A Dog That Has Suddenly Got Picky With Food

[wagsalot]

I've never really had a problem with Riley not eating. However, the last few months he's got more picky and will go 2 days without eating any of his food.

Its food he's happily eaten before but now won't touch. He goes and looks at his bowl and then walks off. Its both his dinner and his biscuits in the morning.

He is interested in whatever we are eating, and if I put a little bit of mash potato ontop of his food, he will lick the potato off straight away, but leaves his food.

He didn't eat Wednesday or yesterday and didn't touch his biscuits this morning. I just put down 3 scotch finger biscuits to see if he'd eat them, and yep, gobbled them up.

Do you think its worth a vet visit? Im thinking as he will eat treats quite happily he might be hanging out to see if he can get something better?

[noisymina]

If he were mine, Wags, I'd be taking him in for a vet check.

[wagsalot]

If he were mine, Wags, I'd be taking him in for a vet check.

I actually tried to ring the vet just before but they were engaged. THen I thought Id give it one more shot, so got out the K9 Natural food and as I was mixing it up, Riley gets up and goes and eats his bowl of biscuits - all of them.

Ill keep the K9Natural stuff and give that to him tonight and see if it eats it.

My hubby thinks he might be unsettled as we went overseas for a few weeks (got back wed morning). My parents were staying at my house with him, but OH said the change of routine etc might of put him off. Doesn't really account for the times he didn't eat before we went though.

I have to get some more eye drops from the vet anyway next week so I think Ill take him in anyway.

Edited November 19, 2010 by wagsalot

[noisymina]

He might have sensed something was up.

My dog knows what I am going to do before I do sometimes. :D

It might explain it.

I'd still do a vet check and weigh in - for peace of mind.

[Skruffy n Flea]

yup, i agree too with noisymina --- he could very well have sensed something was happening in the lead up to your trip.

anxiety tho can have a pretty big impact on a dog --- and a cat --- and getting them settled from any sort of 'out of the norm' upheaval can take some time for them to recover!

mid-september 'til mid october, my household had many different things happening; from the dogs being kenneled [never been kenneled before] to different and strange yet friendly peeps staying at the house followed then by a short stint with us at a dog-friendly [yet not] farm --- i swear neither of my dogs ate a day's ration during that whole time and even now [a month later] i still have my battles at feeding time.

so, i'd bet anxiety might be playing a part in this behaviour --- that's my opinion at least

good luck wags; i hate it when my dogs don't want to eat what i'm offering them --- it makes me feel inadequate

[wagsalot]

I think it might of been the trip, and now he's realised we're staying he's settled again.

He at the biscuits yesterday arvo, dinner last night, and at 7.47am he's already eaten his biscuits again this morning. Hopefully he'll keep it up.

[Stitch]

Just been through all this and it has been 5 weeks since my holiday.

I think it is important that you get the dog checked out at the vet first so you can discount any medical problems.

If it is OK then a doggy naturapath has recommended to me that I give rescue remedy 4 times daily as soon as I get the dog back and the distress that was caused to the dog by going away will start to ease and it will get back in the routine of eating as before after a few days. Unfortunately I didn't know this treatment at the time so I now have a much more difficult job to get my girl eating normally again.

Of course during this time treats are off the menu - only feed the kind of dog food you would normally feed - same quanities, same time etc. but only leave the food down for about 15minutes then take it back up again and the dog has to wait until next feed time.

Sometimes too if the quantity is too much for them, ie. they are being overfed it can lead to picky eating.

Good luck!