My dog wont eat. ?

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I am learning that Buttercup is very timid, and I believe she was beaten as punishment..

Confused

I do not believe in hitting animals and this has proven to make correction difficult because anytime I stand close to her when she has done something wrong, she crawls away just as fearful as she can be.

She is scared of 'changes' ( wich is understandable.. she just changed homes from my cousin to me.. ) if we move a piece of furniture, she is scared of it and will go out of her way to go around the change.

She is scared of tall things.
No matter what it is, if it is taller then she is and not something she is used to, she wont go near it.

I got her a new water bowl, one of those Ozarka style bottles that fill a small cup on the bottom.
Constant water for her!

She is scared of it.

So scared of it, she has not eaten, or drank any water for almost 2 days.

I threw away the other bowl so I cant 'go back to the old one.

She wont even do it if I stand near her.
She took one bite, and a lick of water while i was standing there.. but other then that nothing.

I know hunger and thirst will get the better of her and she will go eat and drink..
but I feel bad waiting for natural feelings like that to get out of control for her before she eats..

Can I do anything ?
Or should I just let natural hunger and thirst take their course?

I have thought about making her eat and drink when I am there.. but the problem with that is that I work most of the day and I wont be around to accompany her to her bowls. and I have a feeling she will fall into that routine easily.
?

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You said you won't hit her, which is understandable.

Instead, cut a tennis ball open, fill it with pennies, then tape it up.

Proceed to throw it as hard as you can off dog's head.

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I switched my pup to adult food and he wouldn't eat it..... for a few days :wink:

don't worry. dogs aren't humans... they're too smart to get suicidal....

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Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:

You said you won't hit her, which is understandable.

Instead, cut a tennis ball open, fill it with pennies, then tape it up.

Proceed to throw it as hard as you can off dog's head.

i could also tape a cork to her asshole..

then feed her milk

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Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

don't worry. dogs aren't humans... they're too smart to get suicidal....

I know she wont starve herself..

but dont dogs start to vomit when they have not had food for a while?

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shewolfnm wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

don't worry. dogs aren't humans... they're too smart to get suicidal....

I know she wont starve herself..

but dont dogs start to vomit when they have not had food for a while?

that's what the tennis ball full of pennies is for.....

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shewolfnm wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

don't worry. dogs aren't humans... they're too smart to get suicidal....

I know she wont starve herself..

but dont dogs start to vomit when they have not had food for a while?

that's what the tennis ball full of pennies is for.....

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sympathies
My sympathies for this situation. You must be worried, but amazingly the dog we'll sense your kindness and settle in. I'm glad you're the one that received her into your home. She'll be safe there.

Standing near her (for now) while she eats intimidates her. Try to let her sort things out and she'll work it out. Hopefully you can give her the same food as she was eating before. In a few days it won't matter about using the diff bowls, etc.. I'm sure you know the drill, but if possible try soft voice, no loud or sudden noises, and lots of petting if she can handle that attention. In a week it'll improve, in a month more, and in a year amazing progress.

I haven't heard of dogs vomiting if they don't eat, but it's possible. If you're concerned you might want to consult with a vet. You'll need one eventually for shots and checkups.

Good luck

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SheWolf, will she accept food from your hand?

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I'm sure shewolf can find some more creative places the dog could eat out of her.

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(Lightly stepping around Slappy's post)

SW, The behavior you are describing is more typical of a dog that was not socialized and was left alone for long periods of time. These dogs tend to be afraid of everything . Anything new is met with distrust. Any changes bring about fear. I suggested you hand feed her because she already trusts you.
Buy her a special treat like dried liver. Give her the special food by hand, then put some in her new bowl. Whenever anything new is introduced into her life give her a special treat first. She will eventually associate the treat with change and it will make the transition a little easier.

I find it very strange that a dog would go so long without food and water and it's possible that there is another problem of a physical nature going on.

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wolfie - you say that she won't eat when you stand near her. Have you tried sitting near her? My dog is old and has other issues - some weird psycho thing with eating (sometimes). If I sit with her and talk to her, she'll often eat when other things have failed to get her to eat.

With a dog who may have been beaten, you need to start out very soft and unthreatening. Stay low, sit and crouch when you can, move to her below her chin, not over her head....... eventually she will recognize that you aren't going to hurt her, but she has to break the conditioned response.

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littlek wrote:

With a dog who may have been beaten, you need to start out very soft and unthreatening. Stay low, sit and crouch when you can, move to her below her chin, not over her head....... eventually she will recognize that you aren't going to hurt her, but she has to break the conditioned response.

This is very good advice. Also, I think someone else asked if you were providing the same kind of food she had before. A change in diet is sometimes not welcomed by dogs or cats. It has also been mentioned that she will eat when she is hungry.

I don't have any of these issues with my dog, but it was a difference story when I got her from the pound a few years back. It may take some time, but with love and patience you will be surprised what can happen. Again, she will eat when she is ready. The idea of introducing special treats into the bowl is also a good one.

You may also want to add some stimulation into her routine. i.e. pack a hollow bone with peanut butter and let her be absorbed in this task rather than worrying about every little thing.

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much better advice
There -- LittleK and Intrepid said it much better and far more accurately.

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I got to thinking about this last night and I think that you should be near her while she's eating. Zoe wouldn't eat without one of us literally standing by her or sitting next to her for a while when she was little; Buttercup is probably in the same state of mind as a new puppy is: unsure, scared and waiting for someone to tell her what she should do. I didn't want to make it so she wouldn't eat at all unless I was there so I brought the bowl into the living room and sat on the couch to watch some tv. I was there but I wasn't focusing on her. She ate. I have no idea if it will work but it's worth a shot.

The other thing I was thinking about (I think of you often Twisted Evil

) is the idea of something physical being wrong. I think littlek mentioned this.... when dogs are sick, sometimes they refuse food and water. Is she acting any differently at all? She is probably getting weak by now, not having food or water for 2 days. Is there a vet (a reasonably priced one) that you can take her to for a checkup?

Also, in regards to not eating...when Zoe was so sick, the vet said that he feels comfortable with no food for 4 days. Water is another thing...she NEEDS to drink or she'll get dehydrated and go into shock. I force watered Zoe when she wouldn't drink with Pedalite (or the like). I sucked it up into a straw, put my finger over the one end, stuck the other in her mouth (close to down her throat), took my finger off the end and viola!

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Bella Dea wrote:

I force watered Zoe when she wouldn't drink with Pedalite (or the like). I sucked it up into a straw, put my finger over the one end, stuck the other in her mouth (close to down her throat), took my finger off the end and viola!

Bella we usually agree on doggie stuff, but on this one I want to warn you. Water (or food) should not be forced down the throat of an animal, you can literally drown them. Put the water into the cheek of the animal and they will automatically swallow.

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Their tongue automatically goes up so you'd have to really force it in to get past the tongue to get it down their throat, but you also have to make sure that you have it far enough in or else they just spit it out. or it trickles out the side of their mouth. It's hard work and it's messy. I should have mentioned that you do this on the side of the mouth, not from the front. And it's about a teaspoons worth of fluid so really, the are only getting a tiny bit as 50% of the time, only half gets swallowed.

But when Zoe was sick, it came down to this or hospitilization. Vet gave me the option to try to hydrate her at home first and I did.

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I really didnt want to have to create the idea that I would have to be next to her when she ate, simply because my schedule doesnt allow me to be regular with her..

Having a schedule for HER has helped a ton.

When she got here, she was scared ( understandable) and jumping any time we raised our hands, and whining if we ever had a broom in our hands.

That has stopped and she has been very secure , well.. MORE secure.. now that we have a routine for her.

We dont hit her. And we never will.. and I understand that it will take a while for her to realize that. But she is less and less skittish about our movements now then she was before.

But with that simple change of bowls, it is almost like she is exactly as she was when we first got her and all of that work has gone out the window.

I just re-filled her bowl, as I would do every day.. if she doesnt make her way to it in about 3 or 4 minutes, I will go sit next to it and start that.

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Well I just got her to drink SOME water.. but.. she is so scared..
I dont get it.

if i ignore her, and just keep telling her over and over again Drink, drink, drink, she will do it

IF i budge AT ALL, she runs

if I stop repeating drink drink drink, she stops and wont start again..

I will keep doing this every few minutes to get her to drink.

She needs to eat as well, but I am more concerned with her having no water then anything else. .

If she wont eat, after work today, I will pick up a bone and put some peanut butter on it and do the treat trick..

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Green Witch wrote:

(Lightly stepping around Slappy's post)

SW, The behavior you are describing is more typical of a dog that was not socialized and was left alone for long periods of time..

So, how can I fix that? With out terrorizing her with new people and new things?

She will be left alone in the apt once we move because we both work.
But the diffrence is that she wont have to stay in one tiny room like she does now.
She will have the whole place to play in as she chooses... but she will still be 'alone'

truthfully.. I have considered getting her a new home.
I just dont see that we are suited to provide for her as she needs.
And given her possible abusive past, the way we can care for her, just might compound her issues and cause her to be totally uncomfortable.

Wich i dont want to do ..

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My dog wont eat. ?

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