Won't eat!

[coralee]

Hi All

Calle's settling in really well - Mum is besotted and it seems Calle is too!!

Only one problem - she just won't eat!

OK - so, Mum's tried the kibble that she was sent home with (Arden Grange) - spits it out

She's also tried several other types of dry food inc. Science Diet and Bakers - spits it out

She's tried pedigree chum tinned meat and various kibbles/dry food - will eat meat - spit out anything else

Chicken and rice - will eat chicken - spit out rice

Will eat really high value treats like there's no tomorrow (hotdogs, cheese, doggy treats) although, of course, Mum is capping how many she's eating, in the hope that she'll have a "proper" meal

So, it seems, Calle is only interested in meaty protein - worried that meat only is not balanced and therefore, at some point Calle will suffer for it

Any ideas???

Mum took her to the vet for a full check over - Vet "Can't guarantee she's not in pup" and she has to wait to find out - hypothetically - if Calle was pregnant - would her need for protein rise?? Could this be why she's only interested in meaty/proteiny stuff? (if this sounds a stupid question - please to forgive - I have no experience whatsoever with female dogs!)

Any advice, as always, gratefully received!

 

[ladylola]

Could try her on Nature Diet if she likes wet food. That is balanced.

Couldn't say about the protein in pregnancy as never had a preggy bitch.

Hope she's not 

[coralee]

We hope so too - it seems the rescue didn't realise she was in season when she came in and kenneled her with an entire male!! 

I really can't fault the rescue who were just lovely to Mum throughout the whole process - I'm just stunned that her heat wasn't picked up on at the time she came in, it was later, which is why she wasn't spayed before coming home - but, these things happen and we will get through whatever we have to...it would just be a crying shame if she is - cos she's been through enough, bless her heart 

Will check out Nature Diet, thank you 

[pippalove]

 hi
im new to this site . but i do know that bitches in pup do eat alot of extra protein as mine did .however it could just be that she is still settling in to her new surroundings ,hope she improves

[JaspersMum]

Don't know about pregnant bitches, but Heidi is a little so and so for not eating.  She's pretty good at sussing if she doesn't eat, mummy comes along with something tastier to encourage her so she waits to see how good the food can get 

I've just tried Royal Canin sensible on the recommendation of the RC rep at a show (and home assessment) and she is eating that with a bit more gusto and has put on some weight (needed to put a little on)  She prefered the smaller breed version though to the medium 

It's an easy trap to fall into keep changing the food to tempt them though.  I only really changed when the weight fell off Charlie when Heidi was in season and it's worked OK for them.  The older 2 need to keep weight off so different regime for them but they'll eat anything and everything.

[Coco]

My girls didn't like Nature's diet at first but soon came to like it after several breaks and trys. In the short term, if she;s not in pup and 'decent' canned food would be ok and she could gradually sneak in other bits

[MaggieR]

Maggie's been on Nature's Diet since she was a pup, with some JWB in the evening - hopefully that or something else will help Calle settle.  Fingers crossed she's not in pup, bless her!  Pleased she's settling so well with your mum tho  for you both, you for helping your mum through such a hard time and your mum for giving Calle a second chance.

Lisa
x

[spanielcrazy]

Mum took her to the vet for a full check over - Vet "Can't guarantee she's not in pup" and she has to wait to find out - hypothetically - if Calle was pregnant - would her need for protein rise?? Could this be why she's only interested in meaty/proteiny stuff? (if this sounds a stupid question - please to forgive - I have no experience whatsoever with female dogs!)

Any advice, as always, gratefully received!

 

Yes, if she's pregnant she may be one of those finicky ones. In a raw diet, meat makes up 70% of the diet so she should do fine on a meat heavy diet. If she is pregnant, just let her have what she'll eat, she'll be hoovering up anything she can get soon enough 

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=71364.0

[lindseyp]

Sorry to hear that Calle is having trouble eating at the mo & hope you find something that she finds more appetising soon 
When Purdey had pups her appetite just increased - passe  & anything edible would do   


I've just got to say (& in no way is it a critisism on your mum or you  ) but I like you, am stunned to say the least, at Calle's rescue allowing her to be in a position to get mated    Surely their whole ethos is to prevent such happenings & lecture people on the dangers of possible health risks to mum & pups    Your mum has rescued this poor girl    & may only have a short time to bond & adjust to living together, when any number of tiny little ones (Purdey had 9!!) may appear & your mum may have 8 weeks of intense physical & emotional hard work ..... in laymans terms - I'm gob smacked 

Your mum's  for taking her on & I keep my fingers crossed she's not expecting (but if she is, it sounds like she couldn't be in a better place  )

[coralee]

Thank you all for your advice - I will pass everything on to Mum 

Am sure there must be a test to find out whether she is pregnant? (Calle that is, not Mum...Oh lord, I can deal with anything...but not that!!!  )

It is a bit of a worry about the circumstances that Calle was kenneled under - and I share real concerns too - but, the people at the rescue are so loving and caring to the animals, I can only think that this was a silly oversight, as opposed to not caring. If she is, then, as far as I can remember, the dog she was with was a Staffie - who was the sweetest thing, but lordy that's going to be some mix!

Fingers crossed she's not and Mr Staffie wasn't up to the job!

[PennyB]

Rescues dogs often won't eat though when they 1st go into a home so I'm not surprised despite the circumstances - it might be worth also taking food up for a couple of days as well if she doesn't eat it - she cuold just be being fussy - sometimes if you you try to overcompensate for their previous lives you can end up with problems.

Am also thinking her teeth are OK as well - I sometimes soak the hard food then slowly introduce the hard

[coralee]

That's what we were thinking, but we've had her mouth gums and teeth checked out and all seems to be OK. She even spits out the softened with water food though! We know she's ok to chew as she's been munching on pigs ears much to her delight...

I shall say to Mum to try not to give out tasty tasty treats, just in case Calle's being canny and has sussed out that the extra yummy stuff is on its way if she holds out a little!!

[mooching]

coralee

I think it could well be that she was maybe out of sorts the first time, but then discovered that if she refused she got all kinds of goodies, and that she could well now be refusing in order to see what she gets offered next.

I'd suggest sticking with what she came home with, and just putting it down as usual, then picking it up after half an hour, no matter whether or not she has eaten any, and NOT GIVING HER ANYTHING ELSE until the next meal time. If the issue is pickiness and "playing" your mum, it should be resolved within a day or two, if not less.

[AnnieG]

Is it too late to give her an injection to terminate any pregnancy or does the thought fill you will horror?

[Karma]

Ordinarily I would 100% agree with what Mooching has said... giving way to picking eating generally creates a pickier eater...
But as there is a suspicion she may be in pup, I'd be reluctant to play the strict card at the minute... if she IS in pup, she'll need all the nutrition she can get from whatever source she's willing to take... 

Did the vet give any indication of whether he thought she actually was, rather than just not being able to guarantee she wasn't...?  As far as I know the only way to be sure is a scan, which I would imagine doesn't come cheap...

It's tricky - as Penny says, a lot of dogs will go off food when they first move into a new home, and in these circumstances tempting them to eat with treats can create more problems than they solve...