fussy pup

[karene50]

i have a pomerainian dog who is 10 months old. She has always been a fussy eater. I have tried her on dried food, semi moist food and wet food (tinned). She has always been a fussy eater and i have never in all the time i have had her cleared her dish of food. I have had her to the vet and he said she is a very healthy dog. I also have a cat and if i dont keep my eye on the dog she will sneak the cats food and clear the dish.Does anyone know if the cats food will do her any harm? Would it just be better giving her the same food as the cat? At least i would know that shes eating something. Shes worse than a weaning baby.

[Eve]

Cat and dog food won't harm them on the very odd occasion but is no substitute as they have different things in them for health.

In the nicest possible way, doyou indulge the dog's fussiness in any way? Have you tried leaving it on the basis that if she is hungry then she will eat.

Obviously not excessively but just trying to rule out her being too used to getting her own way.

[Eve]

Another thought, how much do you feed her daily?

[karene50]

i put her food out when i go to work at 7.30am and it is still there when i get home at 1.30pm. just a small bowl.

[chrissa1]

I agree with Jenna. I would think that no dog is purposely going to starve itself. You may be being a bit too anxious about the volume she is eating.

All our Labradors, and we've had 8 over the last 30 odd years, have left food in their bowl after their meals at times. I just pick the bowl up and empty it into the bin, after giving them a 2nd chance to finish it off. Come the next meal time, their bowls were licked clean.

If your vet says your dog is quite healthy, don't fret. Let her get on with it. She''ll soon learn. Opt for the food she seems to like best and stick to it, and try and feed cat and dog separately.

[chrissa1]

You obviously love your dog and are worried about her, but if you can watch Animal Cops Houston/Detroit on Animal Planet on Sky you will see the pitiful dogs who are left to starve until they are like skeletons. They are then saved, and the first thing that is done with these dogs is that food is offered to them. If they eat straightaway, then it is obvious they are hungry and malnourished. No healthy dog, which is what your vet said she is, is going to starve itself.
Sorry if I seem to be repeating myself, but I've just watched this programme and it makes me so angry that people treat dogs this way. You care for your dog, so stop worrying.

[fredpuli47]

Believe us all, she won't starve herself. A Pom is a tiny dog. Tiny dogs have tiny stomachs ! In general they are happiest with small amounts of food, but quite often, rather than a couple of set meals a day, but obviously that's not always practical. Let her eat when she feels like it. She's probably doing what I just said, having a little but quite often. Don't expect her to clear her plate! What do you say to her? " Eat that up! remember, there are dogs in Africa who are starving for want of that food!" LOL

That she's nicking the cat's food suggests that she wants to show dominance over the cat rather than that she's suddenly taken to preferring it to the stuff that's designed for her !

[lankeela]

At ten months I would still be feeding her twice a day, and would suggest you give her a bowl of dried food in the morning and leave it down, then in the evening give her a small amount of dried food with a little bit of meat, either tinned so you can coat the dried food in it, or maybe a bit of cooked chicken (she is so small it won't cost much). This should ensure she is getting some goodness from the dried food but also eating something she likes.

Don't keep changing, she will just leave it and wait to see what you offer next. Only give small amounts and if she clears it up offer a bit more next time.

Have you had other dogs and if so were they bigger? It is hard to realise how little a small dog actually needs. Avoid titbits unless they are part of her meal allowance, as even a couple of markies or other biscuits or treats would make up the greater part of her meal allowance.

Don't keep pandering to her, if she doesn't eat the evening meal within ten minutes take it up. Do make sure though that there is some dry food down all the time then she won't get hungry, as very small breeds can suffer from low blood sugar and become very poorly. It is called Toy Breed Hypoglycaemia, and the very tiny breeds need feeding several times a day.

Don not let her have much cat food as it contains the wrong balance for a dog's needs. You could try a teaspoonful on her dried food and mix it in though, just to get her eating regularly.

[karene50]

thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I know who the boss is in our house. She stands about 10inches tall.

[Jan1957]

My bichon kept pinching the cat's food so I checked with the vet who said it was fine to feed him on it. He would only ever eat whiskas and lived till he was 13.