Since being sick my dog refuses to eat pet food, advice please?

Question

My king charles spaniel was sick last month and was on a diet of chicken and rice, since then she refuses to eat dog food, will only eat chicken and rice and dog treats. We have tried to wean her back onto pet food, and now she has even stopped eating the chicken. Currently she has not eaten properly for two days and we just keep offering her regular pet food but she walks away. We are at the end of our tether with her fussy eating habits, as the lack of food is making her naughty. She is a pretty spoilt dog, but we are worried she is not getting enough nutrients and things, she is only a year old and she really shouldn't be behaving like this. Has anyone else ever experienced this and do they have any advice as it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

As a vet tech, I see this a lot. A healthy dog will not starve itself. A dog will wait you out for up to 5 days (I've seen it happen-depending upon the dogs stubbornish). It does bother me though that you said she won't eat the chicken now. That doesn't sound right. Are you feeding her something more tasty than the chicken? If so, then everything's normal & she's just working ya. If not, she needs to be checked by the vet again. Is everything else normal. As in bowel movements, vomiting? Hopefully all is well. King charles spaniels are so flippin adorable- I can see how you would be able to spoil her so easily !!!!!

Answer 2

GET YOUR DOG DRIED FOOD AND MIX IT WITH A TIN OF TUNA FISH U CAN IF U WANT WET THE DRIED FOOD FIRST THEN MIX TUNA MY DOGS LOVE IT THEY ALSO LIKE PASTA TUNA, I HAVE A LABRADOR AND NEWFOUNDLAND

Answer 3

hes devoouring his food because he doesnt know when he is going to get more or if you will take it away from him and hes peeing all over because he is afraid to go outside if you have anouther dog show him that the other dog likes it outside you could even try leaving the door open and sitting down right outside the door pat the ground clap your hands call him if you gave him a name if that doesnt work get a magazine or someting and just sit their for 20 - 30 minutes maybe even an hour who really knows what he went through before be careful even silly things can scare him my neighbor adopted a dog from a shelter that was a stray and me and my dog were playing ball and he acted interested so i threw the ball toward him (it didnt hit him or any thing) and he ran away from it so i picked it up and he came to see it and then he cowarded,

Answer 4

VET

Answer 5

My dog use to be so picky at food when she was younger. She got sick and went through that phase. What you can do is put a little water over her dry food and put it in the microwave for a few seconds and leave it down about 15 minutes. If she does not eat it do not worry and then about an hour later put the same food down. My dog went three days without food she will now eat her food dry. Good luck!

Answer 6

She's probably just being a big brat. My dog did that to some extent last summer after she was really sick. She's also obsessed with people food. ;) She's also begun sitting whenever she sees someone with a bottle of pills!

I'm assuming she previously had no problems in eating the same brand/type of food, and she probably likes the taste of what she's been given while sick better. You could try giving her some food that is a little more aromatic (smells awful to you!) and maybe tastes more like the stuff she got while sick. There are many varieties available, so I'm sure you can find something that she'd like.

It could be cause for concern, though. If she doesn't snap out of it after a few more days, or if she stops drinking water, take her back to the vet to be checked out.
Even if she's just being bratty and is especially stubborn, they can give her some I.V. fluids if they feel like she's depleted enough.

Answer 7

If she is not eating anything, this may indicate she is still sick. Do give her the chicken and rice for some time, until you are sure she is no longer sick. Then start mixing the dog food. If she doesn't eat it, just take it back. Give her the same in the evening. If she still refuses it, take it back and give her the same in the morning. Hunger eventually will make her eat, if she is not sick.

Answer 8

Start mixing chicken and rice with dog food. Gradually reduce the amount of chicken and rice and increase the proportion of dog food over 7 days.

If your dog is not sick, she will eat. Don't give in to her anymore!

Answer 9

You just have to tough it out. You should not give any more chicken/rice/human food. Instict that she needs to eat will kick in. This also means no treats, if she thinks you will give treats to make up for the meals she won't consider what's in the dinner dish. Some easy things you can do to help entice her, add a bit of water, some of my dogs have refused to eat if I didn't do this. Apparently they think it adds something to the food, I don't eat it so I can't comment on why. If she continues to not eat call you vet, there may still be something wrong. I wouldn't recommend going more than 1 1/2 - 2 days with no food before you have her in to be checked. You said she was sick but you don't say if they found a cause. In dogs sometimes sick can really be a blockage in the digestive system or other internal problem that causes t he lack of appetite. This also can cause bad behavior because the dog still isn't feeling well and doesn't know what to do about it. How does her tummy look? Same as always... bloated? Bloat would be cause for concern for me and I'd call the vet immediately but if its a long hair spaniel that might not be obvious without flipping her over

Answer 10

As long as you are sure she is no longer ill you need to train her to eat. Mix her dog food with rice, leave the food down for 30 mins then remove for a few hours then offer again, remove after 30 mins. Do not fuss her whether she eats or not.Stop all treats. make sure fresh water is available at all times. She will not starve herself, honest.