Baz+Rome Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Hi guys, I have got a bull terrier male I am fostering at the moment. I am having a lot of trouble getting him to eat food. He is a bit lean already so I was hoping to feed him up before he goes to a new home. The problem is he just will not eat. He has obviously been abused and is so very cautious with everything that he does and I can see that he is hungry but won't attempt to eat. The amount of food he has consumed is just not enough. I would love to hear what other people have tried feeding fussy eaters. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffnCel Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Putting sardines in Buffy's food when we originally started the raw diet certainly helped us, especially the ones in tomato sauce. Someone suggested cheese as well in their food. Buffy isn't crazy about cheese, but some dogs are. What about some nice human grade mince or steak to get his appetite going? Not sure sorry, hope he starts eating soon ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time Puppy Owner Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=81686 Try the Satin Ball Recipes on the thread above. I also remember reading a while back that vegemite simulates hunger so maybe a few biscuits covered in vegemite 10 mins before hand and them maybe a few more amongst his meal as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peibe Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Fish based Cat Food BBQ chicken Any pics of the handsome lad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavandra Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 You could have him looked at for Tonsillitis, dogs will be starving, tummy rumbling but wont eat due to sore throat........ If tonsils/other throat or teeth/mouth problem isnt the problem , then Periactin tablets from over the counter at the Chemist will probably work. It is a trick many breeders use for those fussy ones. Completely safe to use, can not overdose the dog, they are antihistimes, with the side affect in dogs being increased hunger! He would need 1-2 tablets at least 30 minutes before a meal, a couple of days should have him eating, if not I would say he has a problem of a more serious kind . Once he has the habit of eating again you can stop the tablets, you wont need them again hopefully......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellbyville Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 I had a dog once that was very fussy & didn't eat very much for almost a week. I tried the Satin Ball recipe, which he loved. I did have a bit of trouble though getting him off the Satin Balls to normal food, which was kibble, raw mince, sardines etc. He never did really eat dry food, but did eventually take a liking to raw mince etc. I slowly weaned him off the satin balls by introducing other things to his diet a little at a time. It was a bit frustrating as all my other dogs eat anything and very quickly, while this little guy would eat his meal in time, I usually left his bowl with him overnight and by the morning his food would be gone (except for the dry biscuits). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 If he has had negative experiences associated with eating, would it be worth experimenting with the type of dish he eats from as well? Just a thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloebear Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Try feeding him in different areas, on the grass, concrete, maybe a small area so that he feels safe......my rescue puppy when I got her, didn't know what grass was, scared to walk on it. She had to be feed on concrete surface, afraid to walk on grass, then progressed to walking on grass, but would not walk on grass with dew, know she is fine and will eat anything, anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 I was going to say Cat food as suggested by peibe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Natures Gift tinned food. At room temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz+Rome Posted December 6, 2007 Author Share Posted December 6, 2007 Thanks so much for your help guys. He had been vet checked and nothing abnormal in mouth was detected. He obviously associates meal times with something very negative and he is very nervous although seems to feel comforted if I am standing near. I have managed to get him to eat a few chicken necks tonight which is good. Thanks for the ideas, I am going to note them all down and with some trial and error I hope he will be feeding well like he should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time Puppy Owner Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Hope he comes good - perhaps even feed from your hand for a bit just so he know he is loved! Good luck and I really would love to hear that he is doing really well in a few weeks times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witheverythingiam Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 I would love to hear what other people have tried feeding fussy eaters. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I used to have to stand over my dog and encourage him to eat. He was fine if we'd added egg, or sardines or sprint oil to his food, but otherwise, he would rather starve. Then we discovered Nutro Natural Choice, and haven't looked back! He LOVES the stuff! -WithEverythingIAm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim21 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 My pup was extremely fussy as well, I put chickken or beef stock (no salt kind) in with his dry food to make it more yummy or cooked up sime mince and mixed it when warm with the dry food (Baz liked it better when warm so ate it then!!) Or just try giving him cooked chicken (and the juices) with his food. But the sardines idea sounds really good!! I may have to try that, the smellier the better, right!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 satin balls worked for me.... so did adding gravy or bonox (its the yeast - same as vegimite) maybe try changing your feed bowl.....might not like metal or plastic or what ever one you are using. Eating off a person plate always makes it more special. But hand feeding makes them feel loved and special and they do tend to eat more. I made dinner time training time and he never realised he was eating his dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witheverythingiam Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Oh and "Sprint Oil" is a great additive, and good for adding extra weight. -WithEverythingIAm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldust Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Bullies wont starve themselves, not in my experience. I have a harder approach i wont buy or make special meals for a fussy dog, they get what the others get, if they dont eat then too bad. I have had great success on Eagle Pack dog food, a pup i sold who used to vacuum her food down wouldnt eat at her new home so i suggested Eagle Pack dry food and she eats very well again now We bought in an older bitch whom the owners swore would starve herself (apparently once for 11 days) if you gave her anything BUT My Dog tinned food. There was no way i was buying 7 tins of that stuff a week so i fed her the normal raw minces and dry food, it took her awhile and she did lose weight but shes as fat as mud now and loves her tucker. They also said shes terrified of water but guess who lies in her wading pool when its hot You could try liver sprinkles i guess from the dog food section in the supermarket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz+Rome Posted December 12, 2007 Author Share Posted December 12, 2007 Bullies wont starve themselves, not in my experience. I have a harder approach i wont buy or make special meals for a fussy dog, they get what the others get, if they dont eat then too bad. I will usually feed dogs the same, but this boy is a very special case as he has suffered some terrible treatment. He isn't really a fussy dog as such, more a terribly scared dog. He is also very skinny so I did not feel that the approach of "if you don't eat then too bad" was such a clever idea. I too had never met a bully that didn't like their food until Brutus came along. Fear overode the feeling of hunger that's for sure. Update on Brutus is that with the help I recieved in this thread, he is well underway to starting to feed better. Still slow but has gained small amount of weight. He has a new home now with very kind people who have the time to invest in him. thanks again guys for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
First Time Puppy Owner Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 YAY!!! Best of luck Brutus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim21 Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 Sardines are great!!! Baz the fussy eater LOVES them!!!! yay thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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