Well, actually, my dog will eat anything. He has been off prednisone for a year, but the “side effect” of “hunger” never went away.
The only time Ace isn’t interested in food is when we travel. There is too much going on, and he doesn’t want to take the time to eat. God forbid he misses out on someone walking from one room to another.
So, what do I do when Ace won’t eat?
I give him five minutes and then I put the food away. I don’t give him treats, scraps from my plate or other goodies. I don’t mix canned food or yogurt with his kibble. He simply does not eat.
Ace might skip two or three meals in a row while we travel, and that’s his choice. A dog will not starve himself. He will eat when he’s hungry. That’s what animals do.
I know of many dogs who are much pickier than Ace when it comes to eating kibble. I recommend the owners of these dogs follow the same plan I follow with Ace.
Don’t mix extra goodies in your dog’s food.
Adding treats or canned food or people food rewards the dog for not eating his regular food. Stick to regular meal times for the dog once or twice a day, and give the dog no more than 10 minutes to eat. Then, put the food away. Don’t leave food out all the time. Food should be used as a reward.
If you are traveling or have new animals in the house, there is a good chance your dog won’t eat. He may be stressed or excited. The same may be true if someone has moved out or passed away. Don’t cater to the dog’s stress by offering him extra goodies. This will not help the dog. Instead, stick to the dog’s usual eating schedule and increase his exercise.
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December 27th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
First of all – great picture! Haha!
Great advice! Often times a person will panic if a dog refuses to eat one meal.
We should also be mindful if a dog does not want to eat for an entire day or two. This is many times a sign of a serious underlying health issue. This would be especially true if the dog is always ready to eat and suddenly loses their appetite.
December 27th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Yep, very true. Thanks for pointing that out!
December 27th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Lindsay, I am on the road right now (at the hotel) and Glory also won’t eat! After skipping 3 meals and showing no interest in her dry kibble, I finally mixed in about a dozen little pieces of cheese. Ooops! Hey I was getting worried about her…..I wish I’d found your post earlier!
December 28th, 2009 at 8:03 am
Good post, but my main question is, how did you get Scout to wear the Santa costume?
Stewie will dress up pretty readily but no way our cat would!
December 28th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Christina, oh well! I don’t think your dog minded that she got some cheese!
Nancy, Scout and Ace both hate dressing up and basically sulk the whole time. The only reason Scout can’t get out of that Santa suit is because it has a belt around the middle.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I did some research about moving with cats before we trekked to Oregon. I found the same to be true of traveling with felines. We offered them food, but they weren’t interested. They did eat in the hotel rooms while we were stopped each evening, but had zero interest in food, water, or litter box during the actual travel in the car. It was worrisome, even though I had prepared myself for it!
December 29th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I agree with the advice. Trust that unless there is a medical problem, your dog will eat when he or she is hungry.
The only exception I’d make is if you believe that your dog does not understand that the food is his or hers. Some dogs are submissive around food, and this can be exacerbated if there are strange people or animals in your “new” place or if the bowls are different. It has to be clear to your dog that the food you’re giving them is meant for them & now is the time to eat.
I had a hard time over our Thanksgiving travels with this issue, especially because Lady was not watching me prepare her dinner or hearing the food clang into the bowl (the natural cues that she’s going to get fed). She was off in another room getting attention with relatives. Then I put the food down for her in a quieter place and called her in, but after all the other food at this “strange” place that she wasn’t allowed to eat all day, she didn’t seem to *get* that this food was hers. We know that she gets submissive with food and people in different ways, even in our own house, so it wasn’t that surprising. I grabbed a few bits of cheese, put some in her bowl (while she watched), offered her one for obeying a command, gave our equivalent of a “take it” command and then she went straight to eat the dinner.
Bottomline: Don’t reward a dog who is too “busy” to eat with treats and goodies. Do make sure your dog understands when it is time to eat in a strange place!
December 29th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Tammy, I find that my cats won’t use their litter box when we are traveling either. They hold it for what seems like a really long time!
Shay, that is something I did not think about. Very good point. My dog always knows what food is his since I always practice a command or two with him before he eats. Once he’s released, he has no problem eating!
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Great tips, Lindsay and Shay. We don’t have that problem with Biggie, haha, since he always seems to be hungry and it’s hard for him to turn down raw meat. But your point is a good one – as long as you can rule out a medical problem, it is ok if your dog skips a meal or two. Haven’t we all had times when we were so busy or so engrossed in something fun or interesting that we forgot to eat?
January 4th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Yeah, I think we have all skipped meals ourselves from time to time. If the dog is acting really tired and lethargic, he is probably sick or simply not feeling well or stressed. If the dog is running around like a nut having fun or checking out new dogs or visitors, I wouldn’t worry.
January 25th, 2010 at 4:00 am
hi,
have just found your dog blog, i have to say it is superb, have bookmarked it!
the photo of the cat and dog in the christmas hat and coat is hilarious!
thanks!
February 12th, 2010 at 7:08 am
HI. I have a skittish female Schnauzer and changed her food to continuous feeders for food and water. It’s was made for small pets and the bowls are a little small.Smaller than the prior dishes. Does that matter? I also set both food and water feeders on a ergonamic stand. My younger Schnauzer has no problem with them so the mama dog sees what to do but wont go near it. How long should I let her go without using them. She can get water outside but no food.
Thanks
February 12th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
When I have dogs that won’t eat because of a new environment, a change of food, etc., they will usually start to eat again within four days. I’m certain this will be the case with your dog unless you are giving her additional table scraps, treats or raw hides. Then she would have no reason to eat her regular food.
I don’t recommend a continuous feeder for a number of reasons. For one, you won’t know for sure if the dog has eaten. If she does eat, you won’t know how much.
Second, food should be used as a reward, not something that is always available. A dog wants to work for its food, so its a good idea to feed dogs after a walk or at least after making them sit and stay for a few seconds.
Third, dogs like a routine. If a dog is fed a small amount at the same times every day she will learn that this is when she should eat. If she chooses to skip this meal, then she will be hungry for the next meal. This also makes it easier for house training, sticking to an exercise schedule and even preventing separation anxiety.
You may be interested in my post on what to do when your dog is a picky eater:
http://www.thatmutt.com/2008/04/23/what-to-do-when-your-dog-is-a-picky-eater/