My dog refuses to eat hard food. My friend told me this is bad for my dog. (a chihuauhua mix) But, I'm not sure this entirely true. Supposedl y she said that fedding my dog hard food is healthier.
Another question, my dog barley drinks water. This really concerns me...in fact, I haven't seen her drink water in two days. What can I do about this? She got spayed about a week ago, so this could be an explanation. But, she's eating regulary and already pretty active.
One last question, my girlfriend has another Chiuhaha mix. MY dog always tries to attack, and has bitten her once. It's odd, because the chiuhaha that would be considered the Alpha female isn't the one attacking her, like you would think. SInce...it's her territory. In fact, she's rather friendly until my dog starts attacking her. How can I get her to stop attacking the other dog?
2006-10-15 07:55:46 · 11 answers · asked by Krystal 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
she is three years old by the way
i took her to the vet two days ago, and i forgot to ask him about the water thing.
2006-10-15 08:01:39 · update #1
i tried mixing soft food with hard food, and she would still only eat the part that didn't have the hard food mixed in with it.
how would i train her to eat hard food'? i don't wanna starve her.
2006-10-15 08:07:38 · update #2
she is VERY territoral and jelous. and she won't attack the dog if she is sitting on my or my girlfriends lap. but if my girl is holding her, and i am sitting on another and the other dog jumps on me she will start growling.
she's for the most part very obident. she's been around bigger dogs and she doesn't try to attack them either. also, this cat was hissing on her and she didn't bare her teeth or start barking.
but with this dog in particular she gets very aggresive
2006-10-15 08:10:14 · update #3
My dog has eaten soft moist food and the canned food his whole life; he is 8 now. He isn't the same breed as your dog so perhaps that makes a difference, but our vet said that soft food is ok. His poop is soft and his breath smells but he doesn't like hard food either.
Are you sure your dog isn't drinking a lot of water? My dog doesn't drink water often but when he is thirsty from activity or eating his food or treats.
Perhaps your dog is just very aggressive. Just because a dog is a specific breed doesn't mean they will follow all the same behaviors, plus you also say she is a mix. She just might not like other dogs regardless of whose territory she is on. Its probably best to just keep the 2 dogs seperated.
If the water habit and soft food worry you a lot, just call your vet and tell them your concerns. They will tell you what they think is best for your dog.
2006-10-15 08:13:15 · answer #1 · answered by pinklipstick_ab 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Puppy food is meant for puppies only. Puppies and senior dogs have very different nutritional needs, and the puppy food will harm her because it has protein/carb/fat and vitamin/mineral amounts meant for growing puppies only, not aging adult dogs with health problems. Give her canned adult or senior food, or one marked as safe for "all life stages." Preferably a high quality brand, not a grocery store kind - Canidae, Blue Buffalo, EVO, Merrick, Wellness Core, and Taste of the Wild are some good ones. If you cannot immediately get dog food, give her plain boiled white rice and skinless boiled chicken cut into very small bits. It won't hurt her. You could also just add some water to her regular food and warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds, but some dogs that are used to eating dry food won't touch it when it's moistened. I don't see why neither of you can afford a few cans of dog food until she goes to the vet, which needs to be very soon. The vet can help you with her nutritional needs as well as checking for other health problems that may be causing her to lose her appetite. It may not just be her teeth and could be something serious. Believe me, I understand, and have been in situations where I couldn't afford the vet either - but I always found a way. I'm still paying off credit card debt from my dogs' vet visits, but I did what I needed to do to keep them healthy.
2016-03-28 10:20:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also have a chihuauhua mix, and we had this similar problem. Our vet told us to mix hard food a little at a time. She also said to try to put some in our hands to see if thats works. As for the water prob. in the soft food (like pedigree in the cans) contains mostly water. This could be why your dog isn't drinking.
Also try hard snack food to introduce her into hard food.
2006-10-15 08:33:59 · answer #3 · answered by snickersjourneycarby 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are feeding your dog only soft food that is probably why your dog doesn't drink much. Hard food is better for dogs , it helps keep their teeth clean.
As for the behavioral issue, it is just that. Some dogs just do not get along. if you are going to put these two dogs together just make sure you keep an eye on them so no one gets hurt. Anymore behavioral problems I would contact your vet
2006-10-15 08:02:09 · answer #4 · answered by leftygirl_75 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is supposed to be better to feed hard food for their teeth. I have
a really old dog who dosen't have many teeth so I feed him soft food. Try keeping the water really fresh, get her really excited when you give it to her. Sometimes they are just really particular
about cool water. If that dosen't work you should check with your
vet. She could be dehydrating. Try putting your dog on a leash
when company comes to teach her to stay by your side. This way she can't get to the other dog. Obidience training. good luck.
2006-10-15 08:06:13 · answer #5 · answered by REALISTIC 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can tell you that crunchy food cleans the teeth.I suspect that your dog has a toothache as to why it only eats soft food & avoids water.Try water that is not cold from the tap but room temperature,,it needs to drink or will become dehydrated if not already.Take it to the vet.
2006-10-15 08:00:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i would get her checked by a vet she needs to be drinking more water. as for feeding soft food all the time does your dog have bad teeth or an infection in her mouth? its one to check. the only problem with soft food is youll need to clean her teeth regular. as for attacking speak to your vet about this to there could be many reasons.
2006-10-15 08:07:21 · answer #7 · answered by ben e 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mix the dry with a little wet and see if that's better. Your dog should not eat JUST wet food.
2006-10-15 08:04:16 · answer #8 · answered by Lucy H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The hard food cleans his teeth.
chihuahuas are pretty territorial, so they will bite if they think their owner is in danger
2006-10-15 08:03:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
try to mix both [soft and hard food] together
2006-10-15 08:04:10 · answer #10 · answered by ret802@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋