Fussy Elderly Dog
chou-chou
Posts: 135 Forumite
We have two elderly but otherwise healthy greyhounds - 11 and 12. Mornings they have complete dried food with warm water and a spoonful of yoghurt. Evenings same but with a small pedigree pouch between them mixed in (just for flavour really).
Dinner time is fine but breakfasts are becoming a challenge.
One dog wolfs it down the other will eat it maybe 60% of the time, 20% will initially be unimpressed but eat in within about 5 mins and 20% just be completely uninterested and refuse to eat it while whining at whoever is feeding him for something else. Couple of days a week both my partner and I are off to work quite sharpish so if he chooses one of those days to refuse it then it can be lunchtime before someone is back to give him something (his uneaten breakfast bowl which he then eats very hungrily).
They are both getting on and won't be with us for too much longer so part of me just thinks we should give them what they want which is the pedigree pouch at both meals. Other half thinks they've been so fit and healthy on what they've been getting for the past 6/7 years since they were retired/rescued from racing that we should be strict and if he doesn't eat it then tough, he has to wait.
Bit long winded but what are anyone's thoughts - should we just go for the happy, easy (but more expensive) life??
Dinner time is fine but breakfasts are becoming a challenge.
One dog wolfs it down the other will eat it maybe 60% of the time, 20% will initially be unimpressed but eat in within about 5 mins and 20% just be completely uninterested and refuse to eat it while whining at whoever is feeding him for something else. Couple of days a week both my partner and I are off to work quite sharpish so if he chooses one of those days to refuse it then it can be lunchtime before someone is back to give him something (his uneaten breakfast bowl which he then eats very hungrily).
They are both getting on and won't be with us for too much longer so part of me just thinks we should give them what they want which is the pedigree pouch at both meals. Other half thinks they've been so fit and healthy on what they've been getting for the past 6/7 years since they were retired/rescued from racing that we should be strict and if he doesn't eat it then tough, he has to wait.
Bit long winded but what are anyone's thoughts - should we just go for the happy, easy (but more expensive) life??
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Comments
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Could he have problems with his mouth so the breakfast meal is too hard. By lunchtime it has softened.
Maybe the Pedigree pouch softens the food.
Personally, I would give him what he wants to eat. When you are elderly would you like a little special attention?
Old dogs are special and are not with us long enough0 -
Could he have problems with his mouth so the breakfast meal is too hard. By lunchtime it has softened.
Maybe the Pedigree pouch softens the food.
Personally, I would give him what he wants to eat. When you are elderly would you like a little special attention?
Old dogs are special and are not with us long enough
Pretty sure it's nothing teeth related. They both had their annual MOT just before Xmas and, unusually for rescued greys, his teeth are very good. It's just as crunchy in the evening. I strongly suspect he got a bit too used to all the nice things that were going on over Christmas - leftover turkey/beef/ham trimmings in his breakfast and is a bit miffed it's not continued (aren't we all!).
I think we might just relent and let him have what he wants (both of them, the other one will be very put out if his brother gets something better!).
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Once or twice a week I put scrambled egg in with breakfast, might be worth a try, I too would mix with the pedigree pouch if it means they are eating.0
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It's not going to hurt him to wait till lunchtime.
But if you want to mix it up a bit, you can add eggs, rice, sardines, porridge, scraps of whatever is in the fridge. It doesn't need to be a lot, just enough to get him started with eating it. Having the same kibble for breakfast with nothing else must get a bit boring.
My not so old fussy !!!!!! will start eating if I tip the leavings from my cereal or a few toast crumbs. Fairly sure he can't really taste them but if he sees me add them he knows they're there.All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.0 -
As we age humans and pets can have reduced sense of taste or smell, just as our hearing and sight can slowly degenerate.
When a wet foodstuff is added to a dry foodstuff that makes it a potential breeding ground for microbes (bacteria/ moulds). If not eaten promptly ideally the mixture would be discarded.
You don't have to use a pricey big name brand pouch, there are cheaper complete wet foods available with just as good ingredients.
Thank you for giving ex-racers a second chance at life.
Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️0
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