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Doesn't eat, digs & whines at food?

2K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Cpc1972 
#1 ·
Not sure if this is the right forum to post, I am worried about my 2.5 year old. He has been showing less and less interest in his food. Some background:

When we brought him home at 8 weeks old, the vet deemed him a little thin. He never finished his kibble. However, we made sure not to create a picky eater. We didn't add anything to the kibble, and we took it away after 15 minutes if he didn't finish it. We never allowed him to graze. Around 4 months old, he finally started gobbling down his meals with apparent enthusiasm.

Around 1 year old, he started refusing his breakfasts. I didn't think much of it and just took away the food if he didn't finish it. I figured he had an upset stomach or wasn't getting enough exercise. After a week or so he seemed to enjoy eating breakfast again.

After age 1, he alternated on and off between eating breakfast and not eating. He would literally just not approach me when I set his bowl down. He would just ignore it. I also noticed that if he just "woke up" then he would be less interested in eating. I would just skip breakfast and instead take him for a stimulating walk to get his energy up, and then I would just feed him lunch, usually around 2 pm. This seemed to work for awhile. Now I don't even bother feeding him before 11 am.

However, for the last couple of months, he has started refusing dinners too. Also, he has started doing some strange behaviors with his food bowl. Before he would simply ignore it. Now, he will walk up to it and stare at it, then paw or dig at it. Recently, he has even WHINED at the food bowl and then turned and stared at me. He's almost totally silent and rarely makes noises outside of playtime, so for him to whine is very shocking. I would pick up the food bowl and shove it toward him, and he would recoil and back away. Other times he would hide when I put down the food. I've attached videos below of his behavior.

I thought maybe something was wrong with the bowls or feeder, but I wash them after every meal. I also fed him in his rubber travel bowls and he did the same thing. He's been on the same Taste of the Wild kibble since he was 8 weeks old. We've used the same two flavors since switching to adult version at 5 months old. I buy the small bags every 2-3 weeks so nothing's ever sitting too long. I always add warm water to the kibble. Sometimes I give him plain kibble, other times I add boiled meat/rice, or some veggies such as carrots or broccoli. Whether or not I add stuff seems to make no difference to whether he wants to eat it.

I don't overfeed him either. He's the right weight at 69 lbs, and not losing or gaining weight. He's been this weight since 10 months old and it hasn't changed. He gets 2 cups a day, 1 cup per meal, but in reality not really. On days he refuses to eat, he'll probably eat 1/4 cup of kibble total. He could do this for several days in a row. He does get treats every day on his walks, maybe 1/4 cup, because I am always working on loose-leash walking in the city.

Since this last summer, we've had to be on antibiotics 3x, for a hotspot, a UTI, and just last week some bad diarrhea. It was SUCH a struggle with the 2x a day antibiotics, which had to be taken with food otherwise he threw up. Sometimes I was literally pushing kibble down his throat, as he struggled to spit it out. Last week, we temporarily switched to a veterinary Purina kibble to get through the diarrhea, which he seemed to really enjoy at first. By the end of the week though, he was refusing the new kibble as well. The one thing he seemed to like was the canned Purina wet food, which he ate regardless of time of day (however, adding it on top of the Purina kibble didn't encourage him to eat it).

I asked the vet about his behavior and she said that since his weight is normal, he's fine, and I could try switching to a different kibble. We've been to the vet a couple times for the hot spot and the UTI and diarrhea, and every time he checks out normal. He's got no obstructions or anything.

Other than the diarrhea episode, his stool is usually normal, and his energy is normal. I wonder if on days that I don't exercise him is when he eats less, but sometimes I'll take him for 2 hours walks and he still doesn't want to eat...so I don't understand. Especially with his recent behavior where he would actually whine at the bowl and back away like I'm trying to poison him.

Also I would be kind of happy if he demonstrated any sort of enthusiasm for his food. I don't think I'm spoiling him by wanting him to enjoy his meals, the way I enjoy mine.



 
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#7 ·
#6 · (Edited)
OK, does he do this with the canned food that he loved? Is this at ever single meal? Have you ever added water to his kibble? Does he like to hide his bones? I'm wondering if he is wanting to hide his food? Have you ever set up a video to see if he does this behavior when you're not watching? That would be interesting.

Does he show anxiety with any other parts of his daily routine or is he mostly a laid back dog who takes life as it comes? Just curious. I'm with the vet, he clearly is not thin or under weight at all. Is he neutered? Depending on how much exercise and treats he gets maybe he doesn't need that much food. If this were my dog I'd probably get a second opinion and show the videos to original vet and second opinion.
 
#8 ·
The canned food I fed by hand (hid his pill in it) in a golf ball size blob, and he always ate it. I always add water to the kibble. He doesn't hide his bones. I've tried walking away to another room and ignoring him and I hear him scratching and pawing at it the same. He's not neutered.

He's pretty laid back in general, but does get nervous zoomies every time I take out his harness. That's a pretty consistent part of his daily routine.

Yes I agree, I should try a second opinion!
 
#9 ·
No use panicking about the situation. Some dogs have chronic, mild pancreatitis (and don't think for a minute I am diagnosing this for your dog - only a vet can diagnose such a thing!) Pilgrim had mild, very mild attacks for 11 of his nearly 13 years. When he started bowing/praying with an upset stomach, I gave him a few painkillers and something for nausea, let his stomach rest for a while and he was back to normal.
 
#10 ·
Thanks, glad that Pilgrim was mild! How can you tell he has an upset stomach? Is it just the bowing motion? My dog does stretch a lot. He spends a lot of time laying around and then gets up and stretches in that "bowing" position... It didn't occur to me that it could be an upset stomach.
 
#12 ·
Consider getting his teeth/gums, mouth checked. In the video he looks like he wants to eat, but something is bothering him. If his mouth is sore, (infection under the gum line perhaps?) or he has a broken tooth he would be more likely to eat canned food, but the kibble, unless it is soaked until it is soft, it can take quite to make it soft right through, it may hurt him to chew it.
Just a thought.

May also want to try offering his food on something flatter, like a plate.
 
#13 ·
So much good advice already. This praying position he is adopting can definitely indicate abdominal pain and I would second the recommendation to show your vet. If she continues to be uninterested in the situation, find a second opinion.

Did he do this with the new food you said he enjoyed at first? If not, I would say there is something about his regular food which has made him wary of it, which may then have happened with the new food and is why he went off it. Maybe it made him nauseated, maybe his teeth hurt, maybe his belly hurts? It's possible this has become a stereotypical behavior which started due to pain and has now become like a habit -- that's why I ask if he did it with the new food at the beginning.
 
#14 ·
I do agree with your current vet in that he looks overall healthy and is at an appropriate weight. His coat also looks pretty good. However, something about those videos makes me think that he is associating eating with some sort of pain. Have you checked his teeth and gums for cracks/breaks or other injuries? At this point, I would get a second opinion from another vet, maybe have some x-rays and blood work done. I would also bring in a fecal sample.
 
#15 ·
How does he feel about treats? Also, is he just finishing up antibiotics? A common side effect is stomach problems.
 
#16 ·
Littlesnow

Littlesnow

I agree with the others:

Make sure the vet checks his teeth and gums and his mouth.
Also, did they do an xray or ultrasound on his stomach?
 
#17 ·
You have mentioned you always add water to the kibble. Have you tried NOT adding water to the kibble? My last dog only liked kibble in warm water, so I automatically added water for my next pup. But she didn't like it that way at all. She likes crunch.

Does he take treats happily? If he does, that suggests no pain in his teeth or mouth. The bowing suggests pain and discomfort. Does he do that bowing at any other time, or just by the food?

I might try a totally different food - different protein source. It may be that he is associating the smell of his food with being sick previously.
 
#18 ·
Thx for advice!

The vids are from this past summer. He wasn't on antibiotics then. But I do think antibiotics give him an upset stomach. And he was on them in October for 2 weeks, then again in November 2 weeks, then again just last week.

I checked his teeth and they look normal? I brush them frequently with no problem and his vet checks his teeth and gums every time. He chews his bones and antlers every day and likes the treats I give him. In fact sometimes I use his kibble as treats and he'll eat it fine.

We've done an X-ray on his stomach to check for obstruction, and he also had an ultrasound on his bladder by a specialist to check for stones when he had a UTI. He also recently had a fecal sample and everything was clear, no parasites or worms, everything has been clear and healthy from what we've done.

He doesn't show that behavior anywhere but the food bowl. I've never tried giving dry kibble, I thought it was a choking risk? I also think he prefers soft chewy treats, he spits out the crunchy treats.

Gross question, but he likes to lick the toilet seat a lot, and he riffles around in the laundry basket and licks dirty underwear. I know, sorry, TMI. I just let him because he doesn't destroy anything in fact he likes to bring me socks and exchange them for treats. Is that upsetting his stomach???
 
#20 ·
He defintly looks like he wants to eat. Have you tried putting the bowl directly on the ground. I would be curious if he eats it enthusiastically if you hand fed him. If he does it has something to do with the bowl or stand.
 
#24 ·
Thanks, I've tried that as well, put it on the ground, a different place in the house, it made no difference. Also sometimes we go to his grandmas house and he would do the same thing with the food bowls there which are different. He might take a few pieces if I hand feed him but mostly he just ignores it or closes his mouth.

He doesn't do this all the time, his weight is healthy because the other half of the time he gobbles up his food like normal. He's been switching back and forth between eating and not eating for a while now as I said in my first post.

He also begs a lot for human food while we're eating, we don't give him table scraps if he's not eating his kibble so as not to spoil him. However if he does eat his kibble we will carefully hand feed some healthier scraps such as roast chicken or veggies, and he loves these. We don't give him oily unhealthy things such as burgers or fries.

Should I try not brushing his teeth for a month? In general I brush his teeth with enzymatic toothpaste about twice a week.
 
#21 ·
If he's been checked and nothing has been found, perhaps try a different food. Dry kibble is not a choking hazard. I would rule out tummy pain if he's happily taking treats. But he is definitely associating his regular food with something.

So, there could be several reasons for this behavior: there's an ingredient in the food you are giving that he is not tolerating well. Or something he has developed an intolerance to. Or, it could be he finds his treats better tasting than his regular food, and now he refuses to eat regular food. I would also suspect the dog toothpaste and the brush. Might have made his tongue sensitive. Definitely keep bathroom and toilet doors closed. He might be licking off residue of any cleaning detergent you use to clean the toilet or tiles by accident.

In any case, process of elimination is in order. Do away with the treats, brushing teeth and anything he doesn't really need right now and stick to basic: food. Don't worry if he isn't eating at first, as long as he is drinking water! It could be he refuses to eat because he know he'll get his treat. Try handfeeding and see if that helps.

If he's still ignoring his usual food after three or four days, ask the shop if you can have various sample bags of different sorts of dry kibble or another brand of wet food. Let him have a taste and see which he seems to favor and get a small bag of that and feed him that (gradual change).

Hope that helps in some way.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I agree with everyone that it sounds like digestive problems. But going to throw something out there to consider. I used to take care of hundreds of dogs and had quite a few with back problems. The pray bow was usually because of a pinched nerve or disk problem in the back. The pain caused the loose stools which brought on the not wanting to eat because now their tummies hurt.

But then I also had a pup with a cracked tooth that didn't want eat much, still look really good and healthy. They took a 2nd vet to find it, once the tooth was pulled all was well. This is just something I've encountered and certainly no vet.

No one knows their own dog better than the owner. There obviously seems to be something disturbing your pup. I vote for a 2nd opinion too. Hope all goes well and improves!
 
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