Millie won't eat dog food

[Pandora]

First time I've posted but hoping I can get some advice about my Shihpoo (Millie).

She's a small dog weighing just over 4 Kgs and she's 13 months old. 

I've tried just about every type of wet and dry dog food there is and although she may nibble at a new brand the first time I give it to her, the next day she just turns her nose up.  I've taken her to the vets 3 times, including this morning, but they keep telling me that although she's underweight, it's nothing to be concerned about.  She's lost 0.3 Kgs in weight in the last few weeks

I've tried raw food and I've tried giving her absolutely no treats or any other food for 2-3 days but she still won't eat dog food.  She likes chicken and I'd be happy to feed her on just that but of course she's not getting the nutrition she needs from chicken alone.  She won't touch rice and will occasionally have a bit of broccoli or cauli.

I know I'm supposed to introduce new food gradually but if I give her just a small amount with other food, she'll just eat the new (but not the following day!) and then it upsets her digestion and she often has the runs.

At the moment she'll have a little Royal Canin puppy kibble (she won't touch the adult type) and the vet this morning prescribed some Royal Canin Sensitivity Control but she just sniffed it and walked away.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

[Rebecca Forrest]

One food you could try is pure , a dehydrated food that is made up with warm water and left for about 2-3 mins.
It is not that cheap but very good for even the fussiest dog. they do small 500g packs , to try it,  they have lots of positive reviews.
My dog is on this for one meal  and the other meal is raw just a thought. My dog does has a very sensitive tummy and it does not upset his tummy. Or cold pressed food , but my dog did not get on with this that well. I hope that you can sort your dog out with something that she  likes
 

[Dottie]

Hello and welcome to the forum Pandora. This thread might be of use to you. Dogs prefer food with an aroma so it might be best to stick to wet food for now. Home cooked food is sometimes preferred by the fussy eater but it’s not easy to get the nutrients at the correct level. There are now commercial fresh cooked foods, Butternut Box and Different Dog being two. Might be worth looking at. Also it could be helpful to give a canine specific probiotic such as YuDigest.

[Pandora]

Thought I'd update about Millie's lack of eating.

I had her spayed just over a month ago, and I asked the vet to repair her umbilical hernia at the same time as I'd read somewhere that this can sometimes cause lack of appetite.

Allelujah, she is now eating really well and about 3 times as much as she used to eat.  She's still fussy about certain types of dog food but she's put on 0.5 Kg since the op and is much more active and lively.  Whether her now-found appetite is due to the spay or the hernia op I'm not sure but it's been a massive relief.

Does anyone know how long it takes for their digestive system to react?  The reason I ask is because her poo is sometimes a bit gooey and I'm trying to work out what I'm feeding her to cause this.  For example, if I give her cheese or something in the morning (I don't think she's allergic to cheese but this is just an example) how long would it take for her digestive system to react if it didn't agree with her?

Thanks very much for your help so far.

[Rebecca Forrest]

just to say that I know that some people give their dogs cheese and that is up to them , but I have read that Dogs should not really have dairy.
Good to hear that your dog is now eating.

[Dottie]

Thank you for replying. I am glad that Millie’s appetite has improved following the surgery. Regarding the soft poo, please can you say what you are feeding and how much? I am wondering if you are perhaps feeding a little too much in view of her recent problems with appetite and weight loss.

I sometimes give my dogs cheese as a treat and they are ok with it. However, they are not lactose intolerant. Cheese can be quite salty so they only have a tiny amount.

[Tinyplanets]

Happy to hear that Millie is eating better. I think food tends to take around twelve hours to go through my dogs system.  I am going by when it is obvious what food in, equals stools out. EG  stools contains some corn or other less digestible things. However I think that, if there is a adverse reaction, the body can take less time to get the offending food out.  I sure it can vary. My dog has taken in too much sea water before and it was expelled within 10 minutes!