At My Wits' End. What Do I Do?

[ladybirder]

My little dog, rescued last September, refuses to eat any dog food, pretty much from Day One. He has recently started to eat grass every time we are out walking. I suspected this might be due to a lack of the right vitamins in his diet and it seems it might well be. He certainly doesn't do it to make himself sick as many dogs do.
He will eat cooked chicken, fish, bacon, beef burgers, sausages, cheese and the odd treat, but not any dog food from the best to the rubbish.
The vet has said he will eat it if you offer him dog food and nothing else - eventually. After 2.5 days when he has eaten absolutely nothing, I give in.
What would you do? It is so hard to resist the little chap staring at me and then his food dish all day and evening!

[pixie374]

I wouldn't put it quite like that, piggy. Of course she wants to see her dog eating, and is more used to "scoffers". So, it can be worrying and unnerving.
But, from experience, when you have a smaller dog with a small appetite, as long as they have enough available when they like- i have never known an otherwise healthy dog to deliberately starve themselves to death.

[Atheist]

dave, I hope you give your dog plenty of water.

[Spungle]

I would suggest taking him to the vets.

[davebro]

"dave, I hope you give your dog plenty of water."

Of course - water should always be freely available to any animal!

[Canary42]

The vet said "eventually" which you interpreted as 2½ days. That's where your problem lies, dog now knows he only has to wait 2½ days which is no great hardship.

[ladybirder]

Thank you all for your advice.