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Thread: Not eating!

  1. #1
    Puppy Hayleigh's Avatar
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    Not eating!

    Hello everyone!!

    Just having a bit of an issue with out little lady, Zoe.

    For the past 2 or so months she has refused to eat her dry biscuits. She'll sniff at them and then walk away and won't eat.
    We've fed her the same dry biscuits from the day we bought her home and have never had a problem with this. We will always give her dry biscuits during the day and then for dinner will give her wet food, which she will eat with no issues.
    We've added water to them and she seems to eat them then with no problems, but without water.. she doesn't seem to want them.

    I have switched brands of dry biscuits (because I thought she may have gotten bored with the flavor) and she still doesn't seem interested in them.
    Just curious to know if anyone else has had this problem with their pooch and what I can maybe try to encourage her to eat them.

    Thank you
    Zoe
    Born: 16th January 2014
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  2. #2
    Senior Dog Charlotte K.'s Avatar
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    Biscuits are mostly carbs generally. They are the least nutritious part of her diet. She may have plateaued in height and growth at her age, needing fewer calories. Some, if few, dogs are self refulating that way.

    She is a little old to be cutting teeth. Just check that she doesn't have retained baby teeth since she eats the biscuits when softened. Will she gnaw on other chew items, such as real bones?

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    Senior Dog MikeLynn's Avatar
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    I'm not an expert on canine nutrition and never been a dog myself , but I think they are like us and their likes and dislikes change with age. Lynn was a regular pig-ear junkie all her life; she couldn't get enough of them. With Mel, well, at first I used to cut the ears in half as she was a little puppy and she loved them, but then all of a sudden she started ignoring them, would even comfortably fall asleep next to one without even sniffing it. However, in the morning she has no problem to eat a whole one in fifteen minutes. So now there are no pig ears for her after 5 p.m.; I don't even try, but in the morning and in the afternoon they make a welcome treat. Logical? Don't think so, but that's the way it is. It's probably the same thing as I cannot explain why, when I was a kid my preferences kept shifting between sauerkraut, cabbage, and kale - I would typically love one of them and hate the rest, and then something clicked and now I love them all
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  6. #4
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    If you have checked with your vet and there are no health issues causing the lack of appetite, then it's time for some tough love:

    1. Leave her kibble for 15 minutes. If she doesn't eat, take the plate. Don't serve until it's time for the next meal.
    2. Don't give her any treats.
    3. Don't add any homecooked toppings.
    4. Be persistent.

    When she gets really hungry, she will eat.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    My first thought was a bag box of treats. Dogs can smell when something is off long before we can smell or see it. Second, teeth. I'd have the vet check and make sure there is nothing going on. Third, as noted above, she is self regulating.

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  10. #6
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    when you say biscuits do you mean kibble or treats?

    i'd check her teeth and gums, if she eats them when wet.

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    Hayleigh (09-21-2014)

  12. #7
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I thought the OP meant kibble, not treats.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  14. #8
    Senior Dog MikeLynn's Avatar
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    That's a good question because I really thought Hayleigh meant treats, not kibble, so I didn't think it was a serious problem, but now I'm afraid I was wrong

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  16. #9
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    I think they are talking kibble. I know the folks in England refer to their kibble as "biscuits" too.

    Though Hudler says when you get old sometimes they feed you biscuits AKA cookies instead of meals when you don't eat your food....the only good part about being an old dog.

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    Hayleigh (09-21-2014)

  18. #10
    Puppy Hayleigh's Avatar
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    Thanks all for the replies!!

    and yes, kibble, biscuits .. whatever you wish to call them, that's what I'm talking about haha

    Last time we took Zoe to our vet (which was about a month ago) we were told her teeth and gums are healthy and all her babies had fallen out. Like I stated in my original post, she doesn't have a problem when it comes to wet food or treats, she eats them no problems. I thought maybe she was just being stubborn or was just bored of them and the flavor which is why I switched to a different brand.
    I've stopped adding the water to them because I don't want her to get into the routine where she'll only eat them with water.

    Should I stop giving her dry biscuits for a few days and switch to giving her wet food then switch back? or should I just stop giving her dry biscuits all together?
    Zoe
    Born: 16th January 2014
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