Feeding help!!

Hi guys,

The last week or so I have been having a problem with Steffi at feeding times.. She has always been a picky eater, and I have tried many different kinds of food (dry, wet, raw, homemade) and she only ever likes it for a few days then goes off it. Well a few weeks ago I finally found a dry food that she settled with no problem, I hoped the problem was finally solved. But now she just won't eat anything, and I mean anything, not even cooked chicken or bacon unless I hand feed it to her.. Chicken necks are her favourite and even them if I put them in her bowl she turns her nose up and leaves them, but if I then get one out of the bowl and hand it to her she devours it in 2 seconds. I thought she was just being fussy and I keep giving her food and having to throw it out half an hour later, I thought she would eventually get hungry enough and start eating again from her bowl, but its been almost a week of me firmly not hand feeding her and she still won't eat out of her bowl.. Also I have bought her new bowls today and still she wouldnt touch her breakfast

Sorry for the essay and any advice is much appreciated.. Thanks

Honestly I think your giving in too quickly. You need to try and stick with a set diet, if they don't eat it tough! God I sound harsh but Moo is a right fussy eater, I just persevere. She gets what she gets now Xx

Stick with something for a time Xx

Thanks Janey, I thought that too, but honestly she seems to like the dry food she is on now, she would eat the whole bowl full if i sat with her hand fed it to her.. Thats the problem now the whole hand feeding.. And yeah I did give in very quickly when I was changing her foods, she is a spoilt brat

But how long do I let her go not eating meals, I would have thought once I stuck it out for a week she would be starving by now, but she still wont eat from her bowl or even if my son drops it on the floor she wont eat it now.. She used to be like my little vaccum cleaner when I cooked, picking up and eating anything I dropped.. Am I just overreacting?? surely she won't go long enough to make herself sick will she?? She has lost weight already but still seems happy and well enough in every other respect.

I'd put the food down for 15 minutes and if she doesn't eat it pick it up until the next meal time. She won't let herself starve or get sick. Sounds mean I know

I have by passed the 15min rule now as Moo will have a nibble turn her nose up and wander off, she'll then go back later and does this thing of getting 1 bit of kibble out the bowl and spitting back out on the floor, but give it a while and she does finish. I add sardines to it now, and 9 times out of 10 I get a clean bowl, that might be worth a thought

Have you tried putting the bowl on a little step so it is not on the floor, just try raising the bowl on something and see how it goes. Does she have any pain in her neck ??

kathytake2 wrote:Have you tried putting the bowl on a little step so it is not on the floor, just try raising the bowl on something and see how it goes. Does she have any pain in her neck ??

Thanks I will try that and very interesting you say about her neck as this all started after she got microchipped

Maybe have a word with the vet next time you are in there, the microchips can migrate a little sometimes.