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we have an eight month old Malshi (type of shih tzu-maltese cross thing) and for a while he went to live with the GF whilst she lived with her parents. Whilst there he was given any sort of treat possible, chicken, dog treats, scrambled egg and everything I asked them not to give him. They have an overweight westie who is treat the same. They are killing him with kindness. The GF's dad also walked them both for a few miles every day too, which for a pup is too much, but whatever I said they ignored.
Anyway, last month they cam back to live with me full time and we wanted to wean him off the junk food and get him back onto dry food. For three weeks now he just refuses to eat anything dry. We gave him pouch food with gravy in and it made him vomit.
A vet friend said they can go three days without eating and not to worry, he'll eat if he's hungry.
He's still full of beans, quite happy and humping every soft furnishing in the house day and night, but we're worried as he's losing weight now.
shall we persist or give in and give him pouch food which is expensive, sloppy, makes his shit stink and goes all over his face...
He'll eat if he's hungry enough.
Just provide the food you want him to have and let him work it out.
As above, or if you are worried, mix some of what you want him to eat into what he wants to eat and over a few days change the proportions until he's onto the new food.
Nuts to that, leave his dry food out and tough, he's not going to stave himself is he.
Dry food for a dog is the junk food. If you were repeatedly fed the human equivalent of that stuff you'd refuse.
Get the dogs on the BARF type diet.
My collie pup did exactly the same thing, we got stressed out and started giving her cooked chicken..which made it worse, as she became even more fussy. Pups do tend to fast over a few days, our vet told us it was quite common, and if his health appears to be normal you really have nothing to worry about.
If it is hungry enough, it will eat. Trust me on that. Our cocker does the fussy eater thing when he's been away for a week or so with other dogs (usually my mum's two) and it normally takes a week or so to get him back to his normal routine.
Be strong.
As above, or if you are worried, mix some of what you want him to eat into what he wants to eat and over a few days change the proportions until he's onto the new food.
We tried that, he picked out the good bits and left the dry food.
That's what I'm trying to do, the other half thinks he's got more balls than usNuts to that, leave his dry food out and tough, he's not going to stave himself is he.
Pups do tend to fast over a few days, our vet told us it was quite common, and if his health appears to be normal you really have nothing to worry about.
re-assuring, thanks 8)
the other half thinks he's got more balls than us
Another trip to the vets should sort that.
Have you tried using weak gravy on the dried food?
An unfed dog will take weeks before it dies, there's some research somewhere on this that my sister dug up. It will eat when it's ready, don't make a fuss at feeding time and it will eventually be sorted.
put down food leave food repeat at feed times
It wont sulk to the extent it chooses death
Some dogs are different.
Our old dog would eat absolutely anything...dead rabbits...toilet paper...soap...everything. And still eat his dinner like he was being starved (i.e. chasing the bowl about the kitchen as he scoffed it all down).
My Mum's current dog eats when it wants...she feeds it and it'll look at the bowl, look at her, and then walk off. He'll go back and eat it bit by bit. He does the same with treats, he'll suspiciously sniff what ever you're giving him, put it down and walk off.
My mum adopted the current dog from a kennel place and the dog was a bit traumatised, he had lost lots of fur and was scared of everything. Apparently his last owners didn't really want him and he was ignored...I suspect he was given scraps to eat given his current relationship with food.. He still is a bit screwed up, he panics every time my mum leaves the room.
But he does eat when he's hungry though.
When it starts to eat its own turds you will end up changing its food and he wins