Has she had a season recently? Otherwise fit and happy?

littlehayleyc · 26/02/2018 21:11

My dog is the same. We have tried various dry foods but he isn't that keen on any of them. We often put his breakfast down and it stays there all day. At breakfast time if there's a bit of spare porridge I'll mix that in, and he'll eat it. At dinner time I mix in leftovers from our dinner (usually the kids discarded broccoli and chicken etc) and he will eat it then too. Sometimes we buy naturediet and mix a bit of that in.

pigsDOfly · 27/02/2018 14:11

My dog's the same.

I've been feeding her from the floor for quite some time and as it's the only way I can get her to eat I'm pretty much resigned to it. It's not the food as I can see she enjoys it, so changing the food isn't always the answer, well, certainly not in her case.

I think there's two things going on with my dog: she's frightened of the bowl - tried lots of different sizes and materials - and I think she's also put off eating if the food is given to her in one big lump so I find I have to feed her bits at a time.

No idea what the answer is and as, other than her strange eating habits she seems like a well balanced happy dog, I fear this is how she'll be eating for the foreseeable future.

I'm quite relieved to know she's not the only one who eats like this.

MyKingdomForBrie · 27/02/2018 14:16

Mine is the same, the toddler scatters the dry food all over the floor now and she follows her round eating it all, if it stays in the bowl she won’t touch it!

jemmstar1980 · 27/02/2018 14:25

I can only say what worked for my dog, he started to get very fussy not eating his kibble but only treats. I was told to put each meal down and set a 15 minute alarm as soon as goes off take it away and absolutely no treats. it took a few days of battle of the willpower but he soon cottoned on and haven’t had a problem since.

Original poster
crazydoglady6867 · 27/02/2018 16:09

Jemmstar, this sounds like a plan, I am going to try this today she has not had any snacks so I will put her food down at 5 like normal and up again in 15 minutes, I think she is just being a monkey as she is a happy healthy dog and knows I will give her some treats if she ignores her food long enough as I worry she will starve. Time for me to take control I think!!

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 27/02/2018 16:23

My dog doesn't really get treats so I know she isn't filling herself up on other stuff.

I can't imagine any dog would actually let itself starve to death but it's hard knowing your dog is going to bed hungry.

When my dog had to go into kennels a while ago I managed to get her eating something out of a bowl by building it up gradually: starting out on the floor and then putting the food into the bowl. I think it worked to an extent but I could see she wasn't happy with the bowl.

The people at the kennels said she ate her food so maybe she's just playing me, wouldn't surprise me.

MarcoPoloCX · 27/02/2018 18:02

No healthy dogs will starve themselves.
If it's not allergic to the food then it will eat.
Once it took my dog three days before he ate his food. It's a test of wills.

HonkyWonkWoman · 27/02/2018 18:25

My dog does not eat plain dried food.

She gets our left overs mixed in with it.
If there are not much left overs I'll mix in a sardine from a tin (tin usually lasts 3/4 times) which I wrap in tin foil in the fridge to keep.
As a standby I buy Butchers Tripe in tins and mix a quarter tin, cover in fridge the same, to keep.
Throw a raw egg in occasionally, rice, (not pasta so much) basically anything I have around.
I cook every day so She get carrot pieces thrown while I'm chopping, or broccoli stalk, loves Red Pepper.
She will eat any human food, except fried egg.

The vet says that she can have human food as long as it is healthy, which ours is. We rarely eat anything processed.
Sometimes, they just want a bit of variety as we do.
I've had dogs for 50 years, all sizes and breeds and fed them all in this way.
Never fed them anything with sugar in, ever!
No human biscuits or anything like that. No way!

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