Gsd Wont Eat Properly

[gillbear]

I have a new gsd foster that I am pulling my hair out with to try and get her to eat properly. I got her knowing she doesnt eat much but this is ridiculous.

She will eat a little chicken but only max one drumstick or a couple of necks. I am going to try BBQ chook today.

not interested in dry food, i've tried several good brands.

wont touch satin balls (peanut butter, meat, creamcheese, egg etc.)

doesnt even like nutrigel.

she is intolerant of red meats.

any more suggestions? She is losing weight she cannot afford to lose. :D

Edited January 7, 2006 by gillbear

[gillbear]

Just to add:

Yes she has been vet checked, wormed and is offered food 3 times a day.

[jemappelle]

Try some nice smelly fish mixed in with whatever you wish her to eat. My rescue poodle cross girl was very fussy when she came here and would not eat most things. I tipped some sardines in oil over some dry food and mixed it up and she has never looked back.

[rachiie]

Rice with the chicken necks, maybe? :D

That's what my parents feed their allergy girl..

[Alibear]

Vegies in some mince (chicken or beef) :D

Have you soaked some biscuits / kibble in some warm water?

Add some cheese to the food, my boy loves cheese and will eat anything that is covered in it.

[shekhina]

Try mixing a really smelly fishy cat food into her food...I found that worked quite well with Daegon when he wouldn't eat for 5 days.

Even if she does eat just cat food for a while, it's not going to do her any great harm and at least she wont keep losing weight. Anything is better than nothing, especially if she wont even take nutrigel :D

[KOE]

From a fussy eating GSD to your GSD

Tell mummy to feed you cat food cause that is what I get a lot of the time because I am fussy too

PS I like salmon pate by Whiskers the best and I have to eat the biscuits attached because my mummy rubs it through with her hands.

Oliver

Edited December 4, 2005 by isaviz

[gillbear]

Thankyou Oliver and others for your helpful replies.

no luck with the sardines. I have ended up just sticking a few big globs of nutrigel in her mouth just to get some calories and vitamins into her.

I'm off to the shops for catfood and BBQ chook. :D

[haven]

I had a similar thing with my GSD and resolved it by switching to a barf diet and fasting him once a week. You might try supplementing her diet with B vitamins or get and appetite stimulant from your Vet (or is that what nutrigel is?).

If she is in new surroundings it may well be stress, how do you find her demenour in general?

I have also found that setting a food trail and allowing the dog to find the food on their own can be good as it supposedly increases drive.

[gillbear]

I have only had her for one week so she is naturally still settling in.

She is a bit of a stress head, and will only eat at all when you are right beside her.

I had success with the Whiskas last night :D

Had to start of feeding by hand though EEEWWWWW

I will get her used to eating more, and then slowly change to a more healthy diet.

[wyvernblade]

I know that the herb Fenugreek is an appetite stimulant used in horses. Not sure if it would help with dogs, but maybe you could do some research into that too? Good luck with the poor girl!

[Erny]

Sounds very much like Haven's "Loki" all over again.

[haven]

Yes it does. Sadly it is apparently quite common in rescue GSD's

How much do you know about her background? Watch and see how she settles in, but I'd be starting to consider there may be a long term anxiety issue that you will need to deal will to overcome this problem.

[gillbear]

She came from a home where her owner became an invalid within the last 12 months.

Her eating problem is long standing, But I dont know if it was present prior to her owners problem.

She is definately alot more settled now. She was extremely upset by my leaving her at home, but has gotten the idea now that I will come back.

She is not a large girl, but at 22kg way underweight. Her hair has a nice shiny glow to it though, so she has at least a reasonable level of health behind her.

[KOE]

try rubbing the whiskers into small dog optimum biscuits next ,you can buy it from woolies.

[Tapferhund]

My very first Shepherd was very similar in regard to her eating habits. She hated food and to her the thought of eating it was worse

By 8 months of age she was so thin, when I walked her people would stop me and say,'why don't you feed your dog.'

She had test after test for various things,all came up healthy. Then when she was about 10 months old, she started to chew herself ,front legs,flanks and at the back of her thighs. More tests and they came up with the skin problem, Pemphigus,not uncommon in GSDs.

She was prescribed cortisone,which she had to stay on her entire life and it not only helped her skin, it also helped with her appetite. As long as she was on the drug,she ate.

gillbear,

I am not saying your dog has this or should be on cortisone for the appetite, but maybe there is a deep seated physical problem with the dog that the Vets haven't picked up yet.

[gillbear]

She ate almost all of her dinner tonight

Nutrience puppy, chicken necks, nutrigel and Whiskas mixed in.

This is the beautiful Buffy.

[KOE]

hello This is Oliver, :pant:

oolala

See told you whiskers is good what sort do you like sweet girl.

[Alibear]

GillBear - she is adorable and your right - her coat does look beautiful!!!!

Well done for getting her to eat something! Sounds like you are doing really great job with her!

[schnauzer]

Hi Gillbear,

OMG she is just gorgeous. How I would love another shepherd................

I used to have to hand feed my rescue shepherd initially. Bar b que chook was a fav., also tuna, or salmon mixed with kibble. He was always a fussy eater, (maybe from being starved) If all else failed he certainly liked ice cream.

Edited December 6, 2005 by schnauzer