My Dog Won't Eat His Food Anymore

[KeepMe]

Well thanks to my dad, my chow no longer wants to eat his dog food. See, I have two dogs a beagle, and a blue chowler. They both have been eating dry dog food, we switch between brands because they get burnt out on it, and eventually both quit eating after a couple of months. Once we get them a new brand they both go back to eating until they are tired of that bag.
Well, my beagle "according to my father" is getting "old" (bologna) she is somewhere between 5 and possibly 6 ... she's not that old. Well she quit eating in the mornings, and she hardly touches her food anymore. She's healthy, a little on the chunky side (she likes to be lazy) but she's not acting sick, and she still has tons of energy, she runs and plays with my chowler, and enjoys her days. I think as she progresses age she just loses her appetite.
However, my dad tends to think she's getting old and her teeth can't chew those "hard" pebbles from dog food. We argued about this for awhile, but it's his way or no way. So I did the stupid thing, and gave in, and got some of this Soft and Moist stuff. They come in little bags, smell incredibly good, and is soft food desirable food. Well it's $3.75 for a box of 12 packs. According to my chows weight he should get three packs, and she should get two and half ... this isn't going to last long at all.
Gave em' some, and they both ate it like it was treats. Can't afford that stuff, and they both have been pooping like crazy with it, and now neither of em' will eat their hard food anymore. What do I do?

[annie24]

i usually mixed a bit of the wet food in with the dry food. that may help them eat the dry stuff, but not poop all over the place either. ew.

[OneEskimO]

Adding a small amount of water to the dry food will help to soften it up. But do not add water to dry food that contains citric acid as it will cause bloating in your dogs.

[tigers fly]

I think I may have a solution for you! I have two dogs. They get separate foods, because one is much older & frailer and is on special Science Diet food, while the other is young & can wolf down just about anything! We never feed them canned food because it's not good for their teeth.

Anyway, we take some peanut oil & put it in a squirt bottle, and just squirt a little peanut oil on both their food. (3-5 squirts) It's very helpful for a dog's coat (makes it shiny & soft!) and it's good for them in a "vitamin" sorta way, too.

Of course, there's no guarantee! Your doggie might not like it, but I have yet to know a dog that didn't. Try it and see if it works.

[*Sunny*]

Try making the dog food a little moist with water, or mix some dry food with just a little bit of canned food or peanut butter.

I'm not sure where you're from, but where I live there has been heat wave after heat wave and my dogs have not really been eating, either. Make sure they have plenty of water.

Also, do you leave the food out all day? In my experience, when the food is out all day the dogs aren't really too keen on eating, especially if they are fed treats. Instead, try this: Leave the dog food out for 30 minutes at the same time every day. If the dogs do not eat, then pick up the food for an hour. Then put it back down for 30 minutes. If the dogs still do not eat, then pick the food back up and don't feed them again until the next day at the same time, again leaving the food down for 30 minutes.

It's what my vet recommends for picky eaters. They'll be fine if they don't eat for a few days (especially if they're on the chunky side) and eventually they'll learn that they have to eat at the time during the day, or they won't get any food. Do not feed them treats or table scraps during this time.

Always make sure they have plenty of water, and it's always a good idea for a daily walk (especially for the chow!). I find that my lazy dogs that do nothing don't really care too much for food, but after a walk they are usually hungry.

If they still do not eat you may want to take them to the vet for a check up, especially of their teeth. It is possible that they won't eat if there is a problem medically.

Hope this helps!

[Cognitive_Canine]

Check her mouth and make sure she doesn't have a dead tooth or scratch.

[KeepMe]

I think I may have a solution for you! I have two dogs. They get separate foods, because one is much older & frailer and is on special Science Diet food, while the other is young & can wolf down just about anything! We never feed them canned food because it's not good for their teeth.

Anyway, we take some peanut oil & put it in a squirt bottle, and just squirt a little peanut oil on both their food. (3-5 squirts) It's very helpful for a dog's coat (makes it shiny & soft!) and it's good for them in a "vitamin" sorta way, too.

Of course, there's no guarantee! Your doggie might not like it, but I have yet to know a dog that didn't. Try it and see if it works.

Oh good idea! Even though you put the toppings on both, the younger one doesn't try to go for the elder ones food? I know my chowler is very nosy, and even most of the time when they get the same exact stuff he thinks he's the boss, so he checks her dish for food to make "sure" he's getting the same stuff. We have been trying to keep him from doing this, but I don't know if he smells it or what, but he won't eat if she gets the soft stuff, and he gets the hard stuff.
I mixed a little of the soft stuff for him into his hard food, and he picked out the soft stuff and stood by his food bag, expecting more. lol. Of course when he doesn't get it he starts to pout.

[annie24]

yeah, i had to mix up the wet and dry food really well otherwise my boy would pick it out and throw the kibble everywhere. lol.

i figure, eventually, they'll eat it because they will get hungry and they have to eat it.

[KeepMe]

Try making the dog food a little moist with water, or mix some dry food with just a little bit of canned food or peanut butter.

I'm not sure where you're from, but where I live there has been heat wave after heat wave and my dogs have not really been eating, either. Make sure they have plenty of water.

Also, do you leave the food out all day? In my experience, when the food is out all day the dogs aren't really too keen on eating, especially if they are fed treats. Instead, try this: Leave the dog food out for 30 minutes at the same time every day. If the dogs do not eat, then pick up the food for an hour. Then put it back down for 30 minutes. If the dogs still do not eat, then pick the food back up and don't feed them again until the next day at the same time, again leaving the food down for 30 minutes.

It's what my vet recommends for picky eaters. They'll be fine if they don't eat for a few days (especially if they're on the chunky side) and eventually they'll learn that they have to eat at the time during the day, or they won't get any food. Do not feed them treats or table scraps during this time.

Always make sure they have plenty of water, and it's always a good idea for a daily walk (especially for the chow!). I find that my lazy dogs that do nothing don't really care too much for food, but after a walk they are usually hungry.

If they still do not eat you may want to take them to the vet for a check up, especially of their teeth. It is possible that they won't eat if there is a problem medically.

Hope this helps!

Uhg! Here too, already had a few deaths from the heat. I'm really tired of all the heat, ready for it to cool down, plus we are kind of in a drought, haven't had rain for weeks!
My dogs are inside dogs, so I try and keep em' cool, but I think in general they don't feel like eating for that matter. The people I got my chowler from said that they weren't "boredom eaters" ... riiight, my chowler will eat, and eat, and eat, until he can't eat anymore ... and then some. I don't know if that's the blue heeler in him or what, but he eats like his stomach is a bottomless pit, so we keep his food up at all times. I'll try the whole water, and peanut butter thing though, hopefully it works.
They are just too smart for their own good, they got a taste of the super good stuff, the fast food for dogs type thing, and now they want that stuff only, and no more hard stuff. lol.

[KeepMe]

yeah, i had to mix up the wet and dry food really well otherwise my boy would pick it out and throw the kibble everywhere. lol.

i figure, eventually, they'll eat it because they will get hungry and they have to eat it.

Lol, yep! They are too smart! I told my boyfriend the same thing that when they get hungry they will eventually start to eat ... however, as much as I would like to think that; my boyfriend, and I are suckers for the pouty faces. And BOTH of them pull it off very, very well. lol.