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Original poster

Eating + drinking behaviours

6 replies

aiskabash · 13/01/2025 18:26

Help!

I have a nine year old poodle who has issues with drinking and eating. Had her since she was a pup and all was grand until about 3 years ago when we moved house.

She has problems with drinking and eating her food.

Here are the concerns:

Drinking:
Stopped drinking from water bowl so tried 4 different types and sizes with no joy. Have reverted to her old plastic bowl. Now drinks but only if it is completely full and after she has gone outside or is excited. Otherwise scared to drink and backs away or stands near it. No collar on so no clanking.

Eating;
Eats dry dental food which she enjoys but refuses to eat from a bowl or mat. Has to have it on the ground and spread apart. Stretches and uses paw to get one piece at a time. Inevitably, she stretches so far that she falls over and gets scared and scrambles around on the floor.

Every time I move around in the house she runs to kitchen and wants me to stand over her or, strangely, wants me to make noise (unload dishwasher or run a tap) in kitchen to 'hype her up' to eat or drink.

I have found her in the kitchen day/evening just standing over water bowl and/food.

She backs away from the bowl and mat all the time. I filmed this and showed her vet and the vet replied that they have never seen anything like this before and offered no help.

Otherwise, the dog is in good form, happy and playful.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

OP posts:
ScottBakula · 13/01/2025 18:51

It sounds like you have tried a lot of different things but what about
Raised bowls so she doesn't have to bend down
Are her bowls big / flat enough that her whiskers don't touch the sides

Original poster
aiskabash · 13/01/2025 19:08

ScottBakula · 13/01/2025 18:51

It sounds like you have tried a lot of different things but what about
Raised bowls so she doesn't have to bend down
Are her bowls big / flat enough that her whiskers don't touch the sides

I tried raised bowls but no joy. She has short whiskers due to her haircut.

OP posts:
Keepingthingsinteresting · 13/01/2025 19:40

I was told poodles can be funny about food, mine certainly is but after years of agonising I have come to the conclusion she won’t starve herself, though it is worrying if she won’t eat for a few days. The behaviour almost sounds she is scared, has anything happened around feeding time that might have ulset her?

as she eats dry food might she take it from a snuffle mat or a slow feeds just to break the connection with the bowls as there is obviously something going on there? Will she drink from puddles etc, as if so it may be the bowl again rather than the water per se.

The final thing is a bit sadder, she is a senior lady now ( though poodles are longer lived) might she have a touch of dementia starting?

Original poster
aiskabash · 13/01/2025 20:05

Keepingthingsinteresting · 13/01/2025 19:40

I was told poodles can be funny about food, mine certainly is but after years of agonising I have come to the conclusion she won’t starve herself, though it is worrying if she won’t eat for a few days. The behaviour almost sounds she is scared, has anything happened around feeding time that might have ulset her?

as she eats dry food might she take it from a snuffle mat or a slow feeds just to break the connection with the bowls as there is obviously something going on there? Will she drink from puddles etc, as if so it may be the bowl again rather than the water per se.

The final thing is a bit sadder, she is a senior lady now ( though poodles are longer lived) might she have a touch of dementia starting?

Thank you for your message.

I could try the snuggle mat as I have not heard of them. I do think she is scared of something. Maybe a bad experience at old minder as times match up but not 100% sure.

She will eat out of shared bowls at the dog minder's house (when we are away on holiday). Drinking still a problem there.

Home is the big problem (in all rooms without carpet). Hates all hard floors. Only carpet is in hall and that is temporary due to renovation. She brings each piece of food to the carpeted hallway. Will drink out of puddles.

She does occasionally let out a bark out of nowhere. Not sure if she hears a cat or something else. The bark seems to hype her up and gives her a shot of bravery to visit the water bowl and floor food! Maybe dementia might be on the cards? Or just having a laugh!

OP posts:
JC03745 · 13/01/2025 20:31

Would a feeder like this be any good? You put in, ideally, roundish shaped kibble, slide the door to allow the right size out and the dog chases it around the floor eating 1 by 1.

MIL had a standard poodle and when it got older, developed unusual behaviours. He used to eat normally, from the bowl himself, but over time would only eat food off the floor. He also developed a weird movement thing! If there was an open door or archway- he'd stand on one side and seemingly not be able to walk through. He'd start walking through, then stop, like there was a something physically stopping him such as a clear, glass door- but there was nothing there! He'd then been almost frozen in a back/forth movement unable to walk through the open door. If you held his collar, he could move through the door. The vet thought it was a neurological condition 😥

I don't know if this is something peculiar to poodles or a one off though?

Eating + drinking behaviours
Original poster
aiskabash · 14/01/2025 09:02

JC03745 · 13/01/2025 20:31

Would a feeder like this be any good? You put in, ideally, roundish shaped kibble, slide the door to allow the right size out and the dog chases it around the floor eating 1 by 1.

MIL had a standard poodle and when it got older, developed unusual behaviours. He used to eat normally, from the bowl himself, but over time would only eat food off the floor. He also developed a weird movement thing! If there was an open door or archway- he'd stand on one side and seemingly not be able to walk through. He'd start walking through, then stop, like there was a something physically stopping him such as a clear, glass door- but there was nothing there! He'd then been almost frozen in a back/forth movement unable to walk through the open door. If you held his collar, he could move through the door. The vet thought it was a neurological condition 😥

I don't know if this is something peculiar to poodles or a one off though?

Thank you. I will look into that feeder.

She also has a bit of that frozen in a doorway thing as well. Perhaps it is a poodle thing? Maybe other poodle owners might know?

OP posts:
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