I hope someone can offer some advice regarding how we can get our dog to eat properly.
Alf is handsome 15 month old English Cocker Spaniel who seems to have developed a phobia about eating properly. When he was a puppy, we fed him on dry food (same brand as his breeder used) and had no problems ... he gobbled everything we gave him. Later we started feeding a mix of wet & dry (biscuits and canned food) and all was well until recently when he started "turning his nose up" at this, despite being obviously hungry. The only things he will now eat are chicken (raw or cooked) or raw meat which I buy from the supermarket ... He seems perfectly healthy but I'm concerned that he's not getting a balanced diet (his stools are now small and very dark).
I've tried mixing the chicken/meat with rice or biscuits and vegetables but he just "fishes around" eating the meat and ignoring the other bits.
Our dog used to eat kibbles immediately they were put down twice a day and also kibbles that I used to reward her during training. We put her in kennels for a fortnight over Christmas and they fed her Proplan. Since then (now 4 weeks later) she has NEVER eaten her meal except hours later or next day and of course turns her nose up at her rewards.
She was adopted at the age of 6 months in May and I continued to feed her what she had been fed at the foster home. She is a nervous dog, hates me to go away, even when the rest of the family are here.
Ooh, why do I suspect you'll cave at the first whine, ha. I know, they're terrors aren't they. My ta'caxxa is a ridiculous stone/wood/walnut eater and she has beautiful white teeth at age 6. I keep eyes peeled though as a crack must happen one day. I think Alf might just be trying it on. He knows you have the good stuff and he wants it. It depends whether you can don virtual blinkers and ear plugs and get him back onto the diet that seems to suit him best. I'd be very interested to know how you both get on.
Google the RAW or BARF diet for dogs, we feed our white shepherd a raw diet, mai ly raw meat, offal, bone and some veg and the intestines etc of ruminents when we get th,e chance. He loves it, is very healthy…good luck
He's always been a "stone chewer" .... I've spent the best part of a year now discouraging him but I'll check his teeth in the morning (he's in bed now). He doesn't seem to be under the weather and isn't vomiting and doesn't have diarrhoea. His stools are small and black (they were always brown and well formed before) ... I'd assumed this was because he wasn't eating his veg and biscuits.
Assuming his teeth are OK, I'll try and be firm with him and do as you suggest.
Thanks Sandy .... I only feed cooked chicken after removing bones because I'm worried about the bones splintering. He seems to like all raw meat but refuses to eat veg ... he just leaves it in the feeding bowl - Do you mince the veg and mix it with the minced meat?
You don't say how long this has been going on for but if it's at least a few days you may by now have noticed any symptoms - if Alf has any - that something might not be right, eg vomiting, diarrhoea etc. And definitely as Josie says, have a quick look at his teeth to make sure one isn't chipped or loose.
Once you've eliminated his maybe feeling a bit under the weather I think you can safely assume, yep, you've got a picky dog. If Alf has decided from now on he only fancies the chicken or raw meat, he will keep holding out for those. If he's offered a variety of foodstuffs to tempt his appetite, he probably knows he'll win in the end.
Decide what sort of nutrition you want him to have long term and simply give it to him. Leave the bowl for about half an hour then take it away whether he's eaten or not. Put it down again at the next meal time for another 30 minutes or so before removing it. He's a dog - it's in his nature to eat when he can and if he's hungry he definitely will. At the moment I reckon he's hanging on for the a la carte menu.
Hi, I have 4 spaniels, and ive had this problem only the once with them. Put down the food, dont give them anything else, when they are hungry they will eat it, it might take a few days but it works , good luck