I wonder if you could help me? I have 2 dogs (both bitches) One is almost 3 and the other is almost 2.  It is the youngest I have the problem with.  She is not food orientated, hence training has been a challenge! However, we have tried her on various foods, but she appears to get bored by them after a few weeks. She was on James Wellbeloved from a small pup until about 6 months ago when she was changed to Nutro (because she stopped eating James Wellbeloved), but went off that!  I have tried all well known foods the last being Hills Science, which I have to say did not go down at all well!  Since the Hills Science she doesn't want to try any other dried food and will not even look at tinned dog food!  I really am at a loss what to do with her as I do worry when she is off her food, but try to be firm with her and remove the food if not eaten within a set time and no treats.

I would be grateful for any help and advice you could offer me.

Sounds like your dog is getting you well-trained.

Decide what food YOU want to feed, then stick to it.  Put the food down at meal times and pick it up if not eaten in 10 minutes.

No dog will starve itself - a dog can easily go a week without food, as long as she continues drinking.

Be tough.  She'll eat when she's hungry.

Are you perhaps feeding too much? my girl will not eat anymore than she needs and will just walk away, yet my male would eat and eat and eat.
So it could appear she is a fussy eater when she actually isn't she just has her fill and leaves the rest.

Just a thought.

Hi Mygirl,

You may have a point, as when she was eating ok, she did leave some food in her bowl, however, for the last 4+ days she just picks up a kibble out of her bowl (that is if she can be bothered to get that close to the food) rolls it around her mouth and then spits it out onto the floor.   I think I will start her off with smaller amounts and if she eats everything, then gradually increase it.

Thanks for your helpful advice.

Bellamdale

"Sounds like your dog is getting you well-trained.

Decide what food YOU want to feed, then stick to it.  Put the food down at meal times and pick it up if not eaten in 10 minutes."

I totally agree!  I do empathise with you though as our previous dogs would 'go off their food' too and it is a concern to us poor owners.  However, in hindsight we now know they did this to see what culinary delights we'd serve up next :rolleyes:

In addition to what onetwothree wrote I would also suggest rotating between the flavours of the food that you believe she's best on.  That way the whole 'loss of interest' thing will be less of a worry to you due to her being offered more 'variety' - afterall we'd get bored if we ate scrambled egg on toast day in day out wouldn't we! :)

P.S.  I'm a bit of a softie and would leave the food down for 20 mins maximum

Gabi was put on Hills by the vet to treat crystals in her urine. After a week she just refused to eat it. I thought she was just being fussy so I followed the given advice of throwing it away after 20mins and nothing untill the next meal but still no joy. She actually ended up losing 2 kilo's (only a pup at the time). The vet then changed the food to Royal Canin the special one for urinary problems. This worked and she put the weight back on in no time. As soon as she was better we put her on a Barf regime of feeding and never looked back.

Hi Gaby,

I must admit, my girl did not like Hills at all, she just smelt it and walked away.  I was at Manchester show on Thursday and had a word with Royal Canin, who suggested Sensitve kibble and tried her with a kibble, which she ate.  I was so pleased I bought a bag to try.... got it home and gave her some for her evening meal, she just looked at it and walked away and has done almost every day since!! However, I am not going to give up, I have done today as suggested and put her food down and as she did not eat it within 10 mins, picked it up and she will not have anything until her tea.

I see you have put Gabi on the Barf regime?  Is this raw chicken etc?  I would be interested to know how this works as I here more and more people putting their dogs on it.

Thanks for you help. It is much appreciated.

Bellamdale.

Is she due in season.  I ahve had an alsmost anorexic bitch that woudl eat 3 days out of 7 around ehr seasons.  No sooner did I ahve her a nice weight then she would go and come in season and drop it.  Since being spayed after her lst litter she has become as greedy as any Elkhound, and I now have to wtch her weight.

Hi there,

No she is not due in season, she has just finished and has had yet another phantom pregnancy, which is the only time she puts weight on without eating. However, this has ended and so her weight has diappeared!

I must say she has never been food motivated, but I can say that since I have taken a firm stand with her as suggested days ago, she has eaten her last 3 bowls of food all up and I am so chuffed about it.

Thanks you so much for the advice and I am sorry for any delay in replying.

Kind regards.

Bellamdale

Hi Peewee,

I must say I am a softie myself and I am beginning to think the little darling is playing on it!! I am sure she knows I worry about her not eating. 

My other girl is an absolute dream, she never ever walks away from her food and eats everything she is given. She is very laid back and placid and a dream to own.  However, the younger girl, well she is powerful minded, gets into everything and I feel too clever by half! But still wouldn't swap her for the world!  I think the eating problem has to get worse before it gets better!  It will have to be a battle of the wills!

Thanks for the valued adviced.  

Bellamdale

Hi Onetwothree,

Thank you for the advice and I have a sneaky feeling you are right "she is getting me well-trained". 

I am certainly going to try what you suggest as I am sure I am being too soft with her.  I will let you know how things go.

Many thanks once again.

Bellamdale.

Onetwothree has given you excellent advice on the feeding problem so I would like to address the training treat issue.

My dog, like yours, is not very food motivated.  I believe that treats are invaluable with some training exercises so I really wanted to find a food he was willing to work for.  Cheese worked.  He loves it, but it can cause constipation.  My trainer suggested I try hot dogs.  I am here  to tell ya, Odie will go through hell for a hot dog.  :-)

Thanks OdieDog,

She does like cheese and as I have stopped her treats because of her not eating her food, she may start to pay more attention with cheese (training only).  I will try her on hot dogs (as a training treat only) just as soon as her eating is back to normal.

Many thanks, I will let you know how she gets on.

Bellamdale.

Bellamdale - You could also try training her, using her ordinary food, which she seems to be refusing at meal times.  Strangely enough, sometimes dogs LIKE to work for their food and eat more readily if the food is given as a reward for something, rather than just all in a bowl.

That sounds a good idea.

I have put your helpful advice into practice today and have been extremely strick with her.  Her food has been removed after 10 mins, No treats at all and I have told EVERYONE not to give her things to eat! 

I have a short while ago put her meal down, not a large amount and she seemed to think about it for a few minutes, then went up and ate a small amount, which is a step in the right direction.  I have now removed the remainder and will not feed her now until her next meal tomorrow morning.

I will try her with the food for training purposes and see how she gets on with that.  I have had dogs for 28 years and never had a dog refuse food, so it has been a learning process for me.

Thanks for your help.

Bellamdale.

Have you had her checked out by a vet, sometimes there is a medical reason for them not eating if they refuse nearly all their meals?

Hi Kerioak,

She has recently been under the vet and was checked over for her lack of appertite and all was well. 

I have today been really strick with her and removed her food after 10 mins if not eaten as advised by Onetwothree and NO treats and I think with nothing to take the edge off her appertite and the fact she has not eaten hardly anything over the last few days, she has just eaten a small amount of food (which is a small step in the right direction).  I have now removed the remainder and will only put food down at her next meal time.  Hopefully things will improve?

Thanks for your helpful response.

Bellamdale

Just curious what people do with the food that's not eaten? Do you provide fresh food at every meal or re-give the same meal they refused? Does this make sense? :rolleyes:

I would think fresh food at every meal would be better for a fussy dog,dry food would start losing it's aroma pretty quickly if left to stand around.

Hi Hailey,

I am sorry I have not got back to you before now, but I have been extremely busy at work and had ringcraft last night.

I myself, always throw the uneaten food away and put fresh food down everytime.  I am sure to some people will think this to be a complete waste of money, but I think food left about is not going to be very healthy.

I am very pleased to say,  I have put food down for my girls today and my young girl has eaten a bowl of food, just leaving 2-3 kibbles at the bottom, which I am delighted with! 

Hi,
Have just been through the same with my little one and no matter what i put down she would show very little interest. I hear what alot of others are saying about being firm and sticking to your guns, but like most people i worry when she won't eat so try to encourage her any way i can, she would go without and only eat when she really needed it. I eventually put a tea-spoon of natural yogurt in with her food and she never lifted her head, even as far as licking the bowl clean!! (iccle sod)
Hope this helps :-)

Hello Boxer-boo,

Glad to hear I am not the only one who worries when their dog wont eat!  I must say I have never heard of yogurt in the food before.  It sounds a good idea.

I feel a little better today as she has eaten a bowl of food today, which is a lot off my mind.  I have stopped all treats and removed her food after 10 mins if not eaten, and I have to say it has been harder for me than her, but it is paying off as her eating has improved. Thankfully.

Thank you for your very helpful advice, it is much appreciated.

Bellamdale.

Ps sorry for delay in getting back to you.

i would never add anything to my dogs food as what would you do if you didnt have it then the dog wouldnt eat and you are back to where you started.i had this problem with my dog but followed the advice and only left the bowl down for 10 min then took it away again i must say i did start to get worried after day 5he still wasnt eating, by day 7 we had cracked it and have not looked back since.

ps listern to these people they really no what they are talking about.

HAve you considered the BARF diet? excellent book is give the dog a bone, Geoff Billinghurst plus there are lots of others out there to give you an idea if its something you would be interested in, the facts behind feeding BARF etc, i know not everyone is a fan but i have to confess i am a huge fan and have yet to find a dog that walks away from it...just a thought

sorry the author is Dr Ian Billinghurst, doh! that is what i get from trying to talk to a customer and reply to forum at same time, his name was geoff !

Thanks Sandy,

I have made a note of that book and will try and get it.  I must admit almost everyone I speak to  who uses the BARF diet recommends it.

Thanks for your helpful advice.

Bellamdale.

have you try beta kibble?Also if she dosnt like dry food or tinned why not try raw meat there is every kind my pup loves it you can put her dry food in with it so that shes getting the complete as well or just put the raw with a mixer if she doent take to that then i think it could be a case of shes having a game with you.So you will have to be tough and stick to one kind and she will eat when she is hungry! How many times aday is she fed?

Hi. My pup has been really off his food recently (JWB) and I've tried everything to try and temp him - changed flavour, soaked kibble, added wet food.......the only thing that worked was to add wet food but I feel that it's defeating the object of feeding dry and made him quite loose. After reading through this thread, I took Boxerboo's advice and tried a teaspoon of natural yoghurt and BINGO!!! It worked Dish licked completely clean and he keeps going back just to check that he hasn't left any! I'm so pleased! I hope it works long term and he doesn't start getting bored with the yoghurt!:rolleyes:

Hayley

Wow that's great news, glad my question has helped you too. 

I must admit, at the moment, my young girl is eating all that is put in front of her and has now for the last 4 meals, which i am delighted with, but Iif she starts getting bored with dried food, I may try this.

Thanks for letting me know.

Bellamdale

My boy was pretty fussy as a puppy, so was my young bitch. Think the best way is to steel yourself and take it away if necessary, as you have been doing. :-)

Bit of a funny question but what breed is your dog? ;)