sqwigglz asked:
My dog (a chihuahua) refuses to eat any dog food I give him! He was always a finicky eater, and then I made the mistake of give feeding him human food when I moved in with my boyfriend and his parents. Soon it spiraled out of control and he was being fed hot dogs and bologna for is his meals. I never really liked it so one day I finally changed it. Sometime around June of this year I started only giving him dog food. He would refuse to eat it so much to the point that he would make himself sick because he didn’t eat and then he would throw up. So I started forcing him to eat. I would stick the wet food on the top of his mouth like peanut butter. Sometimes he would spit it out and other times he would eat it. Finally, he was eating his food mostly on his own, I still had to hand feed it to him, but he was eating it. Now recently since September, he has been refusing his dog food again. I have a feeling that maybe he might be getting into some food or the trash when I am not around. However, I’m not sure. He doesn’t even act hungry when he misses a meal. And if he ever doesn’t miss a meal it’s because I am forcing him to eat again. The same way as before. I have tried everything.
My dog (a chihuahua) refuses to eat any dog food I give him! He was always a finicky eater, and then I made the mistake of give feeding him human food when I moved in with my boyfriend and his parents. Soon it spiraled out of control and he was being fed hot dogs and bologna for is his meals. I never really liked it so one day I finally changed it. Sometime around June of this year I started only giving him dog food. He would refuse to eat it so much to the point that he would make himself sick because he didn’t eat and then he would throw up. So I started forcing him to eat. I would stick the wet food on the top of his mouth like peanut butter. Sometimes he would spit it out and other times he would eat it. Finally, he was eating his food mostly on his own, I still had to hand feed it to him, but he was eating it. Now recently since September, he has been refusing his dog food again. I have a feeling that maybe he might be getting into some food or the trash when I am not around. However, I’m not sure. He doesn’t even act hungry when he misses a meal. And if he ever doesn’t miss a meal it’s because I am forcing him to eat again. The same way as before. I have tried everything.
I tried leaving his food out for 15 minutes twice a day, nothing. Then, I tried leaving it out once a day, nothing. I’ve tried every brand of dog food out there I’ve seen in the stores, still nothing! I have patients and I will continue to do whatever it takes. Although I have plane tickets already purchased for my vacation and I am nervous that while I am gone no one here will have my patience and they will go back to feeding him human food if I don’t find a good solution that starts to work fast! My boyfriend says he won’t let him eat human food, but I am a worry wart and don’t know if my dog will eat otherwise. Please help!!!!
Ever consider feeding him a raw diet? For one little Chi, it will be very cost effective and I do believe the problem will be solved.
I would suggest taking him the vet before you go on holiday, seems the dog has become so used to eating your food, he fails to see the point of eating such a less tasting food.
You’re right to worry, he might make himself ill if it doesn’t eat and i’m sure you don’t want that.
Maybe i would suggest mixing a little bit of the dog food in with normal food, and progessively remove more and more of the human food and try and teach him.
Take into consideration what the first answerer said – it wouldn’t cost much to food your dog Prey Model Raw, and it’s the best thing you could ever feed your pup.
Other than that,I can assure that no matter how much he doesn’t want to eat human food, he WILL eventually eat when he’s hungry enough.
If you don’t want to go with Prey Model Raw, I highly suggest that you put him onto Blue Buffalo – it’s top of the line food, very high quality.
Good luck!
Add: What Revoo said is not the correct way to do it. Mixing in human food with his kibble will not get your point across clearly enough.
No dog in the world will let themselves starve, they will *all* eat when they’re hungry enough. Just leave out his food for 15 minutes, twice a day, like you’ve been doing.
He’ll eat.
What you could do is steam some white rice and veggies and add it in with some wet dog food. Gradually remove the veggies and rice and then there will just be the dog food. Now that you started giving him human food can you really blame him for not wanting to go back to the dog food?
well im not an expert on chihuahuas , but i have one… and she loves human food, i don’t give it to her but i def. know that she loves it..i had a little hard time with food.. i bought from the most expensive small breed to the cheapest.. and what i found out(and the vet also advice me) is that chihuahuas likes food that is on bigger size.. so i found a small breed food(ultra) , that has a bigger size than another ones, and she loves it!! the vet told me that this happened because the chi is likely to eat more that they can.. so buying a bigger size food they feel like they eating more.. i hope this help you out… as i said im not a professional but that’s what help me..
well what you should try to do is start giving him rice and meats like fish chicken and steak see how he likes that try not to get him addicted 2 it tho.
then try putting gravy over the food you give him (the rice and stuff)
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next mix the rice and stuff into the the dog food if he starts to like it put the rice and stuff at the bottom of the bowl so he will have to eat thru the dog food.
then just try to give smaller and smaller amounts of human food
then try buying dog food that you add water and it tuns to a gravy sos
i hope you and yer dog find this usefull!
Put down a good dog food (any premium) for 20 minutes twice a day. If the dog doesn’t eat don’t give it anything (No Treats or human food). Do this everyday. Eventually the dog will eat. My shih tzu didnt eat for 5 days. She drank water and was fine but refused to eat. After the 5th day she scarfed down her food and ever since that she was never finicky. Now it seems mean, but that is the best way to do and I can guarantee it works. If your giving the dogs human food or snacks when they don’t eat they learn to hold out and they get something more tasty. When you only offer their food they realize they are not getting anything else.
It may take less or more time with your dog if you try this.
If you dont want to do that try mixing certain foods with the dry dog food. Such as cooked rice or steamed veggies or even wet food. At pet stores they sell gravies and mixers.
Take the dog with you. He can sit at your feet in a carrier.
That is the only solution if you don’t trust the folks at home.
Or just go & hope they do right. Just close him out of your mind & leave him to the folks at home. & hope they do right by him.
I would just put his food down for him & leave it there. If he doesn’t get any human food he will eventually eat his dog food.
My Lucy did the same thing had me feeding her a chicken ****** every night (I ate beans ha ha)
I had to stop as it was costing far too much .
And so she didn’t eat anything and she walked away from tinned food day after day then i found a neighbour feeding her with cat food
OH yes the stupid thing LOVES cat food so? try it (no not you) it might just work pets A? rik
You could try heating his wet food up just so it is tepid as it makes it smell stronger which can encourage them to at. How much exercise does he get as you haven’t said as you could if he doesn’t get alot try to increase it as that also can help increase there appetite. But if worse comes to worse could you feed him fresh human food. He isn’t a huge dog so it wouldn’t cost that much and you could try things like mince , pigs liver , chicken and steak and try and get him to eat fresh veg with it but if you do choose this diet i would recommend a god vitamin supplement. I wouldn’t allow my husband to tell me what i can and can’t feed my dog she gets the best in not only fresh human foods but foil tinned ones too.
Firstly, you shouldnt be giving your dog human food! Hot dogs!! pork can kill dogs.
Wet food isnt very good neither, its like sausages, all the left over meat goes to dog food, its not healthy for them at all. Try a dry biscuit complete food, its much healthier for them.
As someone else said, put food down for him twice a day, if he doesnt eat it take the bowl back up and dont offer any other food. Do this everyday, when hes starving he will eat it!
If you HAVE to give him human food, dont give him junk, its cruel. Give him healthy human food if you have too. Rice, chicken, pasta, mince.