Cinders not eating!!!

[mooching]

Not really!  Step Son sometimes gives her a couple of chews when he gets in from school - when he remembers to!!! 

What kind of chews?

That apart, if he does give her those (presuming he gets in around 3 or 4) they could be getting in the way of her appetite for her evening meal.

[Mrs B]

Yes I had thought about this and we have decided that he won't give her any and we'll see if her apetite improves.  Last night she did eat most of it and again at breakfast this morning.  I am just going to see how things go and perhaps occasionally add tuna or cooked chicken to her meals as a bit of variety.  I suppose it is like having a child - you more you make something an issue the less likely they are to go and do what you want them to.

I have noticed that hubby gets quite stressed about her not eating and keeps on at her about it (yes I know she is only a dog!!).  He is worried by what the vet has said about her losing weight.  As he has been working away this week I have not fussed round her and just left her to it.  She will start off in the utility eating and then wanders off to play, but then keeps going back for little nibbles! I think she may be a little and often kind of Cocker!!!

[mooching]

Let's hope he lets you continue to do things your way when he comes back, because fussing at her over it could just cause her to become anxious and even less inclined to eat, or alternatively could get her in the habit of not eating in order to get more attention.

Is she still losing weight, or has her weight stabilised now?

[SkyeandOllie]

my GSD only weighed 14kg when I got her at a year old as a resuce (should have been nearer 25kg ) she refused to eat from a metal bowl, we figured out that seeing her reflection and the noise of the bowl put her off. 

what type of bowl does cinders have? does she seem anxious round the bowl?

I also found we were putting pressure on Skye without realising, standing over her, hovering nearby.  now we add a little JWB kibble topper and a little water and she wolfs it down in a nice pink plastic bowl 

[Mrs B]

Her weight seems to have stabilised now.  I am definitely going to have words with hubby when he gets back and make sure we both do exactly the same.

SkyeandOllie: I did wonder about the bowl being the problem.  Last year after we got back from a week away Cinders refused to go anywhere near her bowl.  Mother in law had been dog and house sitting for us.  I did tell her to rinse the food bowl out in hot water and wipe it down with a paper towel, but from looking at the bowl it hadn't been done all week!!!!  I then soaked the bowl in salt water for about an hour and then scalded it with boiling hot water a couple of times.  Once the bowl was dried she then ate out of it!  To be honest Cinders isn't being consistant with not liking the bowl - this morning for instance she ate the majority of the breakfast with no fuss whatsoever!!!  I think she is just being a little minx and trying to appeal for something different to eat with those gorgeous sad spaniel eyes that she uses ALL the time!!!

Am doing myself tuna pasta bake for tea tonight so I think a bit of tuna may go in the bowl with some of her normal food!!

I just wished she knew how much worry she was putting me through!!!!!

[SkyeandOllie]

Skye was a nightmare! If you dont mind putting something extra in at every feed maybe thats the way to go?! even a touch of wet food ( I have to make sure each bit of kibble is damp from warm water and has wet food on it or she wont eat!  If shes eating with a little more temptation and her weight is good Im guesig it maybe a comprimise you'll need to make!  hopefully she'll pick up again soon 

[mooching]

I personally can't be doing with having to put something extra in each time. When we first got Alfie, I started doing that to try and get him to eat it, but the trouble was that if he ate the extra and not all of the kibble, the kibble was then not completely dry and would not keep for later. Whereas if it's just kibble, and they leave it, you can give it to them for their next meal. Alfie gets an occasional teaspoonful of something or other, but it's as a treat, not to try to get him to eat it.

[Mrs B]

I actually agree with you mooching that I don't want to start 'faffing' because then I could be making a rod for my own back . . .  but on the flip side an occasional something extra on top might add abit of variety!!!  Just going to go with the flow and see how we progress!  Like you say SkyeandOllie she hasn't lost any more weight, but still looks skinny (you can't see her ribs when she is standing still, but you can quite clearly when she turns!).

Have spoken to a work colleague this afternoon who has got 2 yorkshire terriers and she is experiencing exactly the same thing as I am with Cinders!! How bizarre!!!

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.  Sometimes it is nice to hear from other COL's to know that I am not going mad and to get advice from you guys!!

[mooching]

Like you say SkyeandOllie she hasn't lost any more weight, but still looks skinny (you can't see her ribs when she is standing still, but you can quite clearly when she turns!).

MrsB, she's a worker, isn't she (looks like one from your profile pic)? Are you sure she isn't just a bit on the slim side, as workers often are?

[Mrs B]

Yes she is (bless her) although we don't actually work her!  I think it was the vet's comments that worried us more than anything that she had lost weight from the last time we had been to the vets!  We took her in October as she had a cyst on the underside of her tail and she was also due her worming tabs, so vet weighed her.  When she checked Cinders' records it turned out she had lost weight (not sure how much as vet didn't say, but when we took a quick look at the scales she was just over 8kg).  Everyone always comments on how slim she is and I suppose when she is standing and you look down on top of her she does go in quite abit from the ribs.

I did put abit of chappie on her kibble last night . . . . and she wolved it down and even licked the bowl clean for me!!! This morning for brekkie I only gave her RC and Arden Grange mixed.  The look she gave me was so comical - she glared at me and then looked at the fridge door (chappie in there) and did a little 'woof' as if to say "sorry mum there is something missing off me brekkie!!!!"  I didn't give in to her though - she did eventually eat some of it!

[mooching]

MrsB, just to say that if you're going to be giving her a little canned food, Chappie is fine but you may also want to consider Butchers Tripe Mix. Butchers is what our vet recommends for putting weight on dogs.

[Mrs B]

Thanks for this Mooching - I nearly picked up Butchers when I went Morrisons on Tuesday evening and even stood and had a mini debate with myself!  Opted for chappie as quite a few dog owners and friends had recommended it to us.  Will definitely consider Butchers next time as abit of variety!!!!

[mooching]

MrsB, it's just that tripe (whether raw or canned) puts on bulk. Chappie is ok, with the main ingredient being fish, but it does also contain a fair bit of cereal and also something they call "meat derivatives" which basically means parts of a non-specific animal that we would not consider to be meat. Butchers is gluten-free, and I think the overall ingredient quality is better (can't seem to locate an ingredient list online atm, will come back and edit when I do!). Something like Nature Diet is even better (but more expensive).

[patch]

I had the same problem with Milo a week or so ago but on MOOCHING recommendations I tried Natures Diet.Milo is absolutely loving it.He stopped eating his kibble and has always been a bit fussy and very sensitive stomach/digestion.I am slowly adding a little Eukanuba back into the natures diet but he is eating.He had lost alot of weight/muscle too due to gastroenteritis a xmas.He is definately starting to put weight on again.I know how stressful it can be when they wont eat and you can see them loosing weight.The natures diet also seems to have been the best food (apart from eukanuba kibble) to agree with milos digestion.Best poo's hes ever had !!! lol