Naughty or Sick?

[SincereArtisan]

Yesterday morning, Rune refused to eat her breakfast. I didn't flip, because she was acting fine otherwise, and my roommate had mentioned to me how she had gotten into the cat food last night.

 

So, she skipped breakfast. I've been leaving her out of her crate while I'm gone for short periods and she has been doing great...no accidents, no destuction. Well I return home from the store to catch her in the cat room, devouring cat food. Boy was she in trouble!

 

Anyway, because she emptied half a despenser full of cat food, I didn't put down any food for her last night. Now, this morning, she has turned her nose up at her food again. I left it down for 15 minutes, then took it up.

 

I'm thinking at this point she is either holding out for a cat food snack later in the day, or she might be ill. She acts fine, drinks water, pees, poos, plays as usual...but will not eat. Its confusing me...If she doesn't eat tonight we're giving the vet a call.

 

So, what do you think? Is she being naughty and saving her appetite for more kitty snacks she's not allowed?

[RaisingRiver]

If her poo is normal, I'd say she's holding out.

You could always test her and put out some kitty food after she refuses her kibble tonight. If she gobbles right away, then you know!

[BustopherJones]

Over the years, I have had many dogs. Occasionally, a dog seems to simply get bored with the same food every day; they seem to enjoy variety as much as humans do. Now, with that said, one cannot simply change a diet completely without risk of upsetting a dog's system. So over the years I have found little ways to alter the smell of the food without radically changing the basic component. For instance, chopped-up Italian meatballs or baked chicken added to the food may make it more palatable; mixing some Merrick canned food (1/8 to 1/4 of a can) can also make it appetizing, although Merrick can be expensive. (Not that I care; Missy gets 1/4 can at every meal, for reasons that I have already discussed in earlier posts.) Incidentally, Merrick comes in 15 different flavors, so there is little chance of being overly repetitive. And for some reason, we have found that our dogs LOVE tomato sauce; so we might occasionally mix in just a bit of all-natural spaghetti sauce.

 

But then again, I would not rule out the potentials that you have identified...

[SincereArtisan]

I've just started adding a bit of Nature's recipe canned food--the easy to digest type-- to each of her meals. She seemed to LOVE it at first, but her like for it is gradually tapering off...Maybe you're right, Bustopher, and she is simply getting bored.

 

Hence, the cat chow. Little Brat.

 

I'll keep an eye out for anything else to put in her food when we visit Petsmart later today.

[Shetlander]

Originally posted by SincereArtisan:

So, what do you think? Is she being naughty and saving her appetite for more kitty snacks she's not allowed?

What is her appetite like normally? If any of my dogs refused to eat, it would be cause for serious alarm. They never refuse a meal.

 

If she's a picky eater, I'd call the vet to see what he/she thinks if she isn't eating towards the end of the day. Eating the cat food could be making her want "better stuff" (even if it definitely isnt' better for her). And if she gorged, she might just not be that hungry.

 

It's been so long since I've had a picky eater, it's hard for me to imagine a dog not falling on her dish like she was starving.

[Nik]

My Gracie used to be like this when my cat Boomer was still alive. She refused to touch anything that had the words "dog food" on it. I finally gave up on the dog food and just offered her cat food since that was the only thing she would eat. 6 1/2 yrs. later Boomer passed away then soon after we got Navi and Pache...THEN she started eating dog food.

 

Maybe she is just imitating the cat because that's the animal she lives w/?!?!?! I think that was the case w/ Gracie anyway.

[juliepoudrier]

Cats are usually pickier eaters and therefore their food may be made to be "tastier" than regular dog food (or it may just smell better). Cat food is generally much higher in protein than dog food, which could be another reason Rune likes it so much. Can you gate off the cat room so Rune can't get in there? I used to use the walk-through gates hung about 4 inches off the ground so a cat could go under but not a dog. (I had to alter one with a 2 x 4 that made part of the bottom of the gate even lower, leaving an approximate 4" x 4" hole for the cats when one very determined dog managed to keep sliding under.) Anyway, I wouldn't feed her cat food and I would make sure she has no access to the cat food. Then she may decide to eat her regular food. But as long as she has access to something she wants more, don't expect her to eat her own food (and in general the higher protein present in cat food isn't good for dogs).

 

Liz,

I know what you mean about a dog not eating being a major cause for alarm. I am having a heck of a time adjusting to Lark, who simply doesn't appear to care much about food. I bet she didn't eat a cup of food total the entire time I was at a trial last weekend. I've given up worrying about it (apparently her mother is the same way when it comes to food), but it is a pain when the rest of the gluttonous "sharks" are circling wanting to finish off whatever she's left behind! She now just over 6 months old and I'm seriously thinking of giving her just one meal a day, since I'm generally wasting my time feeding her two.

 

J.

[BustopherJones]

Julie -

 

It is good to see that you decided to put your frustration with the general board aside, and continue to share your insight and wisdom with us. This board would not be the same without you; and I would miss reading your posts and saying to myself, "Gee, I wish I had said that..."

 

With that said, I found with Annie that sometimes she simply does not like to eat in public. This started when she spent an extended period of time at the vet recuperating from a serious injury (growth plate separation) a couple of years ago, and was confined to a cage during that time; prior to that, she ate in the kitchen. Now, she will not eat in the morning except in her "den", and sometimes repeats the same behavior in the evening. We humor her; I would rather have her healthy than try to prove a point with a dog that is probably smarter than I am...

[2 Devils]

Rune could basically just be full and not wanting to eat because of it. It sounds like she had a good chow of cat food. The cat food could have upset her tummy.

 

I would make sure to eliminate her access to the cat food and possibly not even feed her for a day or so and then start her food again.

[Dixie_Girl]

I have one of those big tubs in the master bath with sideboards on each end. Before Jackson, I always fed Sammy and Cheyenne on the kitchen floor side by side. Cheyenne would hardly eat dog food, she wouldn't dream of eating cat food! So, when we got Jackson we started feeding Sammy in the bathroom, putting his food on the sideboards where Jackson couldn't get to it. We left it that way which is good since now we have Skip. Because Jackson couldn't get to it as a pup, even though he CAN now, he doesn't. And cats kinda like being up anyway. So, maybe you could put the cats food up where Rune can't get it? The cat will enjoy looking down its nose at Rune!

[katendarby]

I had a cockapoo that ate Meow Mix, along with my cat, for almost 10 yrs. Could have been why he could scale a ladder and climb a fence better than any other kind of animal! He wouldn't touch dog food, of any kind. He was a small dog, with small teeth, so I think he liked the small, easily chewed kibble of the cat food. She'll eat when she gets hungry enough. Kate routinely skips her meals - just not hungry, or God forbid, there's a fly in the house and she's too afraid to come out of the bedroom!

[Shetlander]

Originally posted by juliepoudrier:

I am having a heck of a time adjusting to Lark, who simply doesn't appear to care much about food. I bet she didn't eat a cup of food total the entire time I was at a trial last weekend. I've given up worrying about it (apparently her mother is the same way when it comes to food), but it is a pain when the rest of the gluttonous "sharks" are circling wanting to finish off whatever she's left behind! She now just over 6 months old and I'm seriously thinking of giving her just one meal a day, since I'm generally wasting my time feeding her two.

Wow, that brings back memories of my first Lhasa. He never ate breakfast other than a jerky treat I gave him (otherwise he tended to throw up bile if he went too long between meals). I always had to feed him separately because all dogs who came after him were like your "gluttonous sharks" When he got old and a little demented, I did mix wet food in to tempt him becuase it seemed like once he started eating, he'd remember he had an appetite.

 

Now the shelties would eat no matter what, no matter where, but they both went through phases where they wouldn't pee or poop if they were stressed. I think the record was 30 hours without a BM despite eating as usual. This made me insane when we visited people or went to shows. Eventually they both grew out of it more or less.

[SoloRiver]

My Pom was never all that interested in dog food. She did like treats, but would take her time with her food. I'd just leave her meal out all day (not free fed -- I did not replenish until the next day) and that worked for us, but she was my only pet at the time.

 

If her condition is good I'd just wait and see.

[muggs]

Loki is my second border collie that really could care less about eating. He eats when he's really hungry only - it doesn't matter is it's filet mignon. I give him about 3/4 cup twice a day - if he doesn't want breakfast, he gets it for dinner. Previous dog, Levi, would go a day at times without eating especially in hot weather. He did this from the time he was a puppy and lived to almost 18 - so it can't be that bad.

 

Oh and also, if Rune is just not big on food, try not to make any kind of issue out of it. I have found that if Loki feels he's being "pressured", it makes it worse the next couple of mornings.

[Root Beer]

I'd try another food. Speedy used to get bored with his food every so often and he enjoyed changes.

 

I don't eat what I don't like and I don't eat the same thing day after day. I'd hardly consider a dog naughty for not wanting to eat something that he is bored with or doesn't like.

[SincereArtisan]

My Rune sounds like your Lark, Julie. Its tricky getting her to eat in the first place, but she does typically eat *something* at the begining and end of each day.

 

Anywho, she did eat her food tonight...but it still took me setting it infront of her while she was laying by me for her to touch it. Thats another funny quirk, she likes to be near me...