# Not eating



## Cyn (Sep 18, 2017)

Today, my little Mojo just did not want her food. She ate a decent amount at breakfast, but when I put her lunch and then her dinner down, she sniffed, nibbled, and walked away. She is her normal, happy self otherwise. Wants to run and play. But I am worried about this. She is almost 4 mos old and weighs 6 lbs. It could just be that she is bored with the food. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.


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## jilliow (Jan 6, 2017)

Becky used to be like this, I used to worry and scramble an egg so to get her to eat.

I had always had greedy dogs which never turned down anything but have found with Havanese, at least mine, they are fussy finicky eaters.

Now I dont worry, as long as your pup is happy and active she will eat when she is ready.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Don't get sucked into her being "bored" or "finicky". You can CERTAINLY create a "Fussy Havanese", but they don't have to be. Put her food down, and if she hasn't begun to eat, pick it up in 10 minutes or less. (My SLOWEST eater takes about 90 seconds to finish a meal, so 10 minutes to get started is PLENTY of time) If she walks away, pick it up. If she doesn't start, pick it up. NO FOOD AT ALL until the next meal time. Repeat the same process. She may skip a couple of meals, or even a couple of DAYS. But a healthy dog or puppy WILL NOT starve themselves. 

Leaving food out or "tempting" them with toppers... or WORRYING about them can all lead to a picky eater. Havanese are SMART, and VERY good at training their owners!


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## Suzi Bowden (Sep 23, 2017)

When mine were puppy's they did the same thing. So for about a year I would stew up chicken breasts and freeze with the juice in ice cube trays. I would defrost only one cube and divide it between the two. It always got them to eat their two meals a day. Now mine will still from time to time skip meals but I don't worry as much. I do however add a teaspoon of pumpkin at each feeding and they always eat it up. I add the pumpkin because Zoey needed more fiber in her diet and it has worked great. When I was really worried about them eating like if they were sick I hand feed to get them started. Neither of mine are finicky eaters . Its sort of sweet Zoey finishes her food fast but always leaves Maddie's alone . Maddie's may sit their for hours and Zoe leaves it for her.


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## Cyn (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks, everyone! I am learning that Mojo will pick at her food one meal, then devour every bit and lick her bowl clean the next. I am good about picking the bowl up and putting it away after 10 minutes. She goes off to play and nap until the next mealtime. It was a matter of my learning her habits, I guess. As my husband said, "She's tiny! She'll eat what she needs, healthy puppies will not starve themselves." Because she has been normal and healthy, I just decided to relax and follow her lead. We are in a routine now. I so appreciate this forum.


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## Cyn (Sep 18, 2017)

Recommendations for kibble formulas that your puppies like? We started with Royal Canin Mini, which is what her previous owner fed her (gave us the bag), but she's no longer into it. Tried Taste of the Wild. Meh. One suggestion I read was to add less than a 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth to tempt her. Have not tried that yet. Anyone heard of or tried TruDog? Just want some ideas before I start buying new brands. Thanks.


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

My picky girl loves Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble. I top it with a few pieces of freeze dried raw, add some water, and she gobbles it up. If I was going to add chicken broth I would use the sodium free version as I would be concerned about the added salt.


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## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

I use Wellness Core puppy and Brother's Complete. Both are grain free and use veg for carbs, I think. They are both coated with probiotics. I have to order Brothers online but Wellness core is at the big box pet stores.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Perry eats Wellness Core. The only concession to 'picky' that I will make is that I moisten his food (and he generally does eat that better than he was eating just dry) - and that's really because it reduces him drinking water too quickly (which he always throws up) because he's getting water in both meals. If he doesn't eat, no biggy, I'm sure he will eat the next meal.


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## RoccoChoco (Aug 25, 2017)

Rocco eats Fromm Gold Puppy and I mix it with their canned food half and half. I have used chicken broth mixed with the dry food as well. He is also very choosy about his eating times and is never consistent. I think teething has a lot to do with it right now. One day when he wouldn't eat he also lost 4 teeth!


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

Just a thought - dogs do like to work for their food. Since the day I brought Loki home, I have fed him wet food in a kong and his kibble in a Mazee, puzzle ball, or kong wobbler (I rotate them.) I have these two but there are many more on Amazon, Chewy's, etc.

Amazon.com : Planet Dog Mazee, Raspberry : Pet Toy Balls : Pet Supplies

Pet Supplies : Pet Toy Balls : OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy : Amazon.com


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Yes they like to work for it.

Companion Animal Psychology: Do Dogs Get that Eureka! Feeling?
https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/mental-exercise/

http://ilarjournal.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/2/202.full

http://www.caninegenius.com/documents/Becker_K9G_Feb_06.pdf

https://www.vet.upenn.edu/docs/defa...or-medicine/kong-stuffing-sfspca.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Brain Food for Dogs | Modern Dog magazine

Pet Food Puzzles


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

http://www.havaneseforum.com/8-puppy-area/122265-your-puppy.html


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Cyn said:


> Recommendations for kibble formulas that your puppies like? We started with Royal Canin Mini, which is what her previous owner fed her (gave us the bag), but she's no longer into it. Tried Taste of the Wild. Meh. One suggestion I read was to add less than a 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth to tempt her. Have not tried that yet. Anyone heard of or tried TruDog? Just want some ideas before I start buying new brands. Thanks.


Healthy dogs (or puppies) WILL NOT STARVE THEMSELVES. "Tempting" them with "toppers" will definitely lead you to creating a "picky eater". So will changing food because you think the dog is "bored" with their current food, or that they don't like it. Dogs are REALLY BAD at knowing what is good for them. Just see how crazy they go for "Pupperoni" or "Beggin Strips" from the grocery store, both of which have little food value, LOTS of bad stuff in them, but dogs go crazy for them. Like small children, they are often attracted to things that are not a good nutritional choice for them. That's your job; to pick a quality food for them and then insist that THIS is what they will eat. NOT to molly coddle and coax them into eating.

Don't get sucked in unless you like dealing with a picky eater. (some people subconsciously enjoy that, an unwittingly encourage the behavior)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Molly120213 said:


> My picky girl loves Nature's Variety Instinct kibble. I top it with a few pieces of freeze dried raw, add some water, and she gobbles it up. If I was going to add chicken broth I would use the sodium free version as I would be concerned about the added salt.


My guys also scarf down NV Instinct like it was the last meal on earth. That is their "breakfast cereal". (They get canned for supper)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Perry eats Wellness Core. The only concession to 'picky' that I will make is that I moisten his food (and he generally does eat that better than he was eating just dry) - and that's really because it reduces him drinking water too quickly (which he always throws up) because he's getting water in both meals. If he doesn't eat, no biggy, I'm sure he will eat the next meal.


Wetting kibble is ALWAYS a good idea. Many dogs who eat only kibble live in a constant state of mild dehydration, because their bodies don't tell them to drink enough to make up for the kibble. (Perry sounds like an exception there!  )


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Barbara Levy said:


> Just a thought - dogs do like to work for their food. Since the day I brought Loki home, I have fed him wet food in a kong and his kibble in a Mazee, puzzle ball, or kong wobbler (I rotate them.) I have these two but there are many more on Amazon, Chewy's, etc.
> 
> Amazon.com : Planet Dog Mazee, Raspberry : Pet Toy Balls : Pet Supplies
> 
> Pet Supplies : Pet Toy Balls : OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy : Amazon.com


Yes, THAT'S an "enticement" I would be OK with.


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

krandall said:


> Yes, THAT'S an "enticement" I would be OK with.


It does work as an enticement. My sister's 8 year old Portuguese Water Dog had started being really picky. I told her to get a wobbler or a puzzle ball. Sure enough, he is now eating his kibble within minutes instead of picking on it all day. He gets wet food too but will still eat that out of the bowl. It's a lot easier to change up how they get the food rather than changing the food! Loki also likes to have frozen peas in the balls for "treats".


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## Bocce (Aug 25, 2017)

Bocce is on Fromm pork, applesauce variety I think.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*drinking enough*



krandall said:


> Wetting kibble is ALWAYS a good idea. Many dogs who eat only kibble live in a constant state of mild dehydration, because their bodies don't tell them to drink enough to make up for the kibble. (Perry sounds like an exception there!  )


Strangely, it doesn't seem like, to me, that he drinks enough. The problem is that when he does drink it, if he's too excited, (often when he's just out of his crate or after running around), he will throw it up (next trip to the US will including buying a water bottle to see if that helps.)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Strangely, it doesn't seem like, to me, that he drinks enough. The problem is that when he does drink it, if he's too excited, (often when he's just out of his crate or after running around), he will throw it up (next trip to the US will including buying a water bottle to see if that helps.)


Have you ever considered leaving water in his crate for him? My dogs all have stainless steel buckets that attach to the crate. So they are never extra-thirsty when they come out. No gulping that way.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*water in his crate*



krandall said:


> Have you ever considered leaving water in his crate for him? My dogs all have stainless steel buckets that attach to the crate. So they are never extra-thirsty when they come out. No gulping that way.


I'm going to get a water bottle for his crate as well when I'm home. I don't have one of the cups that attaches to his crate right now and a bowl in his crate gets dumped immediately.

The gulping is not limited to when he's let out of his crate - it also happens whenever he's excited ... and the throwing up happens then, or when he's anxious about something, or... (something to talk to his US vet about when we're there for Christmas)


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