# Fussy Vizsla.. what food to try next?



## showjump (18 September 2013)

Both my V's are on Skinners Crunchy, one is not keen on her food (used to be). They were on Skinners Muesili (sp?) mix which she kind of liked, but would have to stand over her while she ate.
About two weeks ago the eating got worse, would walk off and leave it if something better was happening, or you didnt stand guard over her.  I added ham, chicken, pasta, sardines and gravy. Didnt spur her onto eat a full bowl very often tho. Last week i added sardines, and she ate it then afew hours later was repeatedly sick about 5 times. 
Next day fine, and ate most of her skinners and gravy. Now this week, shes hardly ate any of 'her' food at all. Very keen on gravy bones, treat, human food etc. Bought some Raw from pets at home to try her on, other V wolfed it down, she ate half.. then eventually other half later on whilst both me and my OH watched over her.. (that way she knew she wasnt missing out on anything)

This morning, wouldnt touch the raw, so gave her Bakers As good as it looks.. ate that.

What to try now? I cannot understand this dog loved her food. 

Any ideas would be great.


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## twiggy2 (18 September 2013)

what does your vet say? maybe the dog has an underlying issue.

i would choose a food and stick with it if the vet can find no problem, put the required amount of food down-walk away and leave the dog to eat in peace, after ten minutes return and remove the food do that twice a day. if you keep adding in tasty bits 2 of my 3 dogs would wait until you put something really tasty in the bowl, you are encouraging her to watch you for the really yummy food that may appear.

if she still does not eat after 3-4 days i would be returning to the vet for more investigation.

i would to start with try a wet food like natures diet as the increased smell of wet and the soft texture of wet food may be more emcouraging.


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## CorvusCorax (18 September 2013)

I wouldn't stand over a dog when it was eating, a lot of dogs will interpret that as pressure/stress. I feel like your dogs mealtimes are stressful from just reading your post. 

Take her to the vet, get her checked out, if there is nothing underlying or no dental issues I would just leave her to it if she is in good nick, dogs tend not to starve themselves.

If she is eating different foods in other circumstances she is picking and choosing when, where and what to eat...probably due to association.


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## showjump (18 September 2013)

Sorry didn't mean i stand over her, i meant that i wait in the kitchen with her to make sure she eats it and not my other viz. 
I will be going Pets at home shortly to get her some wet food, and try that and cutting out the kibble as i wonder if she finds it too much effort to chew it!? She is so hyper, but also very velcro-like that she doesnt seem bothered about food anymore, her football, going outside or following me come higher up than eating. 
I dont think there is anything wrong with her, eating gravy bones and human food without hesitation.. maybe just going to have to make her hungry by cutting everything out bar HER food so she eats it. If no better on wet food I will take her to the vets..

Thanks


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## CorvusCorax (18 September 2013)

Just feed them in different rooms, will cut the need to stand and watch her  

Agree with your last par completely. My dog doesn't get treats, he gets kibble!


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## runaway (18 September 2013)

Do you have any weight concerns about her? If she's not under weight don't worry! I'd do like CaveCanem suggests and feed in a different room. If after having a cuppa you go to let her out and she hasn't eaten feed pick it up and don't offer it till next feed (assuming you feed twice a day.) Do this for a week as long as her weight isn't low and see how you get on. Also may be cut down the amount she gets per feed.


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## showjump (18 September 2013)

runaway said:



			Do you have any weight concerns about her? If she's not under weight don't worry! I'd do like CaveCanem suggests and feed in a different room. If after having a cuppa you go to let her out and she hasn't eaten feed pick it up and don't offer it till next feed (assuming you feed twice a day.) Do this for a week as long as her weight isn't low and see how you get on. Also may be cut down the amount she gets per feed.
		
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Thanks for the reply. In answer, not she's fairly lean.. Was putting weight on nicely until this problem of not eating much. I've bought natures diet fish tonight, and still won't eat it this either! Will try her on chicken mince tomo, as someone's told me they all love that.. Worth a go. If that doesn't work will take her to vets Friday. Thanks


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## Cinnamontoast (18 September 2013)

Yup, feed separately from the other dog, leave food down then take up if not eaten, give the same food again next meal time. 

Did you use sardines in tomato sauce from a tin? None of mine can resist that.

Please check the ingredients of Bakers: they use preservatives known to be carcinogenic in their food. :frown3: The quality and in particular the meat content of their food is extremely poor, which will not help the dog if she's skinny.


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## weaselwords (18 September 2013)

Viszlas are quite sensitive souls.  Has anything changed in her routine that might be upsetting her and putting her off her food?


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## CorvusCorax (18 September 2013)

showjump said:



			Thanks for the reply. In answer, not she's fairly lean.. Was putting weight on nicely until this problem of not eating much. I've bought natures diet fish tonight, and still won't eat it this either! Will try her on chicken mince tomo, as someone's told me they all love that.. Worth a go. If that doesn't work will take her to vets Friday. Thanks
		
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She will eat it if she is hungry....if you keep changing foods and flavours every time she turns her nose up, of course she'll be fussy

If there is no health issue then she is choosing not to eat. After a few days, I bet she'll choose to eat.


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## twiggy2 (19 September 2013)

CaveCanem said:



			She will eat it if she is hungry....if you keep changing foods and flavours every time she turns her nose up, of course she'll be fussy

If there is no health issue then she is choosing not to eat. After a few days, I bet she'll choose to eat.
		
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this


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## Dry Rot (19 September 2013)

CaveCanem said:



			She will eat it if she is hungry....if you keep changing foods and flavours every time she turns her nose up, of course she'll be fussy

If there is no health issue then she is choosing not to eat. After a few days, I bet she'll choose to eat.
		
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Another in agreement.

I learnt in a hard school. When dealing with hounds, we had an old kennelman who was as hard as nails. He used to describe the horrors of handling horses at Ypres during WWII and having to push what was meant to work as a gas mask down their horses' throats.

His cure for lack of appetite was to ignore them. We had one hound that went as thin as a rake and would not eat but he refused to allow special feeding. Then one day she staggered out (literally!) with the others and started eating and did not look back.

Occasional fasting is beneficial for dogs as they seem to know by instinct. Put the food down for ten minutes, then remove it until the next day. One meal a day for an average sized dog is quite sufficient and feed according to body condition not what it says on the side of the bag. That old boy used to say you should be able to slide two fingers between the last three ribs, but he was talking fit foxhounds. You'd not be able to find the ribs on most pet dogs these days!


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## wiz07 (19 September 2013)

I have a fussy Weimaranner  - Similar to Vislars - I feed a complete working dog dry food - when she has her fussy days i mix in half a tin of tinned meat - with a splash of hot water - she wolfes it down.....


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## samlf (19 September 2013)

Decide what you are going to feed and feed that only. Put it down for 15/20 minutes maximum, no pressure. If she doesn't eat chuck it out. Do not give any treats/human food/chicken etc, literally nothing else. After a couple of days she will eat. 

Make sure what you decide to feed is quality and appetising - eg good quality dry mixed with nature diet wet or similar. 

I understand the difficultly, one of my dogs was a poor eater for a couple of years, because just like your dog he was pandered to. He now eats well, still has his off days but doesn't get anything else.


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## zaffarella (19 September 2013)

i totally agree with Samlf.. i too had a superfussy Dobermann which was my own doing. As soon as stopped eating one food i would add something or change food.. now i feed her along with the rest of my dogs.. Skinners Field and Trial,, she  gets offered it and if shes not eaten it in 20 mins i take it away and she gets nothing till tea time.. then she gets offered it again.. yes.. i felt terrible when i had to do this to her and yes she lost weight as she didnt eat but she also wasnt going to starve herself and as i was the one who have pandered to her i had to let her know also that this was going to stop and dinner was what was served and that was it.. shes a good eater now with perfect weight..  stick with it..


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## Dry Rot (19 September 2013)

Dry Rot said:



			Another in agreement.

I learnt in a hard school. When dealing with hounds, we had an old kennelman who was as hard as nails. He used to describe the horrors of handling horses at Ypres during WWII and having to push what was meant to work as a gas mask down their horses' throats.

His cure for lack of appetite was to ignore them. We had one hound that went as thin as a rake and would not eat but he refused to allow special feeding. Then one day she staggered out (literally!) with the others and started eating and did not look back.

Occasional fasting is beneficial for dogs as they seem to know by instinct. Put the food down for ten minutes, then remove it until the next day. One meal a day for an average sized dog is quite sufficient and feed according to body condition not what it says on the side of the bag. That old boy used to say you should be able to slide two fingers between the last three ribs, but he was talking fit foxhounds. You'd not be able to find the ribs on most pet dogs these days!

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That should have read WWI (1914 - 1918) if anyone is interested! (Probably not).


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