Not eating dry food - what to do?

[alfiesgirl]

Hiya I haven't posted on here in a long while but we are starting to have issues over our 9 month old working cocker not wanting to eat his food.  He is on Arden Grange Puppy/Junior but he just doesn't want to eat it!  We have tried mixing it with cheese and bits of meat but he just picks them out and leaves his proper food, any advice on what to do?? Thank you!

[wales07]

Have you tried soaking his food in water?

[fenn2006]

This problem is definitely a cocker thing and patience is the key.  With Fenn at the mo we have her on boiled chicken or white fish with pedigree mixer.....this is not the best food (pedigree) at all but for now I just want to get her into an eating pattern and she seems to not mind this.  I have also just purchased some Malted Kelp tablets to aid appetite from Dorwest Herbs but you will probably not need to go this far.

I know now when we get another cocker, not to be tempted to add anything to the food and just keep putting down the same thing from the start.  They seem to be very clever and soon realise they are on to a good thing otherwise 

[caro]

Have you tried soaking his food in water?

I was gonna say exactly the same!  We started Fern on Burns by mixing half with warm water and in time she started eating it all dry.  Also agree with Kelly that they are very clever when it comes to special extras!

[alfiesgirl]

No we haven't tried soaking it, will give it a go thanks!

[dexter and dillon's mum]

Oh my god....someone else with the same problem as me!!!!  I'm not alone!! 


I have two cocker's that are brothers.  Dexter has ALWAYS loved his food and no sooner its down on the floor he has gobbled it all up.  Dillon has always enjoyed his food but a little more of a 'polite' eater (by this i mean he literally eats only one biscuit at a time, making sure its FULLY chewed before swallowing it!!)  He takes about 20 minutes to eat his dinner but it was always gone in the morning and evenings.  They were on James Wellbeloved and then about 3 months ago we changed to wainwrights - just for a bit of variation to flavor and size of the biscuits.  Dillon still ate all his meals but then just suddenly stopped....

We tried everything....adding water, meat, coating the biscuits in meat paste(which was amusing to watch as he just sucked off the meat paste then spat out the whole biscuits onto the floor - clever dog!), adding very diluted gravy stuff, tinned food....nothing worked!! However if i sit on the floor with him and feed him one by one, he will eat the whole bowl?? 

So then i went back to the James Wellbeloved....but still no....he seems to be hungry and wags his tail and waits perfectly but then just sniffs it and walks away.  I've altered the feeding times to now feeding him after his long evening walk so he can build up his appetite but still no joy. 

I think tonight he maybe ate about 1/3 of his dinner but another thing I've noticed is that his fur is all changing, He has always had very fine wispy fur (he's never had to be clipped!), and it suddenly gone super soft and fluffy (not very good with descriptive words!), and it seems to be getting thicker and I've suddenly noticed he has so much more feathers on his legs.....i think they grew overnight?!

I'm not sure whether the condition of his coat is related in anyway to him not eating or whether I'm slightly going off on a tangent!!

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated because I'm running out!
 

[KellyS]

Well your probabally going to think I am a bit hard but it works for me and maybe i've been lucky but haven't really had this problem (touch wood but mine get 20 mins to eat and if they don't eat it gets taken away until the next feed. If they still don't eat it gets taken away until the next feed and so on.. before long they will eat! - they won't starve themselves unless there is something wrong with them. By adding nice extras you just make them fussy and they pick out the nice tasty treats which won't help the problem.  By hand feeding them you make a rod for your own back and will encourage them to be fussy.

If Dillion ate something tonight I wouldn't worry, maybe the change in his coat is due to the change in the food?

[sarah25]

Well your probabally going to think I am a bit hard but it works for me and maybe i've been lucky but haven't really had this problem (touch wood but mine get 20 mins to eat and if they don't eat it gets taken away until the next feed. If they still don't eat it gets taken away until the next feed and so on.. before long they will eat! - they won't starve themselves unless there is something wrong with them. By adding nice extras you just make them fussy and they pick out the nice tasty treats which won't help the problem.  By hand feeding them you make a rod for your own back and will encourage them to be fussy.

I agree & do the same 

[dexter and dillon's mum]

Thanks for the advice,

I put his breakfast down this morning and left it for 20 minutes, he didn't eat a thing and i had to go off to work so poor Dillon went hungry!!

Just fed him his dinner and again he turned his nose up at it, but after about 10 minutes returned to eat and so far has eaten about 1/2........so far so good!!


I think your advice worked.....thanks!!
x x x

[caro]

That's great news 

[floydlennon]

i do the same put floyds meals down and if he hasnt eaten them i lift them after 20 mins they soon realise this is it if i dont eat it im gonna be hungry addin extras is not a thing id do as they will just look for it all the time and then yuo r back to square one

[Annette]

I did the same with Buddy (and my son, too, when he hit a fussy five minutes when he was a toddler. He only did it twice!)

Hard old bag, aren't I?

[KellyS]

Thats great Amy... keep it up and don't be tempted to give in, like I said he ain't going to starve himself! These cockers will wrap us right round their little paws if we let them