Just need a few thoughts about elderly dogs and food. Bramble is raw fed and has always wolfed down his food very quickly. For the last few weeks he has been rather hesitant eating his breakfast and is not eating all of it not even the yoghurt which he usually loves. The evening meal is better and he usually finishes this fairly quickly. He's not really showing any signs of being unwell apart from generally getting old. I think his teeth are OK, he is still enjoying a bone without a problem. Has anybody got any thoughts on elderly dogs and eating generally ? My only experience of an elderly dog was forty years ago ! Thanks

I always feed oldies Chappie (tinned), with Bramble being raw fed maybe you could add a little to his food to tempt him, rather than switch to it completely. Mince and Chappie original for instance.  Chappie seems to suit sensitive tums and oldie tums very well, also several small meals a day instead of just morning and evening can help an old dog's digestion.

I don't know how much it's due to age but I do notice that if any of my dogs are inclined to miss a meal it is always breakfast.  My older dog is currently residing with my husbands parents and they comment that he is often less bothered about eating first thing in the morning.  In his case it may well be that my mother in law likes to get into her garden early and he is afraid he might miss something if he takes the time to eat.  I have to keep suggesting she takes her shoes off and sits down with a cup of tea when he eats - but I'm not sure she really understands why it's necessary!

My option for any dog that is hesitant about breakfast is to offer a half bowl, or less, before a walk and the remainder when we get back (obviously leaving appropriate gaps).  I find that exercise usually stimulates hunger.  I think that older dogs, like older people, probably do better on more frequent but smaller meals.  Splitting the daily allowance into 3, or even 4, meals might just keep him focussed.  HTH :)

Thanks Bestdogs and DAB :) It just takes some getting used to that a dog that always wolfed his food should start to be not as interested :( He does eat after exercise rather than before DAB. He takes a sniff at his food and then starts eating with a bit of indifference and, particularly in the morning, doesn't finish. He is still very keen to eat any treats or human leftovers so I will have to make an extra effort now to ring the changes with his raw food, I think :) Maybe give him the occasional meal of Chappie if he hasn't eaten much of his raw - it hardly matters now what he eats as long as he does, I suppose. He is quite keen to be hand fed ...... He's not as active as he used to be so, I suppose, his appetite will reflect this. Bramble's so well for his age that we are probably being a bit too sensitive to any changes :)

I would also get his teeth checked and perhaps a general blood test. Even if he eats bones still ok, he could still be in pain with his teeth and the high value of a bone may just make him ignore the pain which he then wouldn't do with his regular meals... Any changes in behaviour that I can't explain, I get a vet check. :-)

I tend to give my oldies Nature diet when they become really old.

It is really easy to eat ( very soft ) and easily digestable.

Never really had a problem with slowing down on feeding but I suppose with Labs they have to be really ill if they don't want to eat !

I always like to hear the outcome of any posts on CD.  Did you get bloods done Daisy?

> Did you get bloods done Daisy? .

No. To be honest he seems well enough in himself and taking him to the vet would stress him. We don't intend visiting the vet unless he seems in pain or obviously unwell. He is at least 15 probably older (we got him as an adult from Battersea in 1999). He seems quite happy otherwise and is still playing with his ball, following us around the house/garden and can go for a 20 minute walk around the village.

> I would also get his teeth checked and perhaps a general blood test

I don't think there is much wrong with his teeth and I'm not bothering with a blood test as we would only go down the palliative route now.

> I tend to give my oldies Nature diet when they become really old

I'll remember that although I think he would rather eat curry ! :) :)

He wolfed his dinner last night and was being a real pest while I was getting it ready. This morning he had tinned pilchards which he ate happily :)