Underweight Chi Won't Eat

[Domestic Dreamer]

A friend's family recently took on the care of 2 chis, a mother and son. Not sure how old the mother is but the boy is 1 yr old and only weighs 500gms. He's a sack of bones, and the previous owners used to hit him and abuse him so he's really really timid. He's better with the mum around, but barely eats and just curls and hides most of the time. If you lift your hand a little he immediately curls up and starts shivering. Friend's mother has tried hand feeding him but he won't have a bar of it.

Can anyone suggest where to go to from here? Most importantly, what should they try feeding and how can they encourage him to eat?

[Jed]

BBQ chicken is hard to beat, imho. With a little dog like this, it's not expensive. Also try him on milk, honey and milk, glucodin and milk, scrambled eggs, a tiny bit of chopped liver, beef mince with a little chopped liver over it; try adding a smear of vegemite, try a little gravox, try meaty baby food, those little tins of My Dog (I think that is the one) or another of those small expensive tins - try - well, anything you can think of. That list is things that have worked for me. Also try satin balls.

Check for mouth problems, and check whether he has been abused for eating. He may have been. He consequently may have an aversion to eating, and he may need to be fed with another dog, or in a dark place, or by himself or something "special" may need to happen at dinner time. Some abused dogs don't like you to watch them (probably been hit or kicked when eating), some don't like you to be in the same room with them ---- so they need to consider psychological reasons as well.

Maybe just keep trying until they achieve some result.

I have found that having a large, preferably darkish crate (or a covered cardboard box with a doorway cut into it) with a "nest" in it can be a good retreat for a dog like this. Some wont use it, because they have been confined and beaten, but a lot will. Rub a soft toy on the mother, and put it in there, so he can snuggle with it, and a warmish hot water bottle, and let the mother go in there too. Don't shut the door, let him come and go. Nothing should happen in there. Just let him be there. Maybe once he settles, he can have pats there.

It takes dogs longer than we think to settle somewhere new. I think a few months. Most will be "polite" in a week or so, but it is a huge trauma for them, and no matter how badly they have been treated, they grieve for their old owners, because they know no better, and for all they know, the new home will be WORSE, and it looks strange, smells strange, tne food is different.

Well adjusted dogs take that in their stride, and either are happy with the change, or make the best of it. Abused dogs are much more difficult, and sometimes, you have to make huge efforts to settle them. He needs lots of lap time, lots of stroking, particularly around the head - gently, back from the eyes to the back of the skull, around the cheeks to the ears, and gentle ear rubs, all the time talking to him in a gentle, soothing voice "goooood boy, gooood boy" - not excited, just softly and gently. And be consistent with his treatment, and don't push him too much.

When I have a problem dog, I pick him up when I am watching TV, and simply let him sit and be cuddled and patted. If they resist, I let them go, and try again later. Sometimes it takes a while for them to realise they aren't going to be hurt.

The big problem with chis is hypoglycaemia, so perhaps they could syrings a little water and honey/glucose/glucodin into his mouth as long as it doesn't develop into a real struggle.

I believe that chis are very intelligent, and do feel things intensely, and suffer from stress much more than a lot of other breeds. Sometimes it's all too difficult and they simply lie down and die where another breed would come out of it, so they do need a lot of support and encouragement. Once he is happier, he will want to eat, which is why I have given much more information than you asked for. Hope some of it helps.

Edited to add - make sure he is not in some sort of pain (ie, bad ears, bruises, blah blah) and that he doesn't have a high worm burden. Lots of worms will make him feel ill and prevent him eating.

Edited September 19, 2008 by Jed

[puggy_puggy]

just curls and hides most of the time. If you lift your hand a little he immediately curls up and starts shivering.

Poor baby.

Foods to try. Sardines & cooked chicken breast. Basically food that has a strong smell to it.

Does he get fed at the same time as his mummy? ie is he he able to watch her eat and maybe in the long run copy her.

I have been told that this method is sometime successful. When his owners prepare the dogs food have them do it with the animals watching. The owner is supposed to pretend to eat some of the food making sound like they love it and it is really yummy, some have a cracker that they can actually eat themselves. The owner then places the food, in the dog bowl, down for the dog to eat and immediatley turns their back on the dog, makes no eye contact. They continue to do this for 10 or so minutes, hopefull the dog has eaten by then, if it hasn't then the food is removed till next meal time.

If the dog really isn't eating then maybe force feeding, by syringe might be required. Because this dogs obviously has massive mental problems I'm not sure it the benefit of getting the food into the dog would be outweighed by how much more scared he might get from having to hld him and use a syringe to slowly force food into his mouth. You squirt a bit in at a time and wait for them to swallow it and then do the next bit and so on.

Sounds like this boy could really benefit from a natural herbal stress reliever like Bach Flowers or if that doesn't work then a low doseage of valium, or something similar, to break the cycle of fear he is obviously going through.

[puggy_puggy]

I believe that chis are very intelligent, and do feel things intensely, and suffer from stress much more than a lot of other breeds. Sometimes it's all too difficult and they simply lie down and die where another breed would come out of it, so they do need a lot of support and encouragement.

Totally agree with you on this. No matter what is wrong with a pug you can cuddle it and they are comforted. But I have had one chi X as a foster who seriously would not be comforted whatever you did. She was absoultly heartbroken and pining someone or something. Every morning she would wake up by 5.45am and start to bark, cry and howl and do this for hours untill she wore herself out. She did this no matter if she was sleeping on my bed, sleeping on a dog bed, sleeping in a dark crate. And holding, cuddling and trying to comfort her didn't not do a thing. She would just go howling. By the end of two weeks of this I was driven nutty and ended up going to my vet to get some valium, after I had tried Rescue Remedy with no results, for her to take the edge off.

[Domestic Dreamer]

check whether he has been abused for eating. He may have been. He consequently may have an aversion to eating

I believe this is the case.

Thanks for the info all, I'll point her to this thread so she can have a read.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Poor little mate :rolleyes:

I would imagine the best you thing you can do to encourage him is offer him kindness and patience. I dont believe in feeding any of my dogs anything "human", but with this little guy its different. He needs all the encouragement he can get and it wont cost anything. I would try and encourage him with cooked chicken, tuna, or anything else you can think of that would be considered an over the top delicacy for your average dog ! Also milk dogs love milk and I feel as though its a good supliment if they wont eat. Try cracking an egg in it aswell.

My dog is currently on a hunger strike aswell which im trying to solve, but with her its just because she is one of those 1 in 10 pain in the butt dogs that only eat enough to stay alive :rolleyes:

[anniek]

There's a product called nutritional yeast - sometimes called vegetarian yeast or the one I have is called savoury yeast flakes - for vegetarians - made by Lotus and available from health food stores.

It is a good source of B vitamins, is slightly flakey in texture, and has a bit of a cheesy flavour.

You can sprinke/mix on with their food. As your chi is very small you wouldn't want to put much in - maybe just a pinch to start off.

Greyhound owners in the US swear by it for sick dogs or picky eaters.

Have used it here on those who won't eat.

Comes in a packet - around $6 for 100g. Good luck.

annieK

[Zhou Xuanyao]

I just picked up my Nutrigel order today for my dog. Havnt used it yet.

It can be used in 2 ways depending on dosage. One is to stimulate appetite (the reason im using it) and the other is just as a rich vitamin supplement for dogs that wont eat properly for whatever reason. Maybe it could be used to help the Chihuahua, worth a shot.

[monsterpup]

:rolleyes: Poor little bub. Good luck with him, hope he pulls out of this.

Jed - that was a terrific post. Thank you. May I please have permission to post it elsewhere? (with your name on it, of course)

efs

Edited September 20, 2008 by monsterpup

[SueM]

Will second trying nutrogel syringe a wee bit on his tongue, it is a great stimulant to get them eating.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I've had a few dogs like this (bags of bones), I think my current one may have gotten into trouble for eating, he was very worried about going anywhere near his food for the first few weeks. He's not a chi but a pom cross and arrived as a bag of bones a month ago, weighing around 2 kilos.

All of the above have given good advice so I won't repeat it. I've had to use the syringe option and the nutrigel but my little guy does want to eat. He's very active so I'm having trouble keeping the weight on!

I've always found that strong smelling food often gets them started. I buy Woolworths Homebrand sardines - 3 cans for $1.59 and they are very good quality.

Tuna or Pink Salmon are other things I use and the BBQ chicken but I've had dogs refuse even that.

I do 4 x small meals a day, I work full time so it's hard but I'm up at 5.30, then I feed again at 7.30 and when I get home and before bed.

In my experience, it takes about 2 months to achieve normal weight. Good luck!

[royalla]

i have found tuna in oil mixed in with their tea a great way to get dogs to eat as i have a small fluffy here that gets fussy from time to time if she does not eat her tea it's not there later because one of the other dogs will hoover it up as soon as she walks away raw eggs is also a good one as well but the tuna i find best as it smells like cat food you could also mix some yogurt in with the tuna just in case he does have a tummy problem this will help settle his tummy and put the good bugs back in

[Domestic Dreamer]

Updated with pics in the rescue thread.

Edited September 20, 2008 by Maiko