Her name is Sassy she's a miniature poodle who in her "heyday" weighed abt 13lbs. Now she weighs just under 10. She was spayed years agp. I've taken her to the Vet who tested her for many things incl. worms. I've tried every dogfood I can think of. I don't know what else to do! Her teeth appear to be OK, but could use cleaning. She's an inside pampered pooch. I love her very much, & I need advice. Any ideas?
2007-01-27 14:39:46 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Your dog is getting older. A lot of things change with an older dog, appetite is one of them. If the vet says she is healthy, I would just watch her closely for any other signs of illess. Take her back to the vet if you think something is wrong.
2007-01-27 14:49:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried home cooked foods? Cooked ground lamb or veal or even turkey with fresh steamed rice entices most dogs I know of... Be aware that at 16, many dogs start to lose interest in foods a little. I've always attributed this to the natural slowing down of the body.
Have you been feeding "dog food" for most of her life? If so, she might not be too enthused about people food. What are her favorite foods? Have you tried feeding them? At her age and wieght, even a bowl full of bacon wouldn't be the end of the world, if she'll eat it.
Again I think you best bet is fresh cooked ground meats supplemented with rice or other grains... It's what I've fed to senior dogs, and what they seemed to like the most.
2007-01-27 22:53:55 · answer #2 · answered by Todd M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately ist is never a good sign when a dog starts to eat less.
How was she before she started getting finnicky? was she a greedy eater.? Most animals slow down eating when they near the end of their life span.
I had an almost 16 year old Pit Bull thhat started not to eat well. I started cooking his meals, I used ground up lamb or veal and cooked it with rice and vegetables. He really liked that and I added some of his regular dog food in with it.
He gobbled it up. I was aware that he may never eat straight dog food again, but I didn't care I just wanted the best for him.
Unfortunately he died about 2 months later.
Best of luck to you.
2007-01-27 23:05:09 · answer #3 · answered by thatswhattheytoldmelastnight 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is she really underweight? Maybe she's okay at 10 pounds?
You could try warming up her food; if it is dry food, add some liquid that she likes.
How is her sense of smell? Some dogs and people lose appetite due to poor sense of smell. This can be related to zinc deficiency.
Adding a little fat or oil to her food would give her extra calories without making her eat more.
She's just a young thing! Good luck.
2007-01-27 22:50:30 · answer #4 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you only give her one option, she'll get hungry enough to eat anything, be patient, and don't feed her under the table. She is trying to be dominant, and if she was spoiled at one time, it can be undone. I've done it to a shih-tzu/poodle cross before, and the dog is about 12 years old. Just be firm, and she'll come around.
2007-01-27 22:51:01 · answer #5 · answered by Robert 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well what i find to work the best is to get dog food and mash it up, so its in little pieces, then add a little milk so it looks like cerial, this should work.
2007-01-27 22:49:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You better hope shes not dying. That could be a reason.
2007-01-27 22:47:11 · answer #7 · answered by qua901 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋