My 4 Yr Old Boy Refuses To Eat Any Kind Of Kibble!

[Guest Energy11]

Good Day, All.

 

It's been a while since I have been on here. I am on Facebook most of the time. I hope you are all well.

 

My boy, Dom, just turned 4 in Feb. I got him right off the farm in Jan. 2015. He was a very very traumatized scared boy. He has been a work in progress, but is still pretty much a spook. He hates ceiling fans, (*we don't dare turn them on). He hates high winds, and lately on the Delaware Shore, we had weeks of this. He has reflux, and is on Prilosec OTC in the a.m. and Pepcid AC in the p.m. per his vet.

 

He has gotten to the point that I think his nerves are effecting his eating habits. He will not eat ANY brand of dry dog food, and I have tried them all. I even tried dehydrated dog food, ... nope! He only eats cooked turkey and canned ProPlan dog food. No brown or white rice, either.I am looking for suggestions here, and hopefully a recipe to make his dry food.

 

He is on a vitamin supplement, and for now, is holding his weight. He doesn't like treats, not even 3 Dog Bakery Cookies! He will eat some soft treats when he feels like it. He runs in the yard, plays with toys, his teeth are good ... I just don't know what to do. He is NOT food driven like most greyhounds. His sisters would eat my leg, LOL, if we let them, so they are a total opposite.

 

Thank you in advance! Dee

[jenners]

Are you sure his teeth are good? My girlie stopped eating kibble when her slightly bad teeth caused sores on her upper gums, so if you or your vet can get a really good luck in his mouth, I would suggest that.

 

Jennie

[Guest Energy11]

Are you sure his teeth are good? My girlie stopped eating kibble when her slightly bad teeth caused sores on her upper gums, so if you or your vet can get a really good luck in his mouth, I would suggest that.

 

Jennie

Yes, the vet checked his teeth when she was here three weeks ago. Our vet makes house calls, because Dom would NEVER go to a vet's office. I have even moistened his kibble with home made chicken broth. ... nope.

[mom2four]

Hi, I have a couple of comments. Firstly, I have acid reflux too, it HURTS if I forget to take my pill in the morning (I know by 9 AM if I've forgotten). Even with the antacids could his stomach or esophagus hurt?

 

Then, our Galgo Baltasar has had small Urps (he is not throwing up) sometimes only liquid, sometimes with some food. I suspect he might have a stomach acid problem as well. So he does get 2 Pepcid AC's per day (not at mealtimes- about 11 AM and 11 PM) but recently I've added digestive enzymes to each meal. (Edit- with the vet's approval.) His Urping has decreased by 90%. Do you think that might be something you'd try if you have not done so yet? Baltasar does eat his meals, although not as quickly as the other hounds who inhale theirs.

 

These are just some suggestions I have from our experience. Poor Dom!

Edited April 8, 2016 by mom2four

[Guest Energy11]

It's surely worth a try. I am lucky to be able to email my vet anytime I need her. What type do you use, and where do you get the digestive enzymes? At this point, we will try anything!

[greysmom]

This is what we use at our house and it's worked very well for all our dogs.

Naturvet Digestive Enzymes

http://smile.amazon.com/NaturVet-Digestive-Enzymes-Probiotic-1-Pound/dp/B009O31QXY?ie=UTF8&keywords=digestive%20enzymes%20for%20dogs&qid=1460133449&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

I have one of those kibble-haters too. She not as anxious as your boy (in fact, our spook was a very good eater when she wasn't having an "episode"), but she couldn't care less about food in general. We got her a puppy, so it's just the way she is. We tried for years to get her to eat kibble, and she just won't, no matter what we've tried. She was diagnosed with IBS by our vet, and we did a treatment course with an acupuncturist/chinese medicine specialist before we went to an internist/ gastric specialist. Lilly had 6 needle sessions and has been on chinese herbal supplements for nearly a year now, and she has been doing really well for 8 months - good weight, fairly good appetite, great poops! But she still won't eat kibble.

 

There's nothing magical about kibble. It's just cost effective. Lilly only eats canned food, with sweet potato puree added for fiber and vitamins. Plus she has one 5 oz can of solid albacore (the only kind she'll eat! ) a day.

Weruva Kurubota Hero canned food (turkey and pork)

http://smile.amazon.com/Weruva-Food-Kurobuta-Hero-13-Ounce/dp/B001TLY7E4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460133889&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=weruva+kurubota+pork

 

She also likes turkey - only turkey! - but is allergic to chicken. So I tried just about every canned turkey food available. This is the only one she liked.

 

I would recommend giving the acupuncture a try - both for your boy's anxiety and for his food issues. Hopefully there's one that makes housecalls in your area.

[NeedlenoseJake]

Is it time to start thinking about some sort of anti-anxiety medication to get him to be calm enough to eat? Just throwing out an idea

[smurfette]

I would have suggested the accupuncture, too or someone who knows about homeopathie. Stress effects eating habits. I use st. john's wort on my boys meals because it has nerve calming effects and is known to repair nerve damages. In addition they have some melissa over their meals which helps with their immune sytems.

[Guest Energy11]

Dom is already on 20 mg of Prozac daily in the mornings. I really don't want to increase this if I don't have to. He does respond to Bach's Rescue Remedy which I do use a lot for his nerves. He would never do accupuncture. He won't let you touch his feet or give him vaccinations. He has to be sedated for the above. MY hope is that he will calm down IF/WHEN the high winds ever do. **This weather has been totally unusual according to the locals! We had a hard freeze last weekend and are expecting another tomorrow. We have only been in this area (Delaware Shore) since mid Dec. ..I think I will just try to keep giving him canned food and his ground turkey and see how it goes.

[mom2four]

It's surely worth a try. I am lucky to be able to email my vet anytime I need her. What type do you use, and where do you get the digestive enzymes? At this point, we will try anything!

I get them from my local pet store (higher end products). This is what we use. LINK

It lasts a long time, they get like 1/16th to 1/8th teaspoon per meal or so. Good luck, I hope it might help.

Oh and a good side effect is (might be, I'm still seeing about it for sure) that our poop eaters are less interested in the poops!

 

 

[cleptogrey]

you are doing all the right things, but after reading everything this came to my mind....he needs a job. a job so he will have something to focus on other than his anxiety. a job and a tight routine, just like at the track. last night i was reading thru the AARP magazine that seems to multiply in my mailbox. one of the articles on retirement (i'm newly retired) depression since there is such a change in routine. it does take a while to get oneself on a new routine. can you imagine a dog, leaving many many other dogs that they were kenneled with and then on a totally new routine? does he still have his crate- security! he obviously won't have the same turn out schedule, but once you establish something stick with it.

 

i would temporarily try a good quality soft food, easily digestible, ask the vet and work from there. a good friend has a bounce who was not responding to prozac. she put him on a tight schedule, eliminated the prozac and he's fine as long as every day is exactly the same as the day before. it did wonders, he came out of his shell and is a great old guy now. she has had him for a good 5 year.

[macoduck]

Dee, I had better luck using Richard's Organic Pet Calm drops than I ever did with Rescue Remedy. http://www.amazon.com/Richards-Organics-Pet-Calm/dp/B004I9RZIO/ref=sr_1_2_m?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1460145788&sr=1-2&keywords=richards+organic+pet+calm

[Hubcitypam]

Dee, I had better luck using Richard's Organic Pet Calm drops than I ever did with Rescue Remedy.

Not to dismiss Pet Calm but to me the main problem with failure of Rescue Remedy (which granted works on some dogs and not others) is that people don't use enough. That twisted dropper doesn't hold much so you need two or so droppers to work. Putting it in water is worthless.

 

Hope Dom turns the corner soon and starts eating.

[macoduck]

Pam is right. Putting it in water doesn't work. For thunderstorm I give Mazy 2 full droppers.

[NeedlenoseJake]

Not to dismiss Pet Calm but to me the main problem with failure of Rescue Remedy (which granted works on some dogs and not others) is that people don't use enough. That twisted dropper doesn't hold much so you need two or so droppers to work. Putting it in water is worthless.

 

Hope Dom turns the corner soon and starts eating.

Okay I hope this doesn't make anyone angry... but the main problem with rescue remedy is that the ingredients are alcohol and water... and very, very minuscule like nonexistent, herbs. It is homeopathic, which means the water is expected to "remember" the properties of the herbs even when they are no longer even in the mixture. Basically, it has all the scientific accuracy of astrology or the flat earth theory. The effect probably comes from the alcohol, in which case it would be a lot cheaper to just buy a bottle of brandy. End rant...

[Guest Energy11]

Dee, I had better luck using Richard's Organic Pet Calm drops than I ever did with Rescue Remedy. http://www.amazon.com/Richards-Organics-Pet-Calm/dp/B004I9RZIO/ref=sr_1_2_m?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1460145788&sr=1-2&keywords=richards+organic+pet+calm

Thanks, Ducky! I will try that. As I mentioned, the Bach's Pet Rescue Remedy does work for him most of the time. I went ahead and ordered the Pet Calm, though, because the boy needs something to get him through. I will let you know how it works.

[Guest Energy11]

Okay I hope this doesn't make anyone angry... but the main problem with rescue remedy is that the ingredients are alcohol and water... and very, very minuscule like nonexistent, herbs. It is homeopathic, which means the water is expected to "remember" the properties of the herbs even when they are no longer even in the mixture. Basically, it has all the scientific accuracy of astrology or the flat earth theory. The effect probably comes from the alcohol, in which case it would be a lot cheaper to just buy a bottle of brandy. End rant...

Hi. I don't get upset or offended. too old for that. The Pet version of Bach's Rescue Remedy doesn't contain any alcohol. It think the human version did once, but not sure it if does now.

[Time4ANap]

For those of you who don't know Dee (we've never met, I just know her from past days on GT) she was often the "go to person" on here for lots of animal / hound medical issues. If she is posting this, then she has probably tried everything in the play book at least once and maybe twice! . I felt it might help to let those of you who don't know her just how bad this problem with her boy must be. She must be on this one.

 

Good to see you back and hope you can resolve this for both you and Dom.

[Hubcitypam]

Okay I hope this doesn't make anyone angry... but the main problem with rescue remedy is that the ingredients are alcohol and water... and very, very minuscule like nonexistent, herbs. It is homeopathic, which means the water is expected to "remember" the properties of the herbs even when they are no longer even in the mixture. Basically, it has all the scientific accuracy of astrology or the flat earth theory. The effect probably comes from the alcohol, in which case it would be a lot cheaper to just buy a bottle of brandy. End rant...

Seriously, even if it was Everclear how much good would 8 drops do to a 70# dog?

 

All I know is that it worked well on two spooky girls I had....as well as relieving my ex BFs flying anxiety but he used the breath spray version.

[RedHead]

Homemade diets (raw or cooked) can be a good idea, and they are often a lot more digestible/palatable, especially for dogs with sensitive systems. Liver and tripe can sometimes help to get them eating. I have a spook too but luckily she is super food motivated and gobbles down everything I give her!

 

I just broke down and spent a bunch of money on a special pheromone calming collar for my pup (highly recommended by the ladies working in the store). lol Didn't do a thing. I am personally a bit of a skeptic of many of these natural anxiety products, I have never found them to help.

Edited April 9, 2016 by RedHead

[Hubcitypam]

My friend had great success using the DAP collar and the plug in. One didn't work too well but together they worked great.

[greyhoundlady]

Just to add to the suggestion box - my girl isn't a fan of kibble either but will eat it when mixed with lots of canned dog food as well as cooked chicken, beef, etc. I have to really coat it with the canned food or she picks out the kibble and makes piles of it under the raised feeder . She is a skinny minnie so the extra calories are not a problem.

 

Also, have you tried the Thundershirt for stress? It works really well for mine during thunderstorms and the dreaded fireworks. It is like a comforting hug. Maybe it will help your boy, Dom.

[smurfette]

If you want the water to remember the information the rescue drops carry than you have to stir the water at least 10 times with a spoon or something... but not metal.

Put the drops in a glas of water, stir the water and feed the water in small portions with a syringe, without needle of course. That may help.

I use this method when one of my boys has problems with his back or joints. It's hypericum for me.

[DofSweetPotatos]

Hi Dee!

 

You may or may not remember the hell I went through with Dougie and IBD/IBS. Well, the 3 lifesavers to his digestive tract were bovine colostrum, slippery elm bark and good old fashioned oatmeal, cooked soft.

Here's the dogs naturally article on colostrum. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/bovine-colostrum/

The slippery elm stimulates the cells that coat the stomach and esophagus to produce it's protective coating. Good stuff.

Also, for anxiety, I've found adaptil spray and collars work well. It's 50/50 Though, when deciding to whether use or not use it, I bit the bullet and tried. There's lots of mixed reviews. I see a difference with adaptil.

Good luck with your pup and welcome back!

Edited April 9, 2016 by DofSweetPotatos

[cleptogrey]

my daughter's dogs freak out with the intense electrical storms in texas. her vet recommended this http://www.amazon.com/Composure-Medium-Large-Dogs-Chews/dp/B001WOOC9S/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1460207610&sr=1-3&keywords=anti+anxiety+for+dogs

 

http://www.vetriscience.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=900780060

 

when i arrived at her house last summer there was an eminent storm approaching and annie too reacts and was totally overwhelmed. we just sat thru tropical storm bill the week before. i gave her 2 and she was totally oblivious to anything that was going on. annie weighs 65#, so possibly she needed 1.5 or just 1. this stuff works!!!

Edited April 9, 2016 by cleptogrey