Has anyone any suggestions? My 21 month old male shepherd is driving me mad. I think I've tried all types and brands of food. He might eat one meal but then gives it a wide birth. I've heard people say about not worrying about it and that a dog wont starve and sooner or later he'll eat. But he doesn't.

As the saying goes been there done that !!!!!! I also had a dog who refuse to eat and had done so from the day I got him at 8 weeks old. I finally got the answer when he was 18 months old - force feed him !! I can hear people screaming at me now - how could you ????? He was a bag of bones, but had endless energy, the amount he ate would barely have fed a hamster. So on a well know breeders advice I got a bag of Skinners Dog Meal and force fed my dog twice a day. Neither of us liked doing it but after a few days both of us got used to it. Wait for it................... 5 years later he said I can eat myself now thank you very much and from that day on he ate everything and anything.
At 21 months your dogs hormones could well be all over the place and bang went his appetite. When a male dog has sex on his mind the last thing he thinks about his food !!!!!! Has this been going on for long ? Is he being sick with just bile coming up ? The worst thing you can do is make him into a fussy eater and so easy to do. Havce you tried liver cake ? All dogs like liver, but it is rather strong so I get out the food processor and whiz in it approx 300g oz liver, a couple of eggs,some milk,soaked dog meal (what ever kind your feeding) and some flour to thicken it until it's very creamy. Bung it in the micro for about 30-45 mins (until it feels firm in the middle - watch you don't burn your fingers !!). Slice into bits and feed to dog when cool. You might want to try this, and you can make a huge amount and freeze it too

Margaret

Don't like the sound of force feeding Margaret, I'm not going to ask how you did it :) I would just like to reiterate that dogs never do starve to death and in addition they can be a lot leaner than people expect and infact be healthier for it. We went to see the Blencathra Hunt on boxing day, hadn't seen a hunt for years but was feeling nostalgic and thinking this may be the last year :), what struck me was how boney these guys were, every rib was clearly visible, I bet the average pet owner would be screaming in panic but the fact is these dogs hunt tirelessly for hours over steep terrain, you say yours had boundless energy so I don't really understand why you thought it could be at all malnurished.

No, I didn't like the sound of force feeding either, but my dog was being sick constantly with bile just coming up due to lack of food. To force feed I got Skinners Dog Meal and mixed some with a little warm water, made it into small sausage shapes and put them in his mouth. Occasionally I had to give one the odd wee shove that bit further. I couldn't believe it myself when after 24 hours he was no longer sick and really did seem more content. After one week he would come and stand by my side and wait for me to pop them in his mouth and if I didn't mix fast enough my feet got a good soaking from him dribbling, but every day I offered him his dinner but he refused to eat himself. Vets could find nothing wrong, but my main worry was what if he caught something that could floor him and he was so skinny, he would not have much to fight it off with so with that thought we kept on going. It became a way of life for both of us. But on that day when he ate for himself I almost hired a brass band ! It's not the way of feeding dogs I prefer, and thankfully I don't have to do it anymore. He went on to live until he was a few months short of his 11th birthday and for a great dane that was just fantastic. If given the same problem I would probably do the same again.

Margaret