redterra Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hi my border collie benji doesnt seem to want to eat his food from the bowl no more, lately he goes over to it and it seems as if he is trying to flip it over with his nose, he is also pawing ther floor in front of it, i have tried changing the food but still the same thing, been having to hand feed him just to get him to eat and also filling his kong toy which he seems to be eating from, i dont understand why this is happening as he used to wolf it down as soon as you gave it too him. I have also tried another bowl but the same thing is happening, He seems his normal energetic self but this has been going on for a few weeks now so im hoping some of you knowledgable bc owners can help me out please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hi my border collie benji doesnt seem to want to eat his food from the bowl no more, lately he goes over to it and it seems as if he is trying to flip it over with his nose, he is also pawing ther floor in front of it, i have tried changing the food but still the same thing, been having to hand feed him just to get him to eat and also filling his kong toy which he seems to be eating from, i dont understand why this is happening as he used to wolf it down as soon as you gave it too him. I have also tried another bowl but the same thing is happening, He seems his normal energetic self but this has been going on for a few weeks now so im hoping some of you knowledgable bc owners can help me out please. Not to worry. They play there BC games but they will eat when they are really hungry.If there is a dramatic weight loss.check with the Vet.I have gone through this so often I quite often turn her bowl upside down an walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I really don't know, but maybe a few questions will help to narrow down the possibilities - how long have you had Benji? - how old is he? - do you have any other dogs? - do you free feed? - how much? - does he get treats? -where do you feed? (does he have any issues with the area, is it well lit, does it smell funny, etc) -what kind of surface is the bowl on? -is the bowl clean? -does he ever eat bugs? It's entirely possible that he's had enough to eat, so just wants to play, or get more attention, but it's hard to say without more details. Hope it gets resolved soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redterra Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I really don't know, but maybe a few questions will help to narrow down the possibilities - how long have you had Benji? - how old is he? - do you have any other dogs? - do you free feed? - how much? - does he get treats? -where do you feed? (does he have any issues with the area, is it well lit, does it smell funny, etc) -what kind of surface is the bowl on? -is the bowl clean? -does he ever eat bugs? It's entirely possible that he's had enough to eat, so just wants to play, or get more attention, but it's hard to say without more details. Hope it gets resolved soon! ive had benji since he was ten weeks, he is now eight months i dont own no other dogs i feed him twice a day plus he gets a dentastik once a day to help his teeth, and the odd treats i.e hide bone etc i feed him in the kitchen, the bowl is on lino flooring and his bowl is clean, and have only seen him eat a daddy long legs once hes also drinking plenty of water also thanks for your help both, perhaps i just got to go with it for a while and see if he will start eating from the bowl again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 ive had benji since he was ten weeks, he is now eight monthsi dont own no other dogs i feed him twice a day plus he gets a dentastik once a day to help his teeth, and the odd treats i.e hide bone etc i feed him in the kitchen, the bowl is on lino flooring and his bowl is clean, and have only seen him eat a daddy long legs once hes also drinking plenty of water also thanks for your help both, perhaps i just got to go with it for a while and see if he will start eating from the bowl again A couple of possibilities occurred to me when I read you post. I'm still not sure which one I'd go with, so I'll just list all of them, and the corresponding suggestion: 1- he's bored (most likely) - try making him do a few tricks before feeding him, or feed him out of a treat ball where he has to work for it. (I asked about bugs because it sounded like maybe he was in play-hunting mode.) 2 - he's just being a puppy - take away the bowl after he's had a few minutes. offer it again when he's settled down. 3 - he's full - offer less each time, until he's reliably eating everything in 15 minutes or so. 4 - something (the bowl sliding, tags jingling, etc) bothers him - put a mat under the bowl, take off the collar, just eliminate whatever bothers him, and gradually reintroduce it. 5 - he's sick (try rubbing his belly to check for any soreness, look at the consistency of his stool, note any other changes in behavior) - take him to the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INU Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I had a client's dog that had a similar issue. He'd drink out of his bowl but would not eat out of it. I used the same bowl he'd drink water out and fed some really high value food. He wanted to but he hesitated. I watched him closely and noticed that he paused for a second when a bowl moves on the floor and makes very a small noise. First I made sure he likes the food I am giving him. He'd eat out of my hand. I got him used to that first, then I put my hand (with food in it) in the bowl and fed him but he still hesitated. Then I picked up the bowl with my hand and stationed on my lap so that it doesn't move on the floor. He'd eat that way. So this proved that he doesn't like when the bowl moves. I've had another dog that just don't like metal bowls because he was scared of his reflection in it. The owner wanted him to eat out of bowl, on the floor. So I went and bought 4 different containers - all with large mouth and bottom. All sorts of materials, rubber, plastic, silicon and ceramic. I smeared some treats on the silicon container and let him play with it first. Then I used it as food bowl later that day. He ate out of all 4 bowls. Edited: I don't know if your dog has issue with the eating situation or if this is something completely different from my case. Watch your dog carefully and experiment with different types of bowls. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redterra Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Thanks all for the replys some good suggestions there, the bowl he has is made of stainless steel and its funny but i was thinking the same thing her doesnt like eating from it because of the noise or his reflection, so i will buy him a plastic one tomorrow and see how he goes with that. He seems fine in every other way, so will keep an eye on him and keep feeding him from his kong toy like suggested and just see how he goes with the new bowl . Thanks agan for all your help its much appreciated........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 ...lately he goes over to it and it seems as if he is trying to flip it over with his nose, he is also pawing ther floor in front of it... You know, I bet he just doesn't like the bowl! Or can see the reflection in it and is trying to figure it out! Inu might be on to something...Keep an eye on him anyway, but try a different bowl too! on a side note, we had a plastic bowl for Daisy and she would always flip it over and spill her water everywhere, everyday! We use ceramic because they are harder to tip, it's a pain in the you know what when you almost kill yourself every time you go into the kitchen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 Some years ago, Missy suddenly became reluctant to eat from her bowl. The vet suggested that sometimes placing a bowl on the floor creates an awkward eating position for a dog, and suggested that we elevate the bowls. We got a stand that raised both the food an water bowls about 6 inches off the ground, and held both bowls firmly in position without moving. That seemed to solve the problem. Sidebar: The vet also had us change from plastic bowls to stainless steel; she felt that plastic dishes (and particularly those made in China) left residues in the food and water that were unhealthy for dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 Our BC does that from time to time--used to do it more when he was younger. I too think he was seeing his reflection in the stainless steel bowl. He kept looking at it, cocking his head back and forth and pawing at the bowl till he spilled water everywhere. He sometimes will bark if he sees his reflection in the storm door at night too. Then we tell him "It's you goofy!" and he walks away! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redterra Posted May 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 interesting benji does the same thing at the patio doors when he sees his reflection so could be that, and i tell him the same, will keep an eye on him anyway many thanks for all the replys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Scott Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 My cats had a reaction to plastic bowls and since then, I won't feed my BCs from plastic and I try not to use them for myself. If your BC is hungry, he'll eat. If he dumps the food out of the bowl and then eats it,does it really matter? Barb S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayleegator Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 Kaylee was doing this, and scraping the floor in front of the bowly with her nose, until this list alerted me that she was trying to BURY her food, to save it for later: she wasn't hungry then. I started picking up her bowl right away if she did that, and also, I cut her feeding down to once a day, instead of twice. Lately we've gone back to two feedings a day, but they are both given out of a big Kong toy, for the entertainment puzzle-solving value. Now she doesn't even HAVE a food bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4pack Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 If stainless bowls and reflections are the issue I'd go with ceramic before plastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.