Stress In Dogs

[wendy]

Hi everyone

Well I think I now know the root of Finley's poor eating - It's stress.  Before we started doing showing I noticed that if we took Finley somewhere new he would be off his food slightly, and very tired but did not think anything of if as he is a puppy.

However we have been doing a bit of showing since the end of December and everytime we do a show he goes off his food for a few days, he will not even touch chicken and rice.  However it looks like it not just confined to the shows as last Thursday he went to the groomers and since then has not eaten properly - the groomer did say that for half an hour after I left he shook (he has been to her house before).

Not sure what to do, just when he starts to put some weight on he looses it.  He is a very well socialised dog and really does enjoy his ring craft and obedience classes and show no stress there.

I would appreciate some suggestions/ideas, I really hate the thought that he is so stress that he can not eat - do they grow out of this?

He has eaten hardly anything since Friday.

Wendy

[bluegirl]

I would say that my dog has always been on the nervous side, but it never stopped her eating. She is now 2yrs old and she is the best she has ever been. I follow a natural diet and I increased the amount of iron and iodine in her diet, as this was suggested in nervousness. I also bought some vervain and valerian from the health shop and made infusions of them and put some on her food in an attempt to bring her out of herself alittle more.

from Karen

[Jane S]

I don't think it's actually stress that is causing Finlay not to eat - it sounds like by nature he is not a big eater & this is made worse when he goes through an exciting/stressful/tiring experience like a trip to the groomers or a day at a show ie it only takes a change from his usual day to day routine to put him off eating for a while. I have certainly come across other dogs like this & they almost always grow out of this with the confidence gained from maturity. I know it's not easy but you really need to try & not worry too much about Finlay's eating habits - dogs pick up on human anxiety & it can make them worse.  Finlay is probably going through adolescence so his hormones are all over the place at the moment - at this stage, dogs can go through another fear period when things that haven't upset them before (like going to the groomers) suddenly do make them anxious. This phase doesn't usually last long so you just need to be patient & keep up the socialisation etc Keep telling yourself that Finlay is a perfectly healthy dog who just hasn't got a big appetite but one day he will grow out of this & then you'll be worrying how to keep the weight off

Jane

[wendy]

Thanks Jane, I will look forward to the day when I have to watch Finley's weight - I can deal with that better as my two late rescue dogs were overweight when they came to us and we managed to successfully slim them down to the correct weight adding years to there lives.  You are right Finley is perfectly healthy, is just so so hard (for me anyway) to cope with a dog is has such a small appetite.

Wendy

[Gilly]

Wendy I really can sympathise with you I have been in the same boat as you about Buttons and her eating. I have now (she's 2 1/2) accepted that she is never going to be a big eater and never going to be big, but, she is perfectly healthy and happy in everyway  

[Laura]

Brogan was awful at eating when he was younger - he would skip meals left, right and centre.  There was no pattern for him - he just didn't seem to be interested in food.  When Bailey came home - Brogan refused to eat his meals for 4 days - I cried on the 3rd day as it upset me so much and I felt guilty as Bailey was demolishing his own food like there was no tomorrow.

I don't know if it was maturity, neutering, Bailey's arrival or the combination of all 3 that then turned him into a walking eating machine - I have just spent the last 2 months reducing his weight now that he is a true scavenger!     They certainly like to keep us on our toes!

Hope his appetite picks up soon  

[PennyB]

What about TTouch. Its great for calming dogs and also giving them confidence. Either see a practitioner or go on a workshop. I now have a TTouch book which is good but I find I'd rather be shown exactly how to do this:

TTouch book from Amazon

Tilley Farm---home of TTouch in the UK

Ttouchtteam

Linda Tellington Jones---home of TTouch (US based)

[Cob-Web]

Wendy, I agree it dreadful when they don't eat; I feel as if I have somehow failed in my job as his "mum" (but then I feel the same way if my daughter doesn't eat, as well   ) - in your previous posts, you have said that you think he is too skinny for the showring?

I'm a little confused   ? You want Finley to gain weight for the show-ring, but a day at a show (or anywhere else exciting/stressful) leads to his appetite reducing, hence execerbating his skinniness.

Maybe as a pet owner, I am out of line here, but wouldn't it be better enjoy him as a pet-dog, whether with a big or small appetite, and not worry about whether he is too skinny for showing - as long as he is heathy and happy?