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

Old dog won't eat

8 replies

Worriedmutt · 15/03/2020 10:23

My dog is 16 and on a kidney diet. She has never been too keen on the renal food but recently I am having difficulty getting her to eat, especially in the morning. Any suggestions for what I can feed her / put on top of her food to tempt her to eat? I suspect her sense of smell is not what it was. For years we had to feed her from a special dish to slow down her eating as she wolfed her food down in 5 seconds flat.
I have had success in the past by adding an egg, grated cheese, home made dog food (20% fat mince, white rice and carrot) but they're not doing the job any longer. She will wolf down a bit of hummus on a bit of cracker but hummus on top of her dish didn't tempt her.
Anything that has worked for you? Whatever it was I expect I would have to make my own version salt-free and it would have to be lowish protein.
She will eat the other dog's food if she leaves some, but won't eat the same food if I put it in her own dish, so maybe it's part psychological - she expects her food to be unappetising?

OP posts:
Kordelia · 16/03/2020 06:52

That’s so difficult, and so sad to see your beloved dog like that.

I remember strong fishy tastes appealing to my dog now and again but anything that seemed to work only lasted for one or two meals before she went off it again.

I bought little individual trays for small dogs to give her variety. Sometimes she would eat them, sometimes not.

Sometimes rice pudding was all she would eat.

Worriedmutt · 16/03/2020 17:38

That's exactly it Kordelia - you find something she likes, then she gets fed up of it after a few times (after you've bought lots of it!)
Will try fish. Also I thought of crumbling a bit of dried liver on her food (if I can find a shop selling liver!)

OP posts:
ThatLibraryMiss · 16/03/2020 17:43

My beautiful old lady dog enjoyed sardines, so she got half a tin mixed in with her kibble. Aldi's are cheap.

leckford · 16/03/2020 17:51

Our old baby stopped eating, we had to let her go. Miss her every day😞

FortunaMajor · 16/03/2020 18:01

Mine will always eat their kibble with a bit of fish (sardines or tuna), pate or meat/fish paste from a jar. It's only given as a one off as I worry about salt content, but any of these are a winner.

Adventuros have started doing gravy sachets to go in food.

It's hard when they get like this so I hope you find something.

villainousbroodmare · 16/03/2020 18:03

Would Madam like some Parmesan? Just a sprinkle.

Darklane · 18/03/2020 21:09

I find tinned sardines or corned beef will usually tempt them to eat when nothing else will.

littleMillie · 21/03/2020 22:56

Has your girl had her kidney values checked lately? Sometimes when they take a dive they go off their food, if she’s on meds they might need adjusting.
When the kidneys aren’t so good you’ll find they’ll eat something and thoroughly enjoy it then turn their nose up at it later on, to be honest at that age I’d give her anything she’ll eat within reason as it’s better than not eating at all.

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