Dog not eating properly

Is your dog losing weight, or dangerously underweight? If they are, then a vets visit is required. If not, I'd let them be. A healthy, but picky, dog won't starve themselves and will eat what they need to stay healthy.

When I was a child before the war my mother bred cairn terriers. In those days there was no processed dog food so they were fed meat , mainly offal, for main meal in the evening and a few dog biscuits in the morning.

Hi, I have an 18 month old cairn. I've had cairns all my life, first one when I was 6 and never had a fussy one until now. I got Rosie when she was six months old - she had been kept to bring on for showing but didn't quite fit. When I got her the breeder said to watch her eating because she doesn't finish her food, and as you probably know dog breeders don't overfeed their dogs. After a day with me she refused the food the breeder had given me. I tried the food my previous dogs had eaten, Forthglade, not cheap and good quality. She ate it for a week then refused it. This went on for months. I tried different flavours, different brands, all the same, she would eat it for a few days then refuse. I have given away pounds worth of expensive dog food to my local food bank. Then I tried raw, in desperation because I'm not mad keen on it. Guess what? She scoffs the lot, no issues. Gets excited when I say dinner time, unbelievable, the little minx. I tried natures menu first of all because you just take a few lumps out of the bag, it's all easy. Now I buy it from a local firm which supplies a vast array, for dogs, birds of prey, zoos etc. So you could give raw a try. Buy a 100g of mince and see what she says. There is loads to read online about raw feeding. The main thing is hygiene so Rosie has her own chopping board, defrosting containers, and I buy those nitrile gloves for handling it when portioning it up, Amazon about £5 for 100. Give it a try. I don't go along with the leave it and she will eat it when she is hungry idea. Dogs love food so why not give them something they want to eat. Good luck.

Thanks, Iam.

Merlotgran, the weetabix is supposed to help avoid anal gland problems

Glad it helped Rascal

A while ago I read on here that crumbling dry Weetabix on top of a dog’s food is good for them. Does anybody know if that’s true?

I know dogs love sardines but I was told never to give dogs tuna because of the mercury content. Not sure if this is true. Always avoid giving dogs anything in brine as it is way too salty.

My Yorky used to try it in like this. I gave him what he wanted - cooked chicken and fed in front of the tv or the fire in the sitting room. That’s what he wanted. That’s what he got. Simple.

annodomini

To be accurate, Bijou, dogs are omnivores. My parents had a Labrador who was reported to have taken cauliflowers out of the garden and devoured them. Dread to think of the subsequent gaseous emissions!

They are but their diets should be predominantly meat, bones and offal in a 80/10/10 ratio but if you want them to have veg then it’s up to 10% on top of their meat mix. Interestingly dogs have to have veg frozen or cooked first otherwise nutritionally it does nothing for them. They don’t need grains and they can set up an inflammatory response. Proteins other than meat like beans and veg protein have been indicated as a cause of heart disease in recent research.
Kibble is very heavily processed and if you look at what the scientists are saying about UPF it is hardly a leap of faith to think it is likely to be the same for dogs and cats. From my reading, the incidence of cancer and other problems seems to be more prevalent these days and I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have seen a huge rise in people feeding kibble rather than wet food.

mine fussy,kibble is not great for them wet is better,everyone raves about raw feeding but i cant really afford it,mine has renal problems is on royal canine renal wet pouches, i add a bit of chicken or ham on top.do they have a sore mouth,

Truly grateful never to have experienced an anorexic dog that must be horrible.
We’ve ever had a problem because we’ve never worried, reasonably confident in the knowledge that sometimes they just don’t feel like it.
Currently have a toy poodle who lost his terrier partner (. My heart is still broken) in April he has the occasional off day and is now definitely not eating the fish variant of the raw complete we use. That’s the only giving in to him we have to do.

3dognight - I have my daughter’s ‘fussy’ eater doodle staying. So it’s a daft young lab, a rather superior cocker spaniel and ms fussy pants. She eats exactly what’s in her bowl with a smile of her face 🐕🐶😏

We rescued a tiny mix breed a year ago. She weighs 7lbs. Feeding her was a huge problem for us too, but I think I have finally solved it. I boil a boneless, skinless chicken breast, which I cut up into small pieces, mix with a small amount of kibble, and give her this morning and evening. Dividing the meals up really does seem to be working. The chicken is kept in the the fridge and lasts for quite a few days. I also use some of the stock to mix her food. Good Luck.

Gingester I want to thank you for posting the details of that dog feeding toy.
My Border Terrier is over 12 years old and has been diagnosed with renal failure. Vet has advised her having special renal food. She has no appetite and was refusing everything. Very worrying. I sent for that toy and for the first time today she has eaten some of the renal food out of that toy! We are delighted!
Thank you again Gingester.

We have a standard poodle and they are notoriously picky! When we try new food he’ll eat it for a couple of weeks then goes off it Basically he’ wants a bit of what we’re having with his own food he loves a bit of broccolli ! And sausage of course but just need to be careful onions in particular are not good for dogs

We don't have this problem as we put dry food in a bowl and leave it there all day until 8pm. Its topped up when it's empty and our 2 dogs eat when hungry and regulate their own food intake. Both are an ideal weight and have a small portion of wet food every other day which they eat really fast. This system seems more natural to me as dogs don't feel hungry at set times. Perhaps you could try this.

Last week dog turned her nose up at her evening meal. I wiped the spoon (that I'd used to scoop the cat's wet food) across the top and she then ate quite happily. Was it the smell of fish that motivated her taste buds? No idea!

I wonder if he misses his meal time companion? I think there is an element of competition when two or more dogs are fed together.
I always have a abit of a routine around meal times for mine -if I am having issues around lack of interest in food.
Which isn’t often, I might add.
Their evening meal is given after we have eaten and taken plates through to the kitchen. Dogs bowls clatter out onto the cupboard, kibble goes in, I make a big show of literally scraping in a tiny bit of say, gravy, mash, veg. I shout to DH, have you left anything for the dogs? bring your plate through please. Even if there is nothing on it I will give it a good noisy scraping into their bowls. Dogs are waiting in their baskets watching and waiting, eyes on me. Kettle goes on, for a cuppa, make tea, trickle a bit of boiling water onto kibble, and I make a big show of mixing it in and sniffing, if DH is in the kitchen I make him sniff it too and we agree it is a very good meal!!

Dogs outside in usual positions, one two three, sit, wait, get it, and it’s gone in a flash!

It’s all absolute kidology, but I swear because I have fussed, sniffed, and made them wait for it - it’s the finest food in dogdom.

To be accurate, Bijou, dogs are omnivores. My parents had a Labrador who was reported to have taken cauliflowers out of the garden and devoured them. Dread to think of the subsequent gaseous emissions!

I've got a fussy labradoodle. I cook her food. Chicken, carrot, kale and sweet potato. I do a batch to last 3 weeks. She'll sometimes has a bit of kibble in the evenings. She's very active and has good condition. No farting, either.

Dogs are carnivores and all these biscuits and propriety dogs foods don’t contain meat. Years ago when I had dogs and cats I used to feed them offal (where does the offal go nowadays) and bones to gnaw for their teeth and rarely called the vet. One cat I had would go over to the copse and come back dragging a rabbit or pheasant and would not be near until he had devoured most of it and never had to call the vet.

My cockapoo is reluctant sometimes, I put a tiny bit of whatever I'm having - as long as it's safe - on top of hers and she eats the lot.

Poodles are notoriously fussy eaters. I've had 4 and they can be do stubborn, refusing to eat for days.
The vet told me to get vitamin B capsules and sprinkle a little on food and this should help.
Mine will eat the tinned Butchers Tripe, ham, chicken. I buy cheap chicken thighs and cook them in the airfryer and freeze them for him.

My elderly dog is wasting away because she will hardly eat. A little bit of chicken a day and that’s it so worrying