Dog has eating issue

blue5

Hi my dog seems to be going hungry in order to get us to feed him more of what he likes and not what he needs.

His food is put out for him in the morning and is still there in the evening. It usually consists of a tin of Chum and mixer. Throughout the day he'll follow us into the kitchen to get tid bits and usually ends up getting them but not so much as to cut out his meals altogether.

I've told everyone not to feed him scraps for a while and see if this fixes the problem. The only thing is that he has lost a lot of weight recently due to going on heart tablets and I'm worried if he doesn't start eating his normal meals his health will suffer drastically.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks.

Gillie

Some dogs are like this.
TBH. They will eat what's put there for them if they are hungry.
Of course if they are not eating at all there may be another issue and a visit to the vet may be required.

Don't give in to him/her. Perhaps you could mix in "what they like" with a bit of "what they need" for a while and gradually reduce the former?

Our man in Havana

Have you tried changing the food? All 11 of my dogs eat bakers complete with a tiny bit of meat for a change of flavour etc.

nando

What breed is the dog and how old is it? Do you know what heart medication it is?

You are right that some heart medication can reduce appetite but reduced appetite and marked weight loss is also a sign of progressing chronic heart failure so you should definitley go back to the vet for further assessment if the dog has lost a lot of weight quickly - especially if it wasn't overweight to begin with.

Dogs with chronic heart failure (I'll assume this is what it is since it is the most common and also one of the only reasons for going on medication) benefit from weight loss, especially if overweight, because, like in humans, the weight loss reduces the pressure put on the heart and lungs. However, weight loss resulting from anorexia or malnutrition will worsen the condition.

Diets for heart disease should be low-sodium and often magnesium rich. If the dog is overweight then it should be calorie-controlled to aid weight loss. However, if the dog is losing weight due to the drugs/condition then it is advisable to feed tasty calorie-dense food little and often. Protein-starvation will weaken the heart further. If he prefers wet food then let him have good quality wet food. Feed him a bit of meat also if that is what he wants. If this weight loss means he has become underweight or is heading that way then it is better to indulge him a little - not in chocolate biscuits and the like but with whatever proper food he will eat.

Discuss this with your vet - he may need to reassess the heart condition and could also recommend a suitable food you could try.

Arcadian

Your dog would probably be better off on table scraps than the utter crap which is pedigree chum

Try Royal Canin, Nutro or any of the other high quality dry foods available.

Jules

Arcadian wrote:

Your dog would probably be better off on table scraps than the utter crap which is pedigree chum

Try Royal Canin, Nutro or any of the other high quality dry foods available.

QFT...

chum is like the mcdonalds/burgerking of dog foods.

Lots of wonderful advice here and nando especially! dogs will not starve themselves if it is out of a want of something different but as said above if your dog is on meds for his/her heart your best to get them check. Is the weight loss acute or has it happened over a longer period of time? Does your dogs tummy seem more swollen but loosing weight from else where? As above what age/breed etc is your dog? what medication is your pet on at the moment?

Ruu_Old

Change to a higher quality food as mentioned and they will eat it if they are hungry enough, don't give in under any circumstances with the table scraps.:)

blue5

Hi all, thanks for the great replies.

He's a Beagle approx 10 years old and he's on Fortekor heart medication.
His weight loss has been gradual and not sudden, I really only mentioned it as I was worried about a prolonged protest towards eating his food (as in it wouldn't help the situation). I'll try changing his food and see if this helps.

One last question but does anyone know if physiotherapy could help him? I know it sounds strange but he's wheezing and gets a build up of phlegm but can't get rid of it. I thought if maybe I did some physio on him it would help loosen the stuff in his chest and help him breathe more easily.

Schlemm

I have a dog who has always been fussy about what he eats. What I find is really helpful is to feed your dog at a fixed time every day. Leave the food down for about 10 mins and then take it away. Your dog will soon realise that if he doesn't eat now he'll miss the chance. You will find that as your feeding habits and times become more regular, your dog's will too. Whether or not this is a good strategy in light of your dog's situation-ie, heart condition, weight loss-I don't know, but ask your vet, because it really works!

With ad lib feeding, dogs can become more choosy, especially if treats are on offer! Try to avoid giving him treats and snacks unless he deserves it. This way your dog will rely less on treats to quench hunger.

Chum is not a great feed in itself. Hill's dog food is a really high quality food, but is quite expensive. You can get special formulations for certain conditions, including heart problems (see www.hillspet.com and click on pet owner and prescription diet). We feed it to our dogs and they are very healthy on it. However, if you find that your dog is doing ok healthwise on what he is currently being fed, you may not find it nececcary to change his feed. Changing the habits, however, is very important! Ask your vet and see what they say, and if you can boost your dog's health from a healthy diet and routine it will improve his quality of life no end!

Rabies

If your dog has heart problems then you need be taking better care of his health and diet.
Ask your vet waht kind of diet should he be on and about his eating habits.
I agree with everyone else about Pedigree Chum. Lucky most of my parents dogs don't like it.
Sometimes I find it works to add a bit gravy to new food. Helps with the new taste, reduce it after a while and they never notice. It tricks them to even eating vegetables