My 11-year-old neutered male has developed some puzzling symptoms and I'm wondering whether anyone has seen anything similar. I have a call into my vet, but in the meantime...
For the past week or so, Magee has been very hesitant to eat his morning meal. He backs away from the dish, and then starts to eat very slowly. He rarely finishes his breakfast now. This morning, he didn't eat any of it. My first thought was a tooth problem, but here's the strange part. He'll eat a dog biscuit or anything else you hand to him, and he eats his evening meal without a problem. He also eats whatever I offer him throughout the day.
I tried softening his food, and this morning I tried offering him his breakfast again, but he refused it.
He's obviously hungry, so that's not the issue. If it's his teeth, why can he eat later on?
Any thoughts?
Kathy
I assume that his stools are okay // no temp // ? You might try giving him a Pepsid about 1/2 hour before breakfast to coat his stomach. Since he will probably see the vet today - that's of no help. Sometimes they will eat other things and not their usual. I have a bitch right now that isn't eating that well, but she goes through this every couple of years - likes to move on to a different food. That usually is the answer for her. The first reply could be something to look into. I had a dog that had a few bad vertbrae in his neck and in his lower back. On the days after swimming - he would be stiff and had to be on rimadyl . You could try massage (not for you - for the dog)!! Can he pick up a bisquit that is on the floor?
How soft are you making the food. I have to put boiling water on my old girls food. It takes about 15 minutes to really soak in and cool down. Then she is able to eat it with ease.
maybe one morning something happened...like his bowl clanked on something or another dog stole his breakfast or a bug was in his bowl that tickled his lips....maybe try a different type of dish..ceramic vs metal or whatever...and perhaps change his meal location....weird...keep us posted
What are you feeding? In light of the food recalls, I would be concerned that you had a bad bag. I wouldn't necessarily assume that it was spiked with toxic additives, but I think we're all a little more aware of problems in food now, and it might just be a bad batch of food or it has gone rancid. Try another bag.
After consulting with my daughter, who is a vet, we're leaning toward neck/back pain as the reason he's not eating in the morning. He will eat anything handed to him and will eat while lying down, but won't eat from a dish on the floor. We purchased an elevated feeding dish, and we're going to give this a try. If things don't improve, he'll be going in for further tests.
Thanks for your help.
Kathy
I have a 15 year old that is a very picky eater. She will frequently refuse a meal yet will happily take a biscuit from my hand. If I put some table scraps on her kibble, she usually eats. If I put some moist, canned food in with her kibble, she will eat it. If I pour some coffee creamer (half & half) on her kibble, she will eat it. Nothing works for very long. I've had her to the vet and she if fine. Her teeth are fine. We've done the raised bowl thing, too. Her poops are firm and regular. She rarely refuses two meals in a row which means that, if she's hungry enough, she will eat. Frankly, I've chalked it up to old age. At 15 years old, she does nothing much but sleep so she needs fewer calories. I make sure that she gets enough, even if I have to scramble some eggs for her. I figure that, at her age, she's entitled to be picky about her food and I don't mind catering to her eccentricity!
Kathy, if you can find a vet who does chiropractic adjustments, you might want to try that, too. I took my 5 1/2 year old in for an adjustment at the suggestion of a friend. She had this "what the heck is happening to me" look when the vet was adjusting her, but then she was trotting all around the exam room with a smile on her face like "Woo! I feel good!"
My almost 5 y/o bitch won't eat from her bowl until 1) no people are in the kitchen and 2) the other dogs are nearly done. We dropped a few too many things when working in the kitchen during her meal and she's had enough. Don't know the deal with the other dogs though.
