A food game?

[goforette]

There is never a dull moment when you live with a Cairn - and my two are always coming up with new things to make me either worry or think about... so here's what is current with my two:

For maybe the last couple of weeks Brystal has been having problems eating and when I mean problems eating I can't figure out what the problem is. I offer both food at the same time, in some distance from each other - nothing unusual it's how they've always had meals together. Brystal backs up and just watches Hollie eat, then when Hollie finishes they both run off and go about their business while Brystal abandons her dish (Hollie knows it's not hers so she makes no attempt to eat or steal) - So I'll offer Brystal different food and sometimes she'll eat it and sometimes she won't. Today however Brystal stayed with her dish, but still wouldn't touch it. Hollie had finished and at a distance growled in Brystal's direction, and Brystal proceeded to stand there and cry and whine over her uneaten dish - I removed Hollie and put her in the pen - thinking Brystal wanted to eat in peace - but she just cried for Hollie to come out... she is eating snacks and treats without much of a problem. Although she eats and always had much much slower than Hollie, she'll crunch her bone let it fall on the ground to pieces and pick up the pieces where Hollie gulps and leaves no crumbs to fall out of her mouth. I really don't think Brystal has a tooth problem - I looked at her teeth briefly - they look okay, she doesn't seem to paw at it or favor it... but we just keep going through difficult meal time twice a day and whenever she does eat something she eats like a snail... she is beyond slow. Does anyone else have this problem with multiple dogs? Is it a game? - or is it something else like an illness or teeth?

[oscar's mom]

Sorry to hear about Brystal's eating problem. Have you thought about feeding her in her kennel? She might need a place where she doesn't see Haley, and can concentrat on her own food. So that means Haley can't go and visit when she's done eating.

Good luck

Antonietta

[Tracy A.]

I sort of when through this with Mett & Bratt. First, stop all snacks this way whe will be hungery when it comes to meal time. Brattwurst is a very slow eater, so we started to seperate the boys with a babygate in the kitchen but so that they can still see eachother whcih is some kind of odd issue that they have between them.

At meal time we feed the boys after we've had our dinner salads and we sit down to dinner. When one of them give the 'we're done bark' we go in the kitchen and take the bowls up if Brattwurst is done eating.

sometiems bratt just eats very little and I take the bowl up and don't offer him anymore food until the next meal time. At that point he will normally empty his bowl.

If Bratt isn't hungery then food becomes a game, he may prance around the house with a cookie in his mouth wanting Mett to chase him.

Bratt is a very picky eater, he doesn't like things in big chunks and he will just drop it on the ground or make a play item of it. If I give him something that is broken down to goldfish snack size he will almost always eat it the first time..... if he doesn't like the taste of it... it's on the ground.

Brattwurst even refused BACON because it was too big of a piece.... Mettwurst on the other hand sized on it... and it wasn't too big for him.

I remember hand feeding Bratt when he was a puppy because he ate so little I was worried. Now i've realized that he will eat when he is hungery but i'm not goin to baby him when it comes to eating.... tough love I know

But a hungery dog empties the bowl!

[Napi'smom]

Goforette, I feel your pain!! I have the exact problem with Napoleon, I have mentioned it here several times, I have had the vet check his jaws, teethe, mounth, NOTHING is wrong with thim, ayt least physically, I cook for my dogs and Sammy will inhale his food in seconds, while Napoleon will sniff it and walk away sometimes, sometimes he will eat right away, other times only when Sammy comes around to try to sneak a bite from his dish!! I have tried feedeing them in separate rooms, I send Sammy out while Napoleon is eating, nothing works, So if you find something that works, please let me know!!

BTW he alsos wille at treats and any other food if I give it to him, so I know he can eat...

I have been walking a lot more with him and that has not helped, I have him run around in the yard, chase ball and still the same!!

[pkcrossley]

i wonder if it is a two-dog problem after all. it could be behavioral but the way you describe it, a physical problem also sounds likely. your idea about teeth might be right on --have you had vet check him for anything that might be causing discomfort? too big, too tough, too salty or including an irritating ingredient (or edges) could all be causing her either to be in pain OR causing her to fear pain because he had a bad experience one time. whatever it is might not be visible, could be at the back of the throat, behind the teeth, anywhere.