My 15 yr old male yorkie/pom has developed a "quirk" about eating off his plate!
I'm desperate for ideas on how to get him over this, as he won't eat! It started about 1 month ago, when he went to eat(normaly digs right in!), and bumped his mouth or something on the plate, which hurt him and he got a fright and ran! He had a few rotten teeth which I assumed was the problem so took him to the vet and they booked him for surgery to remove them. (now been removed for 1 week) He is already only on Pedigree soft food as he has already had half his teeth removed about 1 year ago. Its not like he does not have an appetite, as he will take food from my hand(which I've been doing out of desperation)or eat off the carpet, just not his plate! And I can see he is hungry and wants the food as he comes running when its food time and will eat every mouthfull out of my hand, just not his plate!
Please labman, if you have any ideas, I'm desperate and can't continue to hand feed him daily.

I have a 15 year old chihuahua,and he carries a mouth full of food to the living room carpet,drops it out ,then eats one piece at a time.He has had several teeth removed also,but he did this before his teeth were pulled.I think some dogs develop these behaviors because of their age,and perhaps your dog remembers the pain when he hit his sore tooth.I would try a paper plate.

Try changing his dish to something else. Either a different dish (metal if you are currently using ceramic, or vice versa), or you might just get a mat with a shallow rim and put the food on that for a while. Anything that doesn't look like the old dish.

A different style dish really seems to be an easy out. You might try elevating it. Many dogs enjoy not bending down.

For anybody whose dog is not a ready eater, you may be over feeding it. Evaluate using this link, LongLiveYourDog.com - Life Span Study - Rate Your Dog While on Purina's site check their fine study on the effects of a dog being overweight. Please don't love your dog to death by over feeding. The typical Lab would never leave food unless overfed. Perhaps you don't trust anybody selling dog chow. A large dog guide school and a large service dog school both insist on keeping their dogs lean.

Thanks for the above advice, but have tried all of that already. I've tried napkins, paper towls, tupperware lids, raising the food etc, but still he won't come near the "object" the food rests in... so weird! He has not eaten now for 3 days today, really don't know what to do. Any other suggestions?

Honestly, topper if my dogs live to be 15 I will gladly sit and watch TV. etc... and feed them every morsel that they need to eat. But I'm a sucker for furry faces. At 15 maybe he is getting senile. That would be my solution. :)

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Originally Posted by oscarcooper

Thanks for the above advice, but have tried all of that already. I've tried napkins, paper towls, tupperware lids, raising the food etc, but still he wont come near the "object" the food rests in...so weird! He has not eaten now for 3 days today, really dont know what to do.. Any other suggestions?

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Surgery is very stressful for old animals.His gums and teeth are going to be tender for a while.Most vets prescribe antibiotics for infection.Take him back for a recheck,the antibotics may not have worked for your dog.They can give him a shot for inflammation and infection.

Have you just tried dumping it on a hard surface? Jesse is here for a 4 day visit. To slow his typical Lab gluttony, his food just gets thrown on the floor of his crate. You could also try a cookie sheet. Centered, the food will be well away from an nasty edge.

It might be worth going back to the vet with this. Could be that something from the dental is bothering him, and that may show up at a return visit. And they might be able to give you some sort of pain killer if it's just a slow healing thing.