Tempt my dog

mogadon

lostinrates wrote: »

She won't (now) eat bone. I'd struggle to provide on current limited intake a balance raw diet. But I've just realised we haven't given her wither rabbit or any game birds, both of which worth a try.

Yes, dental concerned me too (with apparent distaste for harder stuff) but teeth are good. (breath is at the moment not great, but not surprising with low food intake and off colour.) Vet (who is also personal friend) said I was fussing unduly.

If she is refusing bone, I would ask the vet to reconsider dental problems, if not teeth, then gums, or even inner ear trouble (ever tried to chew with earache?). You know your own dog better than your vet does, and if you are brutally honest with yourself, you'll know whether or not you are fussing unduly.

lostinrates

mogadon wrote: »

If she is refusing bone, I would ask the vet to reconsider dental problems, if not teeth, then gums, or even inner ear trouble (ever tried to chew with earache?). You know your own dog better than your vet does, and if you are brutally honest with yourself, you'll know whether or not you are fussing unduly.

Inner ear, I hadn't considered thanks. Very good pont and an oversight from both of us IIRC.

Vet actually does know her well....he's also a personal friend and we've worked together a bit in the dim distant past, but I take your point. . I'll have another look at her teeth tomorrow...and get hime to look again when I take her back too. Cheack once, twice...eventually we'll find something to pin this on

Lobell

I was going to ask if dental/gum problems have been completely ruled out already too.

Also, have you tried her on any of the wet complete foods (naturediet, Natures's Harvest, Wainwrights etc)? My giant breed goes on hunger strike from time to time but when she does countenace food, it's usually a bit of one of the wet completes that she goes for (much to my dismay, as a raw feeder lol).

Complete long shot here, but have you tried changing her bowl for one of a different material/shape? Similarly, do you feed from raised feeders or on the floor? I know there's massive debate about this in giant breeds but it may be worth trying the opposite to what you do now.

As a last resort, I'd pick one type of food and stick with it. Offering it at every usual mealtime and nothing else, removing it again after 20 minutes or so and feeding nothing else until next mealtime. That'll properly test the theories that 'a healthy dog won't starve itself' and that 'picky dogs are made not born'. Mind you, I can understand why you'd wish to avoid this route if she's getting dangerously underweight. That said, the constant offering of different foods might just be encouraging her fussiness??

lostinrates

Lobell wrote: »

I was going to ask if dental/gum problems have been completely ruled out already too.

I'm pretty sure that her teeth will be ok, but I'm prepared to check everything over and over.....:)

Also, have you tried her on any of the wet complete foods (naturediet, Natures's Harvest, Wainwrights etc)? My giant breed goes on hunger strike from time to time but when she does countenace food, it's usually a bit of one of the wet completes that she goes for (much to my dismay, as a raw feeder lol).

Not yet, well, cheap cans,(we've had to grab what is close and available this last week) but she'll only eat about half a normal sized tin (no where near enough)

Complete long shot here, but have you tried changing her bowl for one of a different material/shape? Similarly, do you feed from raised feeders or on the floor? I know there's massive debate about this in giant breeds but it may be worth trying the opposite to what you do now.

Now that is a very good point. Usually she eats at floor level outside and trying her in the raised feeder (that my dog uses) was the first call. But this is interesting because she is a bowl tipper. Outside this is not an issue, but inside is...at the very least frustrating. Which is why we used the feeder when we separated her, but we have since tried back on the floor and she is NOT tipping on the floor. Lack of interest?

As a last resort, I'd pick one type of food and stick with it. Offering it at every usual mealtime and nothing else, removing it again after 20 minutes or so and feeding nothing else until next mealtime. That'll properly test the theories that 'a healthy dog won't starve itself' and that 'picky dogs are made not born'. Mind you, I can understand why you'd wish to avoid this route if she's getting dangerously underweight. That said, the constant offering of different foods might just be encouraging her fussiness??

Before this she has been anything but picky, so its not born! I think she's too thin now not to make more of an effort, but agree w have a concern this might be fostering a degree of fussiness.

Nota bene: She actually remains above the chart weight for her breed in the vets, and is not a particularly tall girl. has reasonable but not freakishly large bone. Concern is on condition scoring not an abitory average! Its worth people noting that the charts can be a way out and should be used in conjusction with sensible considtion evaluation!

tandraig

lostinrates - she likes cat food? any particular flavour? is the cat food rather soft and gravyish? can you post which flavour/brand? sorry to bombard you with questions but an idea is picking at my mind.

lostinrates

tandraig wrote: »

lostinrates - she likes cat food? any particular flavour? is the cat food rather soft and gravyish? can you post which flavour/brand? sorry to bombard you with questions but an idea is picking at my mind.

Bozita (Chicken in jelly), almo (assorted flavours) and cosma ...assorted flavours (just as wel, that one my cats don't like!).

Its softish, yes, certainly when compared to dried food! But in jelly not gravy.

jenhug

Have you tried delicious stinky tripe?

lostinrates

jenhug wrote: »

Have you tried delicious stinky tripe?

We love feeding tripe. Sadly its become incredibly hard to get hold of locally (since the start of the credit crunch prices went up considerably for green tripe). But it might be worth getting hold of some, and I can lean on a friend for some tomorrow I'm sure

miamoo

Hi, personally I wouldn't rule out hand feeding especially short term untill she gets back onto her food.
I have hand fed Mia at times, but for totally different reasons, more so I can assert my authority and she had to work for her meal, obviously you dont need to do that, but getting her to eat is the most important thing. Good luck x

tandraig

ah jelly not gravy - so idea wrong. but, could she be craving marrowbone? or is it - cat food is so tasty and easy to eat?
or it could simply be - she has tried cat food and prefers it? my staffie would nick the cats food - had to keep her out when feeding cat! as the cat would duff her up! she may find dried foods a bit bland in taste? even to human noses they dont smell of much!