claireybell Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Hi guys, I'm after some suggestions. My cocker is terribly fussy when it comes to food. She won't go anywhere near vegies or fruit, hates kangaroo, doesn't like turkey necks and has started turning her nose up at chicken necks which is the one food I've always been able to get her to eat!! So far I've tried all of the below with only short term success: Chicken frames Ground chicken frames Butchers ground and cooked pet mince Boiled and raw beef mince Boiled and raw chicken mince Any raw meat except a small bone I know she'll eat boiled chicken thigh but I can't just give her that and nothing else! Help!!!!! I've run out of idea's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 You decide what she is going to eat and don't muck around offering alternatives. She'll eat when she's hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCresties Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Blimey a fussy cocker - mine was the proverbial dustbin as I think most are I agree with Ellz, stick to one thing and offer nothing else until she eats it, within reason of course. How old is she? dogs can sometimes become very fussy around the 6-7month age period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claireybell Posted October 20, 2010 Author Share Posted October 20, 2010 (edited) She's 3 and she's always been the same. I left it once and the little bugger didn't eat for 9 days!!! She does my head in sometimes Edited October 20, 2010 by claireybell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTD Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Have you tried dry foods ? Quite hard to fathom that a cocker is fussy. Maggie is the total opposite I have a problem with stopping her eating everything from grubs in the garden to raiding the garbage bin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 I'd be wondering if the dog is simply being fed too much. Its a pretty common problem. How old is the dog, how many meals a day is she getting and what's her weight like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claireybell Posted October 20, 2010 Author Share Posted October 20, 2010 MTD - I know its really weird but she has never been food driven. The beagle on the other hand! Jesie wont touch dry food either. Poodlefan - she's 3 years old. I feed her a small amount in the morning and another larger amount in the evening. She receives a treat if she has behaved while the humans are eating dinner. Thats it, no other food. She weighs 8.6kilo and I am desperately trying to get weight on her as she needs to be about 9.2 to 9.8kilo. She looks too skinny and she feels it right now. Keeping weight on my cocker has always been a problem. Its that much harder when she wont eat anything. She runs around 24/7 aswell, never stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTD Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 If you cut out the smaller breakfast and only feed her dinner , will she eat more at night then ? Have you talked to the vet ? Have no idea if their is a " medical " reason for not eating . I do know when my cat wouldn't eat I was given some hormones ( I think ) which stimulated appetite just a thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 I would say Jessie is picking up on yr conserns ?? Drop the morning feed & any treats ,try feeding her soaked kibble with maybe chicken mixed in .soak her kibble in chicken stock or vegimite dissoved in hot water . serve her meal @ room tempreture & if she dosnt eat within 15 min take it away, till next meal time . U could also as a last resort pretend to eat it yrself first . May be a vet check is in order ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claireybell Posted October 20, 2010 Author Share Posted October 20, 2010 Thanks guys, She went to the vet 2 weeks ago as she had weepy eyes. He did a check up then and found nothing else. She didn't eat dinner last night and wouldn't touch her breaky today. I'm getting to my wits end!!!! CL - I'll try the chicken stock kibble and see if that works. Bloody dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 (edited) make her some satin balls and give her some of those now and then, you can add a canine nutritional powder like the VAN one into it and treat it like her daily 'fatt adder and complete vitamin' ball. some dogs are just not big eaters. If she looks OK (and really, better to be under then over) and is active then I wouldnt worry. My dogs can really drop the weight at times, and I mean drop of a hat. They're just not hungry, usually its when the weather is hot or all over the place. Then they put it back on. Even our ferrets are all dropping the weight at the moment Unless she's starting to teeter on worryingly thin, I wouldnt fuss. Give her the satin ball while you eat and the rest of the time put her food down, doesnt eat it gets taken away. As for not eating for 9 days ... if she was still healthy and active after that period of food I think she's finding an alternative source of food. Either neighbour chucking things over the fence, rats/mice/birds in the garden etc ETA you can always leave her here for a few days my pack gets every dog into food when it comes to feeding frenzy time. They just cant help but join in the race to see who finishes dinner first Edited October 20, 2010 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridie Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Hi guys,I'm after some suggestions. My cocker is terribly fussy when it comes to food. She won't go anywhere near vegies or fruit, hates kangaroo, doesn't like turkey necks and has started turning her nose up at chicken necks which is the one food I've always been able to get her to eat!! So far I've tried all of the below with only short term success: Chicken frames Ground chicken frames Butchers ground and cooked pet mince Boiled and raw beef mince Boiled and raw chicken mince Any raw meat except a small bone I know she'll eat boiled chicken thigh but I can't just give her that and nothing else! Help!!!!! I've run out of idea's. I know exactly what you mean.My lot put me through the wringer too,on occasions,turn their nose up at Rump steak or chicken! Gees she sure sits you out .....9 days. Must have a real stubborn attitude Try cooking her some Liver & mix it with mince or canned ....... what-ever you think she likes best. Have you tried Sardines alone or mix with what-ever.......tried boiled eggs? They drive you around the bend when they carry on like this,some-times if one won't eat the others follow suit grrrrr Mine get over it but they sure push all my buttons when this is going on. Have you any Nurtigel or similar on hand ? is there some-thing others may know about to stimulate her appetite. What about veges with the chicken & mince cooked up with rice & pasta? No teeth problems.....? A nice meaty fresh bone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flye Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Does she take treats when you're training her? You could try feeding her bigger treats during training, to make up for not eating during other times. When my dog's feeling fussy, he gets a raw egg or some fish oil over his food. Something really stinky, so that he can smell it. I think dogs rely on smell far more than taste, when they choose something to eat. If she's really not intent on eating for over a week, and she's not getting food elsewhere, I would bring it to the vet's attention. Bloodwork might show nothing, but it could be a hormonal imbalance or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Theer is a product around that some use - they squrt it on the food and somehow it attarcts the dog? Nutrigel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 nutrigel is a complete dietary supplement and is meant to be an appetite stimulant although in all my years of using it, it hasnt really been one. Keeps the sick ones alive long enough to get them eating eventually though especially lizards and birds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claireybell Posted October 21, 2010 Author Share Posted October 21, 2010 Madam Fussy ate mackerel last night for dinner. However she wouldn't touch her breaky this morning! When I put her breaky down this morning she looked at me like I was the anti christ. At least she ate dinner. Bloody dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridie Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Madam Fussy ate mackerel last night for dinner. However she wouldn't touch her breaky this morning! When I put her breaky down this morning she looked at me like I was the anti christ. At least she ate dinner. Bloody dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 (edited) Honestly, stuffing around trying to find foods that a dog "likes" is a waste of time and money. Dogs eat to live, not live to eat. They don't have sophisticated taste buds. Their taste buds are nowhere near as developed as their noses but a healthy dog will eat whatever it is given. I would suggest that if the vet says there is nothing visibly wrong that you are just making a rod for your own back by chopping and changing foods. Seriously, that dog is playing you big time! Edited October 21, 2010 by ellz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 I agree with Ellz... My suggestion would be to take a deep breath settle on a balanced diet, offer ONE meal per day, put it down for 15 minutes, if not eaten remove it and offer it again at the next day. She will not starve herself, don't get worked up about it because she'll play on that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 (edited) The Poodle I has was always super thin. I used to put it down to the fact she had been neglected earlier in life. She lived a healthy, active and VERY long life in spite of her lack of appetite. . Edited October 23, 2010 by noisymina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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