How do we get Fido to eat.....?

[Noel]

She is 15+ and reluctant to eat, especially in the A.M. Dinner is not a problem.

I am thinking her sense of smell is going, fast. And/or her metabolism is slowing down.

Any ideas as to what I could put on her A.M. breakfast to stimulate her sense of smell and/or get her interested ? Don't think one big meal at night is a good idea....have heard that her stomach/intestines could get twisted ??

Thanks for any suggestions

[soren]

One of our dogs is a Cairn Terrier that just decides to pass on eating, sometimes skipping a day. She has done it for years. Every time it happens, the DW is convinced the goofy brown fur ball is dying. I then perform the "stinky fish" test. I crack open a tin of smoke herring fillets, and dribble the fish oil all over the dry dog food. As I'm finishing that task, the dog is sitting next to my heel, and shaking in anticipation. Since I saturate the 1/2 cup portion of small kibble, the little bugger has no choice but to eat every bit, to get to the bottom, and lick up every last molecule of fish oil.

[dspencer]

colliehauler wrote:

mockturtle wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Let the dog drive when she's hungry.

I don't think I'd let my dog drive even when he's hungry. :W

And we appreciate that.:W

With all due respect your dog could probably drive better than a lot of people i see driving...:B

[dturm]

Noel wrote:
Thanks for all the comments. She had her annual check up last month. All is well, except for a slightly abnormal liver reading...and SAMe and milk thistle should bring that back to normal.

The liver could be the cause of the inappetence. The treatment that you have her on is a perfect first step in therapy!!

I'd use any of the suggestions for keeping the appetite up to maintain optimum weight. You are probably dealing with a situation that requires more than wait and see. "If she's hungry enough she'll eat" isn't appropriate for this situation.

Just my opinion.

[colliehauler]

DutchmenSport wrote:
OK, guys.... I re-read this post and really got a kick out of all the puns and humor and stuff! I do now remember what my original thought was, "Let the dog drive when she's hungry."

If taken literal in one context, "drive" can be taken to mean,... like .... drive a car.

On the other hand, and my intention, Let the dog "decide" when she's hungry. Does that make better sense? Drive = decide?

And oh, by the way! Because we have 2 dachshunds, one of them controls the pedals and the other does the steering! :E

(If only I could get them to take the trash out! :B )

I actually took it to mean let the dog decide on when to eat. Could not resist the pun's though. I don't trust the Collies to keep it in the lane so I only let him drive the boat.:W

[DutchmenSport]

OK, guys.... I re-read this post and really got a kick out of all the puns and humor and stuff! I do now remember what my original thought was, "Let the dog drive when she's hungry."

If taken literal in one context, "drive" can be taken to mean,... like .... drive a car.

On the other hand, and my intention, Let the dog "decide" when she's hungry. Does that make better sense? Drive = decide?

And oh, by the way! Because we have 2 dachshunds, one of them controls the pedals and the other does the steering! :E

(If only I could get them to take the trash out! :B )

[Noel]

Thanks for all the comments. She had her annual check up last month. All is well, except for a slightly abnormal liver reading...and SAMe and milk thistle should bring that back to normal. She is 60# and has been that weight for a long time.

It sounds like a twisted stomach/bloat should not be a problem, especially if she can be coaxed to eat in the a.m., along with carrots, healthy treats during the day...until her highly anticipated dinner.

Lots of good info here....thank you, again

[Pawz4me]

What Dr. Doug said. Unless this is normal for her—which I assume it’s not or else you wouldn’t be asking for suggestions—then a vet check is definitely in place order. I have no issues with feeding healthy medium or large adult dogs once a day. It is not something I’d ever suggest for a small dog or a very senior dog.

[xteacher]

I foster small dogs, and many are reluctant to eat when I first get them. I get a small tin of wet food (not necessarily the best brand, but one that is inexpensive, stinky and appealing to dogs - Ceasar's Grilled Chicken, or Ceasar's Beef). I feed twice a day, and I divide the tin of food into 6 equal portions with a knife. I mix 1 portion into the dry kibble completely, coating every piece of kibble. Obviously, if you have a bigger dog, you'll need to use more of the wet food to mix in. The smell of the wet food often stimulates the appetite. I store the leftover wet food in a ziplock sandwich bag in the fridge. It's worth a try.

[colliehauler]

Ozlander wrote:
My dog loves to drive with both windows down. Any time of day or night.
However she lets me steer.

Must be a big dog in order to reach the gas and brake pedal. :B

[Ozlander]

My dog loves to drive with both windows down. Any time of day or night.
However she lets me steer.

[ppine]

Feed once and try some chicken.

[SusanDallas]

Get some tubes of Nutrical from any vet, pet store or online. It is a gel food supplement packed with vitamins and calories. Even sick animals love this stuff. You just squeeze a couple of inches if it onto your finger & let your pet lick it off. Unlikely, but if your pet won't lick it, just smear it onto the roof of their mouth. You can also order it under the brand name Tomlyn from Chewy.com. Do not get the PetSmart brand. They have changed their formula and my pet hates it.

[DutchmenSport]

colliehauler wrote:

mockturtle wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Let the dog drive when she's hungry.

I don't think I'd let my dog drive even when he's hungry. :W

And we appreciate that.:W

Oh boy! I have no clue what I was thinking, maybe... Let the dog eat when she's hungry?....

But hey! I let my dog drive all the time! Don't you guys? :B 😉 🙂

[2oldman]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I'm 63 years old and my appetite has diminished tremendously from when I was in my 30's, 40's, and even 50's. The older we get, we lose our appetite and the need for food all the time.

You're lucky. Of all the things that diminish as we age, I don't see appetite as one of them. Big bellies aren't the result of diminished appetite.

DutchmenSport wrote:
Let the dog drive when she's hungry.

LOL