Won't Eat - Page 1

My GSD has been picky about his food for about 2 months...he would eat it, but only if you added a treat on top...he has been really itchy, so we thought that is was a food allergy...we switched him over to a new food and he loved it for the first week...and he's not itching as much too...but starting yesterday...he would sniff it and turn up his nose...yesterday we could coax him into eating, but today he wouldn't touch it...he would just lay down next to it...we don't want to add anything on top like we did with the old food...what could be the problem here...he acts fine other than this...

I feel your pain. I have 4 GSDs living with me, & we have been through the picky eater thing, it's not fun.
My oldest girl will on occassion, turn her nose up at her food for a day or so, but it's generally associated with her heat cycle. My male is pretty consistant, he'd be a pig if we'd let him. We have 2 littermates, about about 2 1/2 years old, both females, & one is a hearty eater, who'll eat anything you put in front of her; & the other can be a real pain in the butt. The best thing to do is to not make a fuss, don't 'doctor' up the food with goodies. I'll add some warm water, that's it. and put the food down in a quiet place where your dog feels secure (like his crate), leave it there for a short but reasonable time, say 15 to 20 minutes. Don't hover. Come back calmly after the allotted time, & calmly pick up the dish, & that's it until the next feeding time. (I feed twice a day, for multiple reasons.) Follow through with this, don't cave if the dog holds out for a few days. As long as they are otherwise healthy, eyes bright, playful, drinking water as usual, no vomiting or diarrhea; a stubborn dog can hold out for a frustratingly long time. A couple of missed meals won't hurt him.

HOWEVER....if your dog is ...1) NOT DRINKING
                                                    2) TRYING TO THROW UP AND NOTHING'S COMING OUT
                                                    3) STRAINING TO MOVE HIS BOWELS 
                                                    4) IS LISTLESS OR NOT HIMSELF

THESE ARE SIGNS OF A SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING CONDITION & require an emergent trip to the vets.

If he's just playing you to get some goodies with his food, the advise above will work if you stick to it. These GSDs are ever so very smart, & they know when they've got a good thing going on! Good luck! jackie harris

As far as the itchy goes, if your dog is a mature fellow, try Orijen dog food, very few dogs are allergic to it because it's grain free, & even my pickiest girl never turned her nose up at that! Avoid kibbles that have things like corn, soya protien isolate, beet pulp listed in the ingredients. Orijen has puppy food, too, but if your dog is over 2 years of age adult Orijen will do. It has very high protien content, some argue against that, but my dogs did wonderfully on it. Sadly I can't get it here anymore. jackie harris

We were feeding Canidae...but the new food is TOTW...we can't find origen around here..it has to be ordered ($$$)...thanks for the advice...he was an absolute pig up until now...he is pretty stubborn though...in terms of not being himself...he is kind of bummed acting..until we say the word "toy" or "walk"...

I feed Canidae, I use dogfoodanalysis.com as a tool to evaluate dog kibble. I mix the 'all stages' with the 'grain free' to try to lower the amount of grain in their diet. My picky eater stopped eating this morning, & I found a swollen area on her right lip & muzzle. **Sigh** Another trip to the vets tomorrow if it's still there & she won't eat. That's another thing to think about as well, tooth & gum issues, of course they won't eat if their mouths are sore. jackie harris

Jackie...bee sting?  My 2 year old girl LOVES to snap at wasps and gets stung now and then....I only mention it because you say swollen area on her right lip and muzzle.  My 4 month old caught a wasp a few weeks ago had a swollen lip and muzzle and was sick the next day.

Could be, or spider bite or something like that......we had an invasion of stick bugs, which I love to watch, but I wonder if she chomped one...are they poisonous or do they bite or sting? I used a warm compress this am on her mouth, it seemed to soothe her, she even leaned in to it. But she wouldn't even drink, just mouthed the water. I boiled some beef burger & rice, she wouldn't even smell it. If it's a bite it may be infected, so, unless it's all cleared up in the am, & she's got her appetite back, it's off to the vets! There goes my overtime & holiday pay....**sigh!** jackie harris

just an update....the sorry rascal was just being bratty...it seems one skipped meal did the trick...thanks everyone

 Imagine that. I put the food down, and then pick it up if they don't eat. I feed one brand of dog food, and will not change. Never had a dog starve yet, however, if your dog is not eating, or acting right, you should go to the vet, not here.

Dogs in the wild often go a day without eating.  It is called fasting and it is a way of giving the digestive system a rest. Some owners will fast their dogs one day a month for this reason.  Of course there is no heavy exercise or training on a fasting day and the day after the food amount should be a little less, not more than the usual amount.
Just some food for thought. Or not :)