Hi

My dog is going through a bit of a strange time, she is a 9 months old, Staf crossed with a Rocky, she has just finished her first season and normally eats well. Yet for a few days last week she wouldn't eat anything, although her stomach was rumbling extremely loud. She then carried on eating like normal this weekend and then is not eating again today but is obviously hungry again. I have experience of other dogs but have never noticed this before. She is still playful but does seem to be very clingy and is crying and sleeping a lot, it is therfore notisable that she is acting out of character. I don't think it's a serious problem but wonder if anyone has any idea what is going on? I have tried her on fresh food to try and intice her but she won't take it, she won't even take a treat! Thanks. :confused:

Laura

Laura, don't try to entice her with people food. That will only spoil her and then you will have even more problems trying to get her to eat. Is she still drinking her water? That is important. Dogs can go without eating for a few days but they need water to keep them hydrated.

Is it possible that while she was in heat that a male dog got to her? Could she be pregnant? In general, heat cycles bring on very unusual behavior because their hormones are out of whack. Personally, if she were my dog, I would have her spayed. With spaying, their hormones stay on an even keel and you don't have to worry about her trying to find ways to get loose to find a mate, clinginess, aggression, loss of apetite,. all the things that occur when a female is in heat. In addition, you won't have the worry about uterine or ovarian cancer down the road as she ages.

I think at this point in time, it would be a good idea to schedule a vet checkup to make sure she didn't forage something that is causing her gastric distress.

Hey,

Thanks for the advice, think I will get a vets appointment if she is the same in the morning. There is no chance she is pregnant Im always with her but it is possible she may have eaten something out in the garden. We will be getting her spayed but have been told we have to wait 3 months after she has finished her first season and it has only been a month. Thanks!

Interesting La xx! It is always good to hear what vets in other countries recommend to their clients. Here in the U.S. depending on the vet, it can be as early as 4 or 5 months, but usually it is done when they are 6 months old. They don't wait until after the first season.

Hopefully whatever she ate will pass through her system. If she isn't defecating, get her in as soon as you can. There might be a blockage. If she is urinating/defecating as usual, I would see if it passes through her system. Watch her feces. You might want to bring in a sample to vet to run tests on it. It could be that she ate something in the garden as you think, or could she have gotten a hold of people food? If she ate any vegetables, that could be causing an issue. Do you have any onions in your yard that she might have gotten a hold of? Those are toxic to a dog's system and would require a vet's attention. Here is a list of hazards to a dog's health that might help you:
What you should know about household hazards to pets (http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/hazards/household_brochure.asp)

I hope she is okay.