Won't eat

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Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Won't eat

Post by Shalista »

So my sister has the new chihuahua. 2 years old, ish. about a pound or two underweight(which is a HUGE deal when you only weight 3 pounds to start). (you can clearly see ribs and her waist is tiny and her limbs are skeletal) our problem is trying to get her to eat. she flat wont.

things we've tried and she's turned her nose up at:
Cat food mixed with wet food
Ki's kibble
her old food (we dont know what kind it is and it's like three dif colored pieces, red, brown, and yellow. she will SOMETIMES eat the yellow pieces.)
boiled chicken and rice
hamburger (cooked)(she ate some and now she wont eat anymore)
Hamburger (cooked) with water (she was dehydrated)

things she'll eat:
Corn chips? apparently she devoured a bunch of corn chips like she was starving.

She does have worms. she got a dewormer pill to crush up and put on her food but we crushed the pill on some hamburger and.... she didnt eat it.

Thoughts? recommendations? i was willing to give her some of bax's food but if she doesnt even want boiled chicken and rice i doubt she'll jump at some raw.

i know for humans they say if you dont have any appetite to cook up garlic... is there any equivalent for that in the dog world?
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: Won't eat

Post by JudyN »

Has she been checked by a vet? Is she drinking? If she might still be dehydrated she needs to see a vet sooner rather than later. Though I'd want to get her checked regardless.

You could try chicken broth - boil up a chicken carcasse in water for an hourish, strain it, and give her the water. The bones will have to be binned, but if she likes the broth she might then be tempted by the boiled meat.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
JudyN
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Re: Won't eat

Post by JudyN »

Oh, also - it could be simply stress. I don't suppose there's any way of explaining to your sister that she's contributing to this by the way she's treating her and she needs to back right off for now.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Won't eat

Post by Shalista »

yeah shes been to the vet and they said that shes very underweight and most likely has worms, hence the pill :?

would locking her in a room by herself to eat increase or decrease the stress? she's already pretty possessive of my sis so i'm thinking being separated might increase it.....
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Won't eat

Post by Erica »

I would try leaving her alone, or putting her food somewhere like a covered crate (open) where she can be in the same room as your sister but your sister can't see her. Sister should leave her alone, read a book or get on the computer or something, and not try to encourage her to eat.

Maybe try mixing some corn chips into something and see if that helps?
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Won't eat

Post by Shalista »

So Willa has been here for almost 2 months and she still doesn't really eat. we've found a food she'll occasionally nibble but we're still having trouble putting weight on her(every rib is very visible as well as every vertebra down her back). she also has behavioral problems (see other thread) and we have been unable to find anything that interests her food wise to reward her for good behavior.

we've tried:

feeding her by herself (both in another room as well as in the same room as sis but ignored by sis)
feeding her by hand
feeding her a variety foods including ground hamburger and chicken with rice

All of them she turns up her nose at. she will occasionally nibble some kibble but not enough to put substantial weight on her.

I know the usual is "she'll eat when she's hungry" but shes very obviously very underweight and shes just not interested in food.

Thoughts?
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Won't eat

Post by Erica »

Has she been to the vet since the deworming? I would be looking at a medical cause if she's underweight and not eating. Are her teeth good?
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Won't eat

Post by Shalista »

I believe shes been to the vet and i know her teeth are not great. they were supposed to pull some (babies that had never fallen out)and do a cleaning but they haven't yet.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Won't eat

Post by Erica »

That could definitely be part of the problem. I'd stick with very soft food, like pate canned food even mixed with some water so it's even more liquidy, so she doesn't have to chew at all, and get her teeth taken care of ASAP.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 10:04 pm

Re: Won't eat

Post by Shalista »

she'll "get around to it"

so done trying to help :cry:
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: Won't eat

Post by JudyN »

:(

You've done what you can. Am I wrong to hope your sis gets bad toothache and has to wait a few weeks for an appointment? :oops:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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