I'm at my freaking wits end with Gretel

[vraiblonde]

She just doesn't like to eat. I've changed her food to PetFresh and she was doing well - 2 good meals a day - and as of two days ago....nah.

There's nothing wrong with her, she's always been a picky/disinterested eater. She'll eat poop, rocks, leaves, pinecones, small turtles...pretty much everything EXCEPT her super expensive dog chow.

I've tried everything.

• mixing it with chicken or cheese
• not making a big deal out of it, she'll eat when she's hungry
• changing her chow to something she might like better
• isolation at meal time
• changing her food bowl
• warming the food
• using a snuffle mat

It will work for awhile, then she's right back at it. She'll go so long without eating that she'll barf up bile. I know she's hungry because she gets bitey and cranky, she just won't eat. She's healthy and energetic, the vet says she's fine and gave me the unhelpful suggestions above. He says after that just leave her be and she'll eventually eat, dogs don't get anorexic and never starve themselves. And yet here we are.

Has anyone else experienced this with a dog? This feeding thing with her is making me crazy.

The good news is that I finally gave in and got her a slip-collar/leash and that seems to be counteracting her wild lunging and nonsense. I got it in yesterday and she not only passed the neighbor test, but she passed the dog park test as well. Today she is still on the straight and narrow even though she usually wants to dig in the mulch and eat any cat poop that might be there.

I hate that, though, because it feels like I have a noose wrapped around her neck. She doesn't seem to really mind.

I need a nap.

 

[Sneakers]

Has anyone else experienced this with a dog?

Not personally, but I saw a couple of vids of people with finicky eaters. One trick that seemed to work: If you put the food down and they refuse it, go to the fridge/pantry/whatever, open something they love but aren't supposed to have, pretend to add it to the dish and put it back down.

 

[Kyle]

With Ruby, I have picked up some really good canned options from 4Health, Blue Buffalo, Pure Balance or Acana and change it up frequently.

She gets a blend of three dry foods, which I've watched her pick the pellets she likes at times, as at will feeding.

On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays I select one of the cans, changing it up. And Sundays she gets Eggs, bacon or sausage instead.

Occasionally, I'll make something like Chicken and rice, pork chops etc. and give her some of that in a meal instead of a can.

I figure, having the same thing to eat must get boring for them too.

 

[vraiblonde]

Not personally, but I saw a couple of vids of people with finicky eaters. One trick that seemed to work: If you put the food down and they refuse it, go to the fridge/pantry/whatever, open something they love but aren't supposed to have, pretend to add it to the dish and put it back down.

There is no food that she loves. When I'm eating, she doesn't care.

I just feel like feeding a freaking dog shouldn't be this difficult. You put down the food, they eat it. It has to be something I'm doing but I don't know what it is. She'll eat fine for a few days, then nothing. And I know she's hungry. I know she isn't sick. I know she hasn't eaten something that is going to kill her. I spend half my life fishing rocks and cat poop out of her mouth, and the other half trying to get her to eat her dog chow.

And it's fresh food, so I can't let it sit out until she's ready to eat or it will go bad. Maybe I should just go back to the pellets and they can sit there all day, she either eats it or starves to death. Her choice.

I can hear her stomach growling right now, but there's food right in front of her that she won't go near. It's the exact stuff she ate last week without a problem.

 

[RoseRed]

Have the vet prescribe an appetite stimulant.

 

[gemma_rae]

She just doesn't like to eat. I've changed her food to PetFresh and she was doing well - 2 good meals a day - and as of two days ago....nah.

There's nothing wrong with her, she's always been a picky/disinterested eater. She'll eat poop, rocks, leaves, pinecones, small turtles...pretty much everything EXCEPT her super expensive dog chow.

When was her last bowel movement? She could have a blockage.

My nephew's dog ate a child's sock and had to have it removed. From the dog, not my nephew.

 

[vraiblonde]

When was her last bowel movement? She could have a blockage.

My nephew's dog ate a child's sock and had to have it removed. From the dog, not my nephew.

Yesterday afternoon.

It's not a blockage, she's been a disinterested eater since the day I brought her home. She'll do well for awhile, then go on a hunger strike for several days and be miserable. I was hoping to find a food that she'd eat normally instead of me having to doctor it and do handstands and beg and plead, and for a month or so it seemed Fresh Pet was the answer. But here she is again.

Maybe I do just need to leave her alone and if she starves she starves - it wasn't meant to be. But I hate to see her unhappy and hungry WHEN THERE'S EFFING FOOD RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE!!

 

[vraiblonde]

Have the vet prescribe an appetite stimulant.

I didn't know that was a thing. She goes in next Monday and I'm going to ask him about that.

But she should be hungry. She runs around at the dog park, gets plenty of exercise, she should have a natural appetite.

 

[phreddyp]

Yesterday afternoon.

It's not a blockage, she's been a disinterested eater since the day I brought her home. She'll do well for awhile, then go on a hunger strike for several days and be miserable. I was hoping to find a food that she'd eat normally instead of me having to doctor it and do handstands and beg and plead, and for a month or so it seemed Fresh Pet was the answer. But here she is again.

Maybe I do just need to leave her alone and if she starves she starves - it wasn't meant to be. But I hate to see her unhappy and hungry WHEN THERE'S EFFING FOOD RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE!!

Give her a puff of weed, see if she gets the munchies.

 

[vraiblonde]

Give her a puff of weed, see if she gets the munchies.

I need to give me a puff of weed so I'll chill out about my anorexic dog. But I don't know where to get it without talking to scuzzy people, which will also stress me out.

 

[gemma_rae]

Yesterday afternoon.

It's not a blockage, she's been a disinterested eater since the day I brought her home. She'll do well for awhile, then go on a hunger strike for several days and be miserable. I was hoping to find a food that she'd eat normally instead of me having to doctor it and do handstands and beg and plead, and for a month or so it seemed Fresh Pet was the answer. But here she is again.

Maybe I do just need to leave her alone and if she starves she starves - it wasn't meant to be. But I hate to see her unhappy and hungry WHEN THERE'S EFFING FOOD RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FACE!!

If you're absolutely certain of that then a doggy tantrum seems likely. I never had a dog myself, but I know how stubborn my (RB) cats could be.

I never won a stand-off with any of them.

 

[gemma_rae]

I need to give me a puff of weed so I'll chill out about my anorexic dog. But I don't know where to get it without talking to scuzzy people, which will also stress me out.

I can get you some at Chesapeake Apothecary. The last time I was there I was waited on by a 60+ year old retired school teacher.

She called me "Hon", maybe she was from Balmer?

 

[vraiblonde]

If you're absolutely certain of that then a doggy tantrum seems likely. I never had a dog myself, but I know how stubborn my (RB) cats could be.

I never won a stand-off with any of them.

I never worried about the cats. Eat it or starve, cat.

Doggy tantrum seems likely because she is quite obstinate and sassy. She's only hurting herself and me by proxy, which seems stupid. But Gretel isn't famous for her good decision making skills, which is why I don't let her make too many decisions.

 

[gemma_rae]

I never worried about the cats. Eat it or starve, cat.

Doggy tantrum seems likely because she is quite obstinate and sassy. She's only hurting herself and me by proxy, which seems stupid. But Gretel isn't famous for her good decision making skills, which is why I don't let her make too many decisions.

So you won't let her drive alone?

 

[Grumpy]

Get another dog and make em share the same bowl for a few days. Once you give them their separate bowls, they will gobble their meal down in seconds.

 

[gemma_rae]

Get another dog

That's it, we're leaving!

 

[phreddyp]

I need to give me a puff of weed so I'll chill out about my anorexic dog. But I don't know where to get it without talking to scuzzy people, which will also stress me out.

Scuzzy people LOL, you definitely need to get out more. You sound like a lefty now.

 

[vraiblonde]

Scuzzy people LOL, you definitely need to get out more. You sound like a lefty now.

We just voted down our dope smoker bill because it was so poorly conceived. So I'd have to deal with a doctor to get a medical marijuana card, which can't be too hard because there are dope joints and dope smokers all over town. But again....I'd have to deal with a doctor.

So I stand by my statement.

 

[RoseRed]

I didn't know that was a thing. She goes in next Monday and I'm going to ask him about that.

But she should be hungry. She runs around at the dog park, gets plenty of exercise, she should have a natural appetite.

I've had to use it on my cats on occasion.

They may want to run blood tests to check for deficiencies.

 

[phreddyp]

We just voted down our dope smoker bill because it was so poorly conceived. So I'd have to deal with a doctor to get a medical marijuana card, which can't be too hard because there are dope joints and dope smokers all over town. But again....I'd have to deal with a doctor.

So I stand by my statement.

Gotta laugh at that, LOL