Wont Eat Dog Food

[MINNIESMOM]

does anyone have any suggestions. we adopted a 5 year old chihuahua and i think who ever had her before may have given her people food. i have tried every kind of dry and wet food,and also the expensive organic dog foods,and she will not eat them. she will eat steak,chicken and most other meats. i hate giving them to her and i know if she get hungry enough she will eat i suppose. i hate feeling like i might starve her, she only weighs 3.5lbs as it is. please help if you can. thanks

[ldyharley]

The best thing to do of course is take your dog to the vet.
It does sound like someone 'spoiled' your dog by feeding it human food. A dog can go a long time without food but not water and you are correct in saying when it gets hungry enough it will eat.
I saw an episode on The Dog Whisperer where a very spoiled New Foundland turned it's nose up to everything. The owner's son said on camera that he wished his mom would feed him the food she cooks for the dog because the dog got food like salmon, steak, etc.
Cesar Milan stepped in and changed the dog and the owner. The dog was lazy and over weight so Cesar took the dog to his compound and started exercising him.
The dog got to stand in a pool of cool water after it's work-out and Cesar fed him cooked chicken. Little by little, Cesar weaned the dog from that onto dog food. Even though the owner walked the dog twice a day EVERY day, she felt guilty about the fact that her dog wouldn't eat anything but expensive human food. She was wrong and they all lived happy ever after!
I'm not saying exercise is the answer for your little dog and it certainly is beneficial to ALL dogs. My advise is see your vet.
Good luck.

[Draco]

Definitely bring your dog to the vet.

I'm going through this right now with my dog (see my post "Rapid breathing/loss of appetite). I asked the vet what I should feed her if she won't touch any dog food (this is temporary of course, we are working to find the problem) and she said chicken and rice (it is fairly bland). Fortunately, I have only had to do this once so far.

Good luck!

[blueladybird]

Hi there, I'm a qualified VN and specialise in canine nutrition and behaviour. Trust me when I say you are by no means alone, toy breeds are notorious for this, especially once they realise how easily they can manipulate their mummys and daddys. Chihuahuas, despite their fragile appearance, are feircly intelligent and extremely hardy and willful. I've seen a little long hair go almost 5 days without eating,(she was twice her recommended body weight and would only eat cooked chicken or beef, she would also only drink full fat milk causing urinary and kidney problems!) almost giving her doting owner a nervous breakdown in the process, but once the battle of wills had been won, she happily noshed on a bowl of dried Hills with a TINY amount of gravy (1 teaspoon) and much to her owner relief she's a happy healthy wee dog now, her temperament has improved, as has her coat and energy levels, all because the salt and sugar levels in her diet are now reduced.

The only thing that worked was perseverance on part of the owner, absolutely no treats, only water in the bowl and the same type of food put down for 20 mins then taken away again 5 times a day until the dog started eating. This is an extremely difficult thing to endure as an owner, and i know how hard it is to ignore the big sad eyes and tiny shivering body, but you always have to bear in mind, for the dog is to have a good quality of life, they must have a nutritionally balanced diet or they face numerous health problems and much shorter lifes. Also if you choose to feed tinned dog food, always check the salt and sugar levels, ceaser is an extremely damaging food as it's full of sugar and salt and will eventually make the dog sick.

I wish u all the best with this and do make an appointment with your vet or vet nurse to talk about your wee dogs health and nutrition. Let us know how it goes. Ax. :)

[tom_wood]

You should not feed your dog tinned dog food anyway. Dog food is cooked your dog has evolved to eat raw meat. Dog food also contains many chemical additives which could affect your dog behaviour and health, dog food companies also source dead dogs to put in their food

[Carol]

casey is a 6 yr old cocker spaniel and I have a similar problem with her. She will eat just about any veggie or fruit chopped up in her bowl and she begs for anything I am eating. I am immune to this due to a bad experience yrs ago with an overweight lab. However, I have given her cooked chicken and turkey and beef with nothing added to it as her protein source as well as boiled eggs 3 times a week. I have tried to switch her to Nature's Variety dry food because it is rated so highly. Casey is a senior dog and spayed now so it is a constant battle to keep control of her weight. She will not even try dry dog food.
After reading your posting, I realize I may have to steel myself for a long battle of waiting it out while she decides to try it.
I am tired of worrying about what nutrients she is missing and I foolishly broke open a capsule of flaxseed oil onto her bowl of food....They can smell everything! she walked away from that bowl so I removed it and presented it hours later. She did finally eat it with coaxing.
I have been giving her Top Choice as her meat option. She loves it. I only give her half a pouch and lots of veggies and/or fruit. I throw in a couple of shark cartilage biscuits from Pet Science.
Her weight seems to be perfect right now but I want to wean her onto a 100% balanced dog food and use fruit and veggies as well.
I notice she has no interest in any raw meat products and she is not a bone chewer or or rawhide chewer. Her teeth are great (from the carrots) I suspect. Because I travel with casey it just would be much more convenient to have one thing as her main diet and add the fruit and veggies in as treats.
Plus I would know what she was getting daily.

[natalieandweiley]

i feed my rottweiler a raw diet he has raw chicken wings three times a week and liver or hearth one day and for every handfull of raw meat you give you should give two hand fulls of raw fruit and veg i found it best to purify it otherwise he just wont eat it

[Carol]

blueladybird, thank you for your posting. I bit the bullet today. I put some Nature's Variety chicken and oatmeal in her bowl. I made sure there was a full bowl of water and waited to see if she would eat it. Of course after hours of waiting she still would not try it. So I used my trick of hand feeding her with it. She was still resistant when I just held it in my hand. Then I started putting one piece at a time into her mouth like it was a pill. After about 5 pieces she started eating it out of the palm of my hand. She actually ate about a half cup or more.
I am thrilled. I actually got her to at least like the taste of it.
Now tomorrow will be a challenge as I try again leaving the bowl for her and hope that she remembers that she likes it and I do not have to hand feed her again. I will wait longer next time. At least the dry food does not go bad sitting overnight.
At least I feel with consistency I can achieve this switch to this much healthier diet and have greater control over her weight and her future health.
I realize now that she must have been fed a lot from the table and they must have shared their snacks with her. You should see her beg when there is pizza! I am immune to the begging now but it is hard for many to resist this cute little wiggle-butt and her cute ways.

[Ronluc]

You should not feed your dog tinned dog food anyway. Dog food is cooked your dog has evolved to eat raw meat. Dog food also contains many chemical additives which could affect your dog behaviour and health, dog food companies also source dead dogs to put in their food

Absolutely everything said here is Hogwash...to even suggest that dog food companies source dead dogs for there food is just ridiculous...Also it is not a good idea to feed a dog raw meat...we don't eat it so why would someone feed there dog raw meat and risk parasites...disease...sickness etc
Ron:mad:

[Carol]

Ron: As unappetizing as it may sound to us, there is no getting away from the number of dogs who are doing amazingly well on the raw diet.
I know that Casey has had an unusual diet the first 5 years of her life and she is the healthiest dog at age 6 that I have ever had.
I had a Lab that had a constant struggle with weight problems and health problems and she got her food from her vet at a huge cost.
Casey never had vaccinations or vet visits from the time she was a puppy until age 5 when I got her and needed her spayed.
I have never before owned a dog that loves apples, carrots and tomatoes and peaches and pears etc. It never would have occurred to me to feed that to a dog. Now I know better. So I am willing to listen to people with different ideas than mine.
My mom and dad always gave our dogs raw stuff because my dad was raised on a farm and that was how he was raised to feed dogs.
I always thought that commercial dog food manufacturers were making a safer alternative but with all the cases of cancer and allergies and stomach disorders in dogs, I am now more skeptical about this.
I now am a label reader to the max. I now have a cocker that does not lick or chew herself all the time and I am determined to keep her that way. I also want her to live as long as she can as well as she can.
Knowledge is power.
Education is the key to knowledge.
I am sure willing to learn about this idea of feeding raw.
Heck I am halfway there already. Everything except the meat for her is already raw and unadulterated.

[Foxyrokchick]

Minniesmom - hyou have started an international debate!...lol

After reading all your comments - I have to say I'm confused :confused: , and don't know if I'm doing the right or wrong thing for my dog now. Obviously everyone is entitled to an opinion and we always know whats best for our pets.
Or do we?!!
I give my dog Butchers dog food together with Bakers dry mix - he loves it and he is healthy and has a glossy coat. But...Is that right or wrong? I have always had dogs and I have never had problems, but would hate to think I'm doing a bad thing that could have been changed earlier on if his current diet was to cause health problems for him later on.
I've also heard that just giving a dog just dry food i.e IAMS is bad - is this true?
Minniesmom - I do hope your 'ickle dogs appetite is sorted soon.

Love n' licks from
Sharon & Prince :p xXx

[Carol]

There are so many diets out there. Each one works for many dogs.
If you have healthy dogs with no allergies and no ear problems or skin problems, don't fret about it.
The problem with some dogs is: we have not figured out what they want!
Some are very picky until we luckily hit on something they love.
I discovered by accident how much my Casey the Cocker loves boiled eggs!
Some dogs would break out in hives from them! Not her!
So if it aint broke don't fix it!
Continued Good Luck with your dogs, sounds like they don't need a change but bet they love trying new treats now and then.......LOL

[May209]

When I rescued my chihuahua she was about 2 years at the time, I went through the same problem. She wouldn't eat any dog food whether it was canned or dry. I just kept on mixing it that is canned with a good dry and it took a few days but finally she started eating it. I just kept on saying to myself that she would eat when she was hungry. Meanwhile I had to tell the kids not to sneak her people food so she would get hungry and eat the food designed for her. Whoever owned her before us spoiled her with people food I was sure. Just stay consistent she will eat. Thankyou for giving her a home. It will all work out.

Amy

[toppers]

I asked my vet about feeding raw as this would be a more natural alternative. She told me that dogs can get food poisoning the same as people can - so avoid pork/chicken/turkey. Also what chemicals did the farmer pump into the meat you are considering feeding to your dog? What did that pig eat before he became a chop? What chemicals did he spray on those veggies to keep those insects at bay? Is organic as good as is promised? Who knows?
Oh by the way raisins/sultanas and grapes are poison to dogs as is people chocolate and cows milk.

[jlechwar]

i feed my rottweiler a raw diet he has raw chicken wings three times a week and liver or hearth one day and for every handfull of raw meat you give you should give two hand fulls of raw fruit and veg i found it best to purify it otherwise he just wont eat it

I was very disturbed to see that anyone is feeding chicken wings to their dog. Raw or cooked, it does not matter. The meat is fine, but NOT THE BONES! Poultry bones shatter & splinter when dogs chew them...& these shards & spears of bone not only CAN but WILL GET CAUGHT IN THE MOUTH, THROAT, STOMACH, AND/OR INTENSTINES!!! De-Bone the chicken if you insist on feeding this to your dogs. If you don't, you may be hurting your dog, inflicting incredible pain & suffering on your companion (& possibly death), &/or asking for HUGE vet bills!

My dogs are spoiled, yes. But they will never know what a Chicken or Turkey bone tastes like because I want them around as long as they can be.

Find something else for your Rottie to gnaw on...something that won't hurt him, PLEASE!!!

Joe & Sue

[K9MadMum]

Um,can i ask what you think people fed there dogs on hundreds of years before flaming complete dry food??

DONT KNOCK TILL YOU HAVE TRIED IT!!

[Carol]

I adopted Casey last August and it has taken me until last week to find a dry dog food she will eat.
She likes homemade dinner. Boiled meat of any kind with rice and chopped up raw fruit and veggies and boiled egg.
I now have Jake the JackaBea and he will eat anything.
So I bought a bag of Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice
wonders of wonders, they both love it!!!
I had previously tried to feed casey close to the raw diet but she is scent driven and she hated these and can't say I blame her, they don't smell very good so cannot imagine how they taste.
The last bag cost a few dollars more and Jake ate it.
This one cost less and they both love it.
It seems to have the right ingredient list so guess we will give this a try.
I was staying at my daughter's last week and it was very inconvenient to prepare food for the dogs and too far to run to the store for the veggies and fruit every couple of days. I had to come up with a solution and this seems to be it.
When I was a kid our dogs had dry kibble with no nutritional value at all, mixed with leftover everything we had eaten at our mealtime.
My mom was known to sneak in some kidneys and livers and fish and a raw egg for them as well but mainly leftovers.
Casey would be thrilled with that diet but she would also be twice her size and have ear infections and itchy skin all the time.

[skippygurl00]

chicken wings and necks are fine IF THEY ARE RAW....the vet i worked for years back recommended it as it cleans teeth as well.dogs are designed to eat raw meat(if they were in the wild who would be cooking their meat?)canned food is also ok.if you have been feeding your dog canned food or raw for years and your dog is happy and healthy then stick with it,everyone has different opinions.dogs digestive systems are tougher than you think,dont confuse them with humans.
as for getting a fussy dog to eat,be firm and dont give in to his pleading looks.a dog isnt stupid enough to die of starvation if there is food there available for him.offer it once during the day,if it doesnt eat then,it will gladly eat the next day.if it doesnt there might be a problem and it might need a visit to the vet

[shell]

Growing up on the farm, our big dogs always got tons of table scaps. This is still the case, but these dogs are not just pets, they are working dogs too. They are active and healthy animals that are always on the move. I wouldn't dream of feeding my mini dachshund x the way we used to feed the farm dogs as he isn't built the same way; besides, feed him the wrong thing and his gas chases you out of whatever room you're in! lol.:D I think the whole raw diet issue depends on the owners point of view. There are pros and cons on both sides and its up to you to make the choice that is right for you and your dog.:)

[K9MadMum]

I feed our Alaskan Malamute RMBs now and he has never been happier.
I have never critisized people who feed there animals dry food or tinned food as some dogs love the stuff and i also used to feed it to my English Bull terriers.
Has anyone here ever tried dog kibble?
Its horrid,tastes of cardboard and as soon as it hits the stomach acid inflates to twice its original size,can you imagine that in your stomach? YUM YUM!! NOT!!!.
I just really hate people who practically accuse you of trying to murder your dog because you feed RMBs and they obviously are VERY narrow minded!!
I think the most important thing is the dog is healthy and happy whether it eats,dry,tinned or raw.
It should be your choice to decide what is best for you and your dog.
People are entitled to there opinion but please do your research first before you start accusing people of cruelty!

Right, thats my rant and rave over.Hope everyone is well!!:)

[bulldog1]

Absolutely everything said here is Hogwash...to even suggest that dog food companies source dead dogs for there food is just ridiculous...Also it is not a good idea to feed a dog raw meat...we don't eat it so why would someone feed there dog raw meat and risk parasites...disease...sickness etc
Ron:mad:

Hi ron but all that you have said is not true :mad: There is a reason that we dont eat raw meat and that is because are digestives systems are not made to digest it, where as a dog is naturally a RAW Meat eater not a cooked prepared out of the tin stuff there is some risk with raw meat but then also there is risks with tin, dry food but as long as the raw meat is frozzen for 24 hours befor feeding then that kills of 99percent of bacteria, and who no's what goes in to the tin food there is a company no names mentioned that test dog food on dogs and have had many DOG deaths thought testing and with cooked tin meat there is no goodness in it for the dogs the only goodness in it is artifical crap that has been made in a lab and added to the tin.:eek: