Don't know what to do - Tubby won't eat

TubbysMom

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Jan 15, 2013
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Tubby
So this whole thing with Tubby started about 3 weeks ago.
Tubby's dinner is served at 6:30 every night but lately he'll go sniff it and walk away. Then about an hour later he will go have a nibble and walk away. Then maybe come back later to finish it. At first I thought it was his bowl he didn't like because I washed it. I changed his bowl and still same routine. I then thought it might be his teeth bothering him but all his baby ones have fallen out and his adult teeth are in. Then I thought maybe he didn't like the way the kitchen floor smelled because it had been mopped recently but he attacks his water bowl no problem.

Tubby is 5 months old and since day one he has been on Royal Canin for Bulldog pups. I don't think its the food though because if I put some in my hand he will come over and happily eat it. He does not get any human food except for carrots. I just don't know what to do anymore. I want my boy to eat his food. Tubby was on a strict routine before eat then off for his evening walk. Now that's all gone done the drain. He's a healthy 35lbs so I'm not concerned that he is losing weight.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because I'm at a loss for what to try next.
 

mer55

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Nov 16, 2012
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Venice, FL.
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Jackson, Bogey (granddog) Ruger (granddog)
Would you consider putting a 'topper" on his food? Like cottage cheese, yogurt, or some sweet potato ( ifhe is not allergic). Sometimes dogs just get "tired" of the same old thing. I also make homemade meatballs ( good ground beef, brown rice, eggs and frozen veggies) and add one to Bogey's dinner kibble. He gets a scrambled egg over his breakfast kibble. He loves it. Not a morsel left! Also, does this just happen at dinner? Is he eating his breakfast ok? Bogey is 6 months and is on 2 meals a day with a snack at lunchtime ( a little yogurt or cottage cheese. No kibble at that time) You could also try a little low sodium beef broth too. Good luck!
 
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TubbysMom

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Same thing happens at breakfast. I will try adding a topper though. I don't blame him if he's bored of his kibble, I would be too if I ate the same thing day in and day out. Thank you merr55
 

anatess

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Jul 26, 2011
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First, just do an overall check to make sure your bulldog is not sick. If no problems, this is what I would do.

First make sure you are feeding somewhere close to the recommended guidelines (usually written in the back of the bag of food).

Put away the food bowl after breakfast (I'm assuming he gets fed 2x a day). Then at 6:30PM tomorrow, give him his dinner. Let him eat and when he walks away (regardless of how much he's eaten) put away his food bowl. He doesn't get the food bowl again until breakfast the next day. After he eats breakfast, put away the food bowl. Then give him his dinner at 5:30 (if you can). When he walks away from the bowl, put the bowl away and that's all he gets until breakfast the next day again. Then the next day, give him dinner at 6:30 again... the next day 7:30... continue to vary this time within a 2-hour timeframe making sure to take the food bowl away after every meal.

Then let us know what happens...

If you want to do a topper, that is good too. The canned version of the kibble would be a good topper - 1/3 of a can would be enough to mix in with his dry food. Dogs really don't have the same taste requirements as people do. They go by what their body needs. So, when they're hungy, they will eat whatever you give them. They're also more smell-enticed than taste-enticed. If they're not hungry, they will ignore the smell-less kibble and go for the stinky garbage... ;)
 
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TubbysMom

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Jan 15, 2013
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Tubby
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I will try taking it away from him. I'm just such a softy that I was feeling guilty not letting him eat but I need to realize he runs on my schedule and not vice versa! Thanks for the schedule
 

RiiSi

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Sep 30, 2011
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Taisto, Kylli, Salli, Angel-Usko and Angel-Voitto
I've been there and still am...My Usko was like that with kibble and still is picky and now he eats raw. If he doesn't like it he won't eat it. He will eat the things he likes, but will also stay hungry for days if offered the things he doesn't like. I desided to give him the things he likes, instead of making him eat what I wan't and starv hm for days...good luck.
 

TonkaTruck28

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Mar 19, 2012
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Tonka
I have to put a bit of grated cheese on top to get tonka to eat. Works fairly well. But alot of times he doesn't finish. He has a nice waist and definitely isn't starving so I don't worry too much anymore.
 

nycbullymama

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Dec 22, 2012
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b and w
We had this problem with Blue for a little while. What we did was get the Wellness Toppers (they're grain free) and mixed just a little bit in with his food at each feeding. He loved it.
 

adamslater

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Dec 6, 2012
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Sudbury, ON
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Winston
Everyone has provided really good suggestions. I know this may sound a little strange but when Winston was small he did the same thing. We figured out that it wasn't the food - we tried toppers, treats and other snacks to get him to eat.
Turns out he was scared of his bowl!
If the bowl is elevated or in some kind of tray try to make sure it makes no noise or take it out the tray or area completely and just use the bowl alone. We started feeding him in the living room and treated throughout, gave lots of praise to encourage him. I never would have thought a dog would be scared of a food bowl but it happened. Bulldogs are silly like that lol. Hope your pup eats soon!
 

Rural mystic

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Jan 1, 2013
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Ace
Would you consider putting a 'topper" on his food? Like cottage cheese, yogurt, or some sweet potato ( ifhe is not allergic). Sometimes dogs just get "tired" of the same old thing. I also make homemade meatballs ( good ground beef, brown rice, eggs and frozen veggies) and add one to Bogey's dinner kibble. He gets a scrambled egg over his breakfast kibble. He loves it. Not a morsel left! Also, does this just happen at dinner? Is he eating his breakfast ok? Bogey is 6 months and is on 2 meals a day with a snack at lunchtime ( a little yogurt or cottage cheese. No kibble at that time) You could also try a little low sodium beef broth too. Good luck!
You took the words right off of my keyboard. That's exactly what I did when Ace seemed to be uninterested in his meal. I put a topper on it and he devoured it and all the kibble up immediately. I agree that sometimes they get uninterested in the same kibble the same meal every time. And the thing I have noticed with Ace is you don't need to do it every time. If he can get a topper on occassions then often if he doesn't get one he will eat just the kibble readily. Because I'm thinking that then just the plain kibble is interesting and appealing again. So I switch it up. I have given him nutritious and appealing toppers of all variety like you and sometimes I will just sprinkle some ground flax seed or crushed desiccated liver tablets on his kibble and he will eat it all up. Just that little difference made it appealing. But I have used at different times, cottage cheese, graded cheese, egg, hamburger, steak, chicken, hamburger and English peas, rice and etc.
 
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anatess

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Jul 26, 2011
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398
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US
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Bullie (RIP) & Angus (RIP)
Everyone has provided really good suggestions. I know this may sound a little strange but when Winston was small he did the same thing. We figured out that it wasn't the food - we tried toppers, treats and other snacks to get him to eat.
Turns out he was scared of his bowl!
If the bowl is elevated or in some kind of tray try to make sure it makes no noise or take it out the tray or area completely and just use the bowl alone. We started feeding him in the living room and treated throughout, gave lots of praise to encourage him. I never would have thought a dog would be scared of a food bowl but it happened. Bulldogs are silly like that lol. Hope your pup eats soon!

This reminds me of my Angus. When we first got him, we put a new collar on him with a metal tag. When he had his first meal with us, the metal tag hit the stainless steel bowl when he dipped his head into the bowl. He ran so fast to hide in the corner, he was soooo scared! I had to hand-feed him that first day. LOL!
 

Ftse 100

Bully lov'in wonder from down under
Mar 25, 2012
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Australia
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Ftse
Ftse started this wouldn't eat and it turned out he didn't like the bowl so we went to a bigger bowl where his head had lenty of room to move. and this worked good for agood couple of months but for now he only eats when he wants and what he wants, he would go for a few days and not eat and I was beside myself with worry with a trip to the vets to make sure all was good and they said dont worry he is healthy and is just a finiky eater.
Ftse is fed Royal canine not on the puppy one nomore but the blue adult pack and he will not eat just kibble I cook good ground beef and put just a scoop and mix it in with the kibble and he will eat it but not cold has to be heated up (the beef) he also likes cottge cheese on it. I did buy grizzly salmon oil and that he would not touch at all. It gets to be very frustrating and worrying but he is not skinny he looks really good and healthy. I do hope you can find something to tempt Tubby to eat.
Ftse likes chicken but I stopped that as he was getting really bad tear stains with the chicken. he also loves Yoghurt.
 
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TubbysMom

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Jan 15, 2013
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Tubby
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I put a little water in Tubby's food bowl this morning as we don't have any toppers in the house at the moment and he hoovered it all up so I think for now the mystery has been solved lol

Stubborn little guy he is

Thank you all so much for the suggestions and advice. Its frustrating some times trying to read his mind but thank God for all of you
:2thumbs:
 

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