Dog Not Interested In Food

[petal79]

Hi, am posting for friend of mine. They have a cairn terrier and apparently after she got desexed, lost interested in food.

They have tried taking food away when she does not eat within 20 mins.

Everynight, this is the routine - i watched this last night -

They throw a couple of dry food bscuits around to get her excited and about after 6 or 7 if she eats them, she'll go to the food bowl - the entire time, the house needs to be dead silent - we couldn't even chat as if we did, she gets distracted and loses interest in food altogether.

Not sure what else they can do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[huski]

Hi, am posting for friend of mine. They have a cairn terrier and apparently after she got desexed, lost interested in food.

They have tried taking food away when she does not eat within 20 mins.

Everynight, this is the routine - i watched this last night -

They throw a couple of dry food bscuits around to get her excited and about after 6 or 7 if she eats them, she'll go to the food bowl - the entire time, the house needs to be dead silent - we couldn't even chat as if we did, she gets distracted and loses interest in food altogether.

Not sure what else they can do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

What are they feeding her?

[petal79]

Hi, am posting for friend of mine. They have a cairn terrier and apparently after she got desexed, lost interested in food.

They have tried taking food away when she does not eat within 20 mins.

Everynight, this is the routine - i watched this last night -

They throw a couple of dry food bscuits around to get her excited and about after 6 or 7 if she eats them, she'll go to the food bowl - the entire time, the house needs to be dead silent - we couldn't even chat as if we did, she gets distracted and loses interest in food altogether.

Not sure what else they can do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

What are they feeding her?

Currently i think it is royal canine for fussy eaters

They have tried wet food, canned food, other brands of dry food like eagle pack, etc .. she just doesn't seem very food oriented - doesnt sit and stare when the humans are eating, she sits and stares at the balcony.. etc..

[huski]

Currently i think it is royal canine for fussy eaters

They have tried wet food, canned food, other brands of dry food like eagle pack, etc .. she just doesn't seem very food oriented - doesnt sit and stare when the humans are eating, she sits and stares at the balcony.. etc..

When they take her food away, when do they next give it to her? A dog won't starve themselves. If there are no medical reasons for it, I wouldn't pander to her at all - I would put the food down, take it away after 15 minutes and give it to her at the next meal.

Have they tried a little bit of human quality mince maybe mixed with some sardines?

Edited February 22, 2009 by huski

[petal79]

The next time they feed her would be the next day.. even then she doesn't take to the food..

Hmm would let them know about the mince - cooked to begin with maybe? and the sardines to tempt.. hehe

thanks !

[huski]

The next time they feed her would be the next day.. even then she doesn't take to the food..

Hmm would let them know about the mince - cooked to begin with maybe? and the sardines to tempt.. hehe

thanks !

My dogs prefer raw, but up to them I guess - although raw mince with the sardines mixed in might be quite tempting! they could also try mixing the sardines into the dried food.

Have they had her checked out by the vet?

[petal79]

Not that I know of but I will mention it to them when i see them next!

[Sandra777]

She has got them very well trained :-) Assuming there is no medical reason for her lack of appetite they'll need to try tough love. Have they had her teeth checked?

How much exercise does she get? After spaying a bitch's food needs is (apparently!) reduced. Perhaps they are lucky and she simply does not need much food and doesn't eat more than she needs.

Is she underweight?

Suggest they get small (like 100g) quantities of two different minces - chicken, beef, lamb etc, maybe the prepackaged stuff for cats which is in the separate plastic bubbles would suit. Use no more than a golfball sized piece per meal. Cook in a pot with less than 1/4 cup of water and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of crushed garlic until just broken up and warmed through. Add a small amount of kibble and let it soak until the mixture is cool. Put dog and plate in a small area (bathroom? laundry?) somewhere boring and with no distractions. Leave them for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove all food left, throw it away. No more food for 24 hours. If she eats all the food, big fuss and give her a couple of pieces of a special treat (cheese, smelly salami, polony) - ON THE PLATE. Absolutely NO treats unless the plate is empty. If she eats up one night, next night give her a little bit more food, like no more than 5 kibble more and a pinch more mince.

Next day use a different sort of mince. They can also use sardines or tinned salmon or tuna warmed to room temperature to release the smell. If she is otherwise healthy, occasionally 1/4 teaspoon of vegemite with 1/8 cup of really hot water makes a nice smelly sauce - but it's salty so not good for everyday. Another one that works is cheap and nasty canned cat food, a cheap sloppy one. Warm it slightly (it will STINK LOL) and mix with some kibble. Not good for a dog with a dicky tummy.

Over time (a week, two weeks, depends on the dog) they could cook the mince less, maybe just warm it to room temperature and mix with the kibble. Slow steps.

Of course they could do it the really mean way. Get another dog (borrowed I mean). Put the picky eater in a crate or behind a baby gate. Feed both dogs close (not TOO close) together. When the other dog has finished eating let it approach but not get right up to the picky eater (not close enough to intimidate). If she continues to eat cool, if she wanders off then pick up the plate and give it to the other dog very obviously and in full sight of the picky eater. Repeat as required. This worked for MIL's picky 'foxy' when she came to visit..

Edited February 22, 2009 by Sandra777

[PAX]

I agree, as long as the dog has no medical reason why she is fussy and she is of a good weight, it's tough love. I would be even tougher and only give her ten minutes to eat.

Also getting lots of exercise builds a healthy appetitie.

ETA I can't type or spell.

Edited February 22, 2009 by PAX

[persephone]

How old is the dog?

When was she speyed?

How long a walk does she get each day?

What treats does she get given/scrounge?

What is her condition?- is she lean/tubby/chunky..perfect ?

[Staff'n'Toller]

In general the first reaction is to always assume the dog is fussy, but I think perhaps it's a good idea to run a full blood profile on her. Maybe this was just coincidental that it happened at the same time as desexing and there is something else going on such as low grade pancreatitis??

We also had a Labradoodle who was suddenly iffy on his food and on endoscopy we found a few pieces of a foam and plastic toy floating around in the stomach. He was still eating etc. and was only vaguely off colour but the toy pieces were irritating the lining of the stomach hence the problem.

At least if it's all perfectly normal you know for sure AND you have a set of baseline values for your dog for future reference if they do become ill.

Mel.

[petal79]

How old is the dog?

When was she speyed?

How long a walk does she get each day?

What treats does she get given/scrounge?

What is her condition?- is she lean/tubby/chunky..perfect ?

She's just turned 2.. I don't know when she was speyed - possibly at 1 year old?

I terms of exercise and treats, I won't be in the position to advise as I don't see them too often but her condition looks fine, not tubby or underweight she's about 10kgs.. and I have touched her, and no ribs are pertruding..

[petal79]

Cool thanks for the advise with the food, I might send this to them to give them more ideas food wise!

She has got them very well trained :-) Assuming there is no medical reason for her lack of appetite they'll need to try tough love. Have they had her teeth checked?

How much exercise does she get? After spaying a bitch's food needs is (apparently!) reduced. Perhaps they are lucky and she simply does not need much food and doesn't eat more than she needs.

Is she underweight?

Suggest they get small (like 100g) quantities of two different minces - chicken, beef, lamb etc, maybe the prepackaged stuff for cats which is in the separate plastic bubbles would suit. Use no more than a golfball sized piece per meal. Cook in a pot with less than 1/4 cup of water and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of crushed garlic until just broken up and warmed through. Add a small amount of kibble and let it soak until the mixture is cool. Put dog and plate in a small area (bathroom? laundry?) somewhere boring and with no distractions. Leave them for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove all food left, throw it away. No more food for 24 hours. If she eats all the food, big fuss and give her a couple of pieces of a special treat (cheese, smelly salami, polony) - ON THE PLATE. Absolutely NO treats unless the plate is empty. If she eats up one night, next night give her a little bit more food, like no more than 5 kibble more and a pinch more mince.

Next day use a different sort of mince. They can also use sardines or tinned salmon or tuna warmed to room temperature to release the smell. If she is otherwise healthy, occasionally 1/4 teaspoon of vegemite with 1/8 cup of really hot water makes a nice smelly sauce - but it's salty so not good for everyday. Another one that works is cheap and nasty canned cat food, a cheap sloppy one. Warm it slightly (it will STINK LOL) and mix with some kibble. Not good for a dog with a dicky tummy.

Over time (a week, two weeks, depends on the dog) they could cook the mince less, maybe just warm it to room temperature and mix with the kibble. Slow steps.

Of course they could do it the really mean way. Get another dog (borrowed I mean). Put the picky eater in a crate or behind a baby gate. Feed both dogs close (not TOO close) together. When the other dog has finished eating let it approach but not get right up to the picky eater (not close enough to intimidate). If she continues to eat cool, if she wanders off then pick up the plate and give it to the other dog very obviously and in full sight of the picky eater. Repeat as required. This worked for MIL's picky 'foxy' when she came to visit..

[BoxerFan]

With the dog Im currently babysitting Ive had a lot of problems getting him to eat. He simply isnt interested in his food, and would prefer to sit by the back door.

Yesterday I finally found a way to get him to eat a whole bowl of kibble. After every mouthful he gets praise and a brief back scratch. Then I put his attention on the food again and wait for him to try again. He usually only eats 2 mouthfuls anyway but that was all it took for him to get the point and he happily keep eating to get a scratch. Now I only give a scratch for 2 mouthfuls.

If your dog loves attention, this could be worth a try.

Edited February 23, 2009 by BoxerFan