Would love some advice please!

[louise1608]

Hi everyone

I have a 1 year old working cocker spaniel (not worked, he's a family pet). Ever since we got him at 12 weeks old he has been fed on royal canin junior with a bit of butchers puppy meat and he has always eaten every last bit and done very well... we stopped buying the meat a couple of months ago but he didn't seem to mind and still ate the food but he was picking at it throughout the day. For the last couple of weeks he has pretty much refused to eat it at all... My mum has cavalier king charles spaniels and says her dogs love JWB so she gave me some to try him on, still the same problem...I went to the shop and bought a small box of wagg this morning...he ate more than usual but still not very interested... do you think its the food that is the problem? Any advice appreciated

[mlynnf50]

Maybe he is trying to tell you something, is he lethargic ,I think I would have him checked over by a vet.
Selby did this and I changed him over to raw meat and have never looked back, it's gone in seconds, so just proves us humans do learn

[louise1608]

He is not lethargic no, he is his usual idiot bouncy stupid self in the house...but recently when we take him out for walks he keeps sitting down we are practically having to drag him but I put that down to lack of energy cos he is not eating? I will be taking him to the vet but just wondered if anyone had any similar experience

[mlynnf50]

I would definitely have him checked out to put yr mind at rest, let's us know how he gets on, fingers crossed it's nothing, just him training you

[louise1608]

Just found a tin of meat in his cupboard...tried mixing it with his food...still no interested...gave him just meat and clean bowl?! 

[*MaryG*]

Pepper was the same but hies energy levels were fine, so I think you are right about a visit to the vet. With the actual food i started adding some water to pepper's royal Canin and he now loves it. It smells nice and seems to form a kind of gravy.

[elaine.e]

I think a trip to the vet to have him checked over is probably advisable because of his reluctance during walks as much as the change in his appetite. Hopefully it will put your mind at rest that there's nothing physically wrong with him, but if he does have a problem of some sort at least you'll know and the vet can start whatever treatment is needed.

Has he lost any weight? The reason I ask is because his lack of appetite and reluctance to exercise are the same as one of my Cockers, Sam, had many years ago. Sam was about 9 months old and became slow on walks and kept sitting down. He was eating, but not very enthusiastically. It was a hot summer and Sam still had a lot of heavy, fluffy puppy coat so for a while I just put it down to the hot weather. Then I realised that under the fluffy coat there was an increasingly thin puppy . Sam had some blood tests and was diagnosed with a rather nasty kidney infection. A course of antibiotics sorted it out but it took me a while to get him fit and energetic again.

I'm not saying that yours has a kidney infection, but I think he should have a check up just in case there's an underlying problem. Hope he's back to normal soon

[Catie74]

Try pouring a little gravy over the dried food and letting it soak in so it is essentially the consistency of tinned.  My cavalier king charles can no longer eat dried food as she has very few teeth left so i make hers out of the skinners I feed Archie.  I also have to let her eat if off the fork as she can't pick in up in her mouth bless her.  She is 14 years old and still as adorable as ever.

[Goggins]

  I think a trip to the vets is def on the cards...esp with reluctance to walk...

please keep us posted how he does...

[ficos mum]

had this problem with my middle coceker who is two and it was his anal glands !! they were so full when the vet did them it went up the walls and fico was a different dog on the way out , best to get it checked though! good luck xx

[Snoo]

Diminished appetite and sitting down on walks - I would definitely get that checked out at the vets if that is not the norm for him. To encourage eating you could try warming his food for a few seconds at a time in a microwave, or add some hot water to release the flavour and smell of it, checking before offering it to him that it is not too hot, of course!   

[seaangler]

What i can not understand you feed your dog on one on the best and expensive dry foods R/C and the give him/Her the cheapest tin food there is on the market!!!!

Try a tiny bit of marmite diluted in warm water!!!rather than just plane water

[Snoo]

Hiya Louise1608, any update on how he is doing now?

@seaangler: Glad to know R/C is one of the best cos that's what Clover has!!!   

[louise1608]

Hi, you know I'd completely forgotton I'd posted this... I did take him to the vet and they confirmed he was fit as a fiddle. Must have been going through a phase because when we tried to walk him our usual route he was sitting down and flat out refusing to walk...we toom a different route and to a field instead and he was walking and running happy as usual...so I'm guessing something must have spooked him on our old route so we no longer go there... still having the food problem though he just isnt interested...but at his annual check a week ago the vet was happy with his weight and tells me not to worry..but he only eats about half what the bag says he should be...I know the food is not always right and that its just a guide but I still think thats a lot less than it shoud be...sorry for the delayed reply I don't come on as often as I should!

[louise1608]

What i can not understand you feed your dog on one on the best and expensive dry foods R/C and the give him/Her the cheapest tin food there is on the market!!!!

Try a tiny bit of marmite diluted in warm water!!!rather than just plane water

and in response to your question he gets everything he needs from his dry food...the meat was just to make it more appealing so it doesnt really matter what meat it is imo, but he gets no meat now as I don't want to promote his fussyness