Willow not eating--behavioral issue

willowchow · Post by **willowchow** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:22 am

I thought I would ask all you fantastic chow parents this--

Willow has been a big pain with eating since I got her. She will eat well for a month and then poof, all of a sudden, she's picking and leaving most of her meals. When she doesn't want to eat she will go over and nose the bowl or bite the edges of it with her teeth and walk away. If I encourage her to eat, which is usually just a, Willow eat your supper, she will go back over and maybe take a few bites or do the same thing again with her nose and walk away.

The vet has checked her and re-checked her she has no health issues causing this. The vet has told me it's behavioral.

I've tried taking the food up after so long but that really doesn't phase her. She can go on like this for weeks.

Any ideas on how to encourage the eating. . .it's almost like refusing to do anything else, say sit and she doesn't listen if she doesn't want to. But, we can place her into a sit but with food we can only do so much because she does have a food aggression issue.

Any suggestions on what we can do? I really want her to eat regular meals. I don't care if she skips here and there but not for days and weeks on end.

Thanks.

Post by **Auddymay** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:26 am

Try moving her dish to another spot. We have 2 different sets, and One is always empty first. With the other, just a little is gone by the time the first is cleaned up. Just a thought.

Rogansmommy · Post by **Rogansmommy** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:30 am

Rogan goes on hunger strikes every once in a while. I will say, "Rogue eat your food" and he'll sit down and look at me like I'm nuts. He doesn't do it much anymore, since we've started giving him 1/2 can of Wellness mixed in with his dry food. I think it's a chow thing, because Nina's never passed up a meal in her life.

Post by **jerryo** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:39 am

When Benny went on a diet a few weeks ago (and I got so concerned I spoon fed him) someone, I think Lou, suggested sprinkling parmesan on the food. It actually worked really well. Mixing in some canned with the kibble worked well, too.

On the other hand,once he started on antibiotics for some hotspots, he started eating everything in sight. You said she had been to the vet, so that may not apply. Maybe she is just trying to fit a smaller bikini for ChowFest.

Good Luck and NO spoonfeeding!

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 11:58 am

Don't knock spoon feeding!!

Milly can be difficult with feeding sometimes and can decide not to bother eating. She might eat half her dinner then just walk away so I just pick up her bowl, get a spoon and sit on the nearest chair or even garden seat and call her and then spoon food her - in almost every episode, she just finishes the lot. That might happen for a day or two (or three!) then she will eat perfectly normally again for however long, until the next time.

sixchows · Post by **sixchows** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:12 pm

Of our 5 only OJ has these "rituals". He will eat down to a certain level leaving about 1/3 of his food. He won't eat from that bowl until we fill it again, always leaving about 1/3 in the bottom. The only time he will empty the dish is when he sees a new full bag come into the house!

Sometimes, especially at night when everyone has already gone to bed, he makes me stay with him while he eats. The other 4 eat as soon as they get it or at least finish it all by the afternoon.

With OJ I guess it has something to do with being homeless and hungry. We have him almost 9 years and he has never been w/o anything since he has been here but I guess they never forget.

kiwani · Post by **kiwani** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:06 pm

Re: "She can go on like this for weeks. Any ideas on how to encourage the eating. . ."
---

In another thread today, you mentioned giving her a milk product for cats containing added taurine, daily. Since taurine is now also added to dog food, look at the research showing taurine's role in appetite suppression.

Also, low cortisol is linked with appetite suppression and with behavioral problems like aggression.

3blackchows · Post by **3blackchows** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:39 pm

I also experience this w/ my 3. I know w/ Irish it can be the Rimadyl; but after he walks away from the bowl I can hand feed him & he'll eat every drop. I do notice in the summer they do not seem to have the same appetite as they do in the winter.

Never thought of using a spoon...however Judy's girl are so proper I cudn't image M&M eating off anything else, what a cute site that must be. Do you have any photos of this?
I'd luv 2 c them.

My first chowboy did this. Once he turned 1 I slowly changed his puppy food to audult food. He ate it for 6 months & then basically went on strike. I was so concerned because after 3 days I knew it wasn't a stubborn issue. Went to vet all checked out fine, after 2 more days of not eating, vet said offer him a small bit of another food. Maybe he just doesn't like what he's eating. I did &
he began eatig again.

I know this is a shot in the dark, have you checked to see if anything hanging from the colar could be catching on the food bowl?

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:23 pm

Why is it every time a Chow doesn't act the way we think its supposed to act its a behavior problem. The clean your plate before you leave the table days are over, Pekoe has days she doesn't eat that much then other days she pigs out. When you find your Chow isn't eating how many treats did he have that day. If they are in good health they will eat when they are hungry. I don't agree with putting things in with the food to get them to eat I consider that force feeding, if you recall that's what people were doing to get their dogs to eat that poison food, they wouldn't eat it so the owners put cheese or gravy on it. If I saw that Pekoe wasn't eating her food or backing away from it I would throw it all in the trash and go buy fresh food. Dogs eat from smell mostly, Try cooking chicken or Pasta for your family sometime and watch how fast they head for the food bowl. And now I guess it isn't enough that they sit but now there is a proper way of sitting, Man, it would be mush easier if you guys just went out and bought those computer dogs, they are perfect and respond to every command.

Post by **Zhuyos mom** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:17 pm

Jerryo - I hope the hot spots weren't from the Parmesan cheese. Our chows are so sensitive.

Willowchow - If the Parmesan cheese doesn't work, then squish Sardines packed without oil or salt in her food. See if that stimulates her palate.

Post by **Auddymay** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:28 pm

If I'm not mistaken, Willow is a rescue. She has a little baggage because of it. If my girls went off their feed for days on end, I'd be concerned too, wouldn't you Jeff? She is using sit to get her to eat a little. Letting the dog just eat when it's ready could exacerbate a hidden problem... can you imagine if poor Willow cacked after not eating for a week? Someone would be on here saying what kind of fool lets their dog go a week without eating...

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:48 pm

I would say what kind of fool would let their dog go with out eating after two days not a week. If Willow isn't eating for days or weeks then its a medical problem not a behavioral problem and if Willow hasn't eat for days or weeks she most likely wouldn't be out walking or even walking to her food bowl to see what's in it,.there would be a lot more going on then just not eating, A day or two with out eating isn't that big of deal especially when I'm sure there are treats involved between the feeding time. If she is saying Willow isn't eating at the same time every day that also doesn't mean she isn't eating. Pekoe is self fed the bowls are full all the time, she picks her own time when she eats and on what days she eats, as I said before just one chicken strip during the day she won't eat at all. If she hasn't touched her food in days Willow should be at the Vets not obedience training and the food should be trashed. I think the biggest problem is Willow isn't eating when she wants her to eat, that's not a problem.

There are millions of different blends of foods out there If Willow will only eat her food when cheeses or gravy's are added then just buy food with cheese and gravy already added, if Willow is healthy she will eat when she's hungry not at five oclock everyday when its dinner time.

Also its hotter then hell out there its been said a few times they don't eat as much when its hot.

Opps had to change all my he's to she's

3blackchows · Post by **3blackchows** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:01 am

I agree Jeff. Everytime there is anything wrong w/ a chow it's a behavioral issue. The vets act like we don't know our pets; of course we do thats why we are asking them the question. If it was behavioral wouldn't there be other issues besides just not eating? Sometimes the packaged foods do go bad. I have opened a new bag of Eukanuba & began pouring it in the feed container & it just didn't smell right. So I wentto return it & the store manager looked at me like I was crazy, come to find out the food was expired.

Sometines it can be an issue of where the ood bowl is located. I notice my kids don't eat as well when I feed them in the kitchen. Also they tend to eat better when me or my husband is present.

Post by **Auddymay** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:13 am

Well, the way I read it, Willow wasn't eating at all, and she had been to the vet to see why. If I'm inquiring with the vet about my girls, it must be a serious thing. My 2 browse throughout the day. I have to keep an eye out to make sure both are actually eating. not usually a problem, because they transport the food to the living room and eat in front of me. I guess I'm reading that she is concerned about Willow's health, not that she wants to regiment Willow's feeding time to suit Willow's mom. I just don't see not eating as a trivial thing, nor a Chow control issue. As for how much sustenence Willow is getting, I couldn't begin to guess about from my desk.

Victory · Post by **Victory** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:56 am

I'm just going to give my observations here, from having several chows over the last few years. First if there is anything medical going on, (I mean physical), then ignore all the rest Willowchow's mom.

But if Willow, (or any other chow) is healthy, here are a few things I've learned.

1. none of my chows, including my two rescues has ever eaten the recommended amount on any dog food package, ever!
They have all eaten about a full cup or more less. This has been throughout their lives, so try feeding a little less and they might eat it more regularly, because:

2 chows don't normally over eat, even Firesong who used to because she had been underfed and was alwasy hunger when I got her, no longer over eats. She'll even turn her little nose up to snacks at times.

3. No dog is going to starve itself to death, unless it's sick, picky they might be but they will eat when hungery. Also it is natural for predator animals to go hungery once in a while, I used to fast my cats one day a week and it improved their health greatly.

4. As Jeff or someone mentioned, sometimes commercial dog food, even the best kinds sits on the shelf too long and it goes rancid, remember dogs can smell 100 times better than humans, if their noses are telling them it's rotten they won't eat it.

5. Before I got Firesong I was considering getting a Samoyed female, in doing research on them I talked to a breeder of champions for quite a while on a phone call, one of the things we talked about was food, she uses the BARF diet; one of her reasons for doing this is because she can vary it. She, I and Dr. Pitcairn wonder about where the notion of no variety, always feed them the same thing came from. Her phillosophy is that in the wild canines eat what they catch and/or find and they don't catch or find the same thing every day, a healthy dog should be able to tolerate varitiy in their diet as long as their digestion is acting correctly. Now I can attest to this, as when my chows are healthy I can use ground beef, ground turkey or chicken for the recipe, I can also vary the vegetable, peas and carrots, greenbeans and squash, a bit of spinach, and not see any upset tummys, no vomiting no change in stool, and no soft stool.

Frankly from now on I'm sticking to Dr. Pitcairn's methods and my own experience with making their food.

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:00 am

Where the Bowl is located could be the problem also, Pekoe won't eat if people are standing around, she waits until everyone leaves then eats, she will do the same thing, stand over her bowl but won't eat if someone is close by or staring at her. I'm the same way at restaurants I can't eat with people all around I don't want people seeing me spill soup and spaghetti all down the front of me, I'm a slob to when I eat, that's why I only eat fast foods the food comes wrapped and I can spill all over my self in the privacy of my car. (thank god for Spray and Wash) Willow may just want privacy when she eats. Pekoe has two bowls one in the kitchen and one in the den she usally goes to the bowl where she can be alone and read the paper, watch tv and relax and enjoy her food. This may be extreme but if there is any food left in the bowls I dump them everyday and put fresh food in them.

Post by **jerryo** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:26 am

Lou,

I doubt that the parmesan had anything to do with the hotspots. Benny and Lady like to run in the woods, so it would be very easy for him to pick up something ichey out there and turn it into a hotspot. Considering that his favorite gourmet item is left over deer parts found in the grass, I'm not sure you could call him sensitive. It's been in the nineties with high humidity for a few weeks, so that hasn't helped either.

Thanks for the tip on the parmesan. I don't feel at all guilty about puting cheese, gravy etc in with the regular food. I lived amoung the health food, bottled water, granola-uber-alles crowd in California long enough to reject that lifestyle. As Mark Twain once observed, giving up all the things that are "bad for you" may not make you live longer, but it will sure seem longer.

PurpleKisses · Post by **PurpleKisses** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 12:18 pm

Chi-Ching eats in his crate at night. We fill up his bowl at night and leave it there all day with the crate door open all day. If he wants to, he eats, sometimes it is gone right away, but sometimes he doesn't eat a full bowl for two days or more, I fill his bowl only when it is empty or close so I know how much he eats. Now that it is HOT(108 degrees yesterday!!) He is obviousely eating less, I do not worry unless he starts losing weight over it. A dog will not starve themselves unless something is really wrong. I would not add to the food or you may end up having her refuse food just so you will add something. (Her training you esentially)

Just my 2 cents.

ciaobella · Post by **ciaobella** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:37 pm

Sophie's eating habits are pretty bizarre too, but I write it all off to her being a self- regulator, since no matter how freaked I get about her bouts of lack of appetite, every time we go in for a check up, she's a healthy 51 lbs even.

Similar to sixchow's OJ, she always divides her kibble straight down the middle (like she has a ruler, it's crazy); usually she comes back later to eat the rest, sometimes not. And like Victory's chows, never as much as is suggested by the manufacturer.

I've noticed that if I give her a piece of chicken jerky chew later in the evening, she will quite often walk back to her bowl and finish dinner, but it is possible that she's playing me. I'm a pretty easy mark.

Post by **jerryo** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:01 am

Excellent point on the Chows training their people as chefs. They will Definately do that. I went through that with Benny, first with wiener bits, then with the parmesan. Once I hit on the recipe of mixing the canned in with the kibble and water, I seemed to have found his taste buds. But that's probably just him. My guess is that every Chow is an individual, much like their people. I love spicy food, but most of my friends won't eat it at all.

pannw1267 · Post by **pannw1267** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:48 am

Hi, Lori,
I was having trouble with Miah eating too. She does not go to the bathroom every day and I think that's why her eating habits fluctuate so much. These are her favorite foods-Wellness (cans, won't touch their dry), Merrick, and Canidae dry. These are also more expensive foods and my son likes to tell people that I spend more on dog food than people food.

Jim started stirring her canned food and making sure he rearranges it in the center of her bowl. She expects that a couple of times a meal now when we are there.

Any update on Wilow's appetite?

willowchow · Post by **willowchow** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:02 pm

Hi everyone and thanks for all the advice and responses. I appreciate them all. I'm feeling much better after reading that this seems pretty common.

She's eating pretty well. So, hopefully, it will continue.

Just to touch on a few comments that were made--

I didn't think it was a behavioral issue, the vet did. But, that was after a check-up, multiple tests and also multiple blood tests. And, I took her there because she wasn't eating and she ate five cookies from the vet! Boy, did I look stupid. But, she ate those and wasn't eating anything at all at home.

When she's not eating, she refuses everything, including treats. Unless, it's something she can't resist like cheese or something very high value.

When I made the comment about her sitting, what I was tryingn to say was that this not eating that she does. . .there is no reason for it. . .she refuses to eat for no good reason. . .just like at times she will refuse to do other commands such as sit, come or whatever. That's why I'm also beginning to think it's some sort of behavioral issue.

And, no she doesn't get fed at the same time every day.

Believe me, I didn't want to come across that I'm some sort of tyrant and poor Willow is forced into eating and stuff like that. She's the princess. There are rules but she's still extremely spoiled.

Anyway, please keep the suggestions coming.
Thanks!

3blackchows · Post by **3blackchows** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:30 pm

This has nothing to do w/ the not eating, she's absolutely beautiful. How old is she?

And Lou: What a georgeous photo.

willowchow · Post by **willowchow** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:46 pm

Thanks! We aren't positive on her exact age but when she was spayed 3 years ago they said between 2-5, so that puts her at 5-8 now. I'm thinking more toward 7 or 8 just based on how she behaves, walks, etc. But, of course, I could be and hope I am wrong.

Samorrathis · Post by **Samorrathis** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:59 pm

Stubborn girl, I hope she snaps outta it soon