[mrsash]

He will maybe eat for 3 days then won't eat fro a coupe of weeks. He is 3 and very very thin, I have tried everything, every type of dried food, raw meat, putting oil in his food, etc. I've been to the vets had his bloods done, checked for blockages, the works and nothing. He's quite a nervous dog, so I tried herbal tablets to calm him, but nothing has worked. Help help help please I'm at my wits end!!

[Cat1864]

Have you thought about consulting an animal behaviorist who could work with you on easing his nervousness?

[Lucky098]

Have you tried free feeding? Maybe he's the type of dog that wants to pick all day at his food.

[Lucky098]

I have heard that if you heat up the kibble, the oils release creating a very wonderful smell for dogs they can't resist. Don't add water, just heat up the kibble and see if that work.

There has to be a reason he doesn't want to eat. Is he being exercised regularly? If not, that could be a reason why he won't eat. My moms dog is kind of funny like this. She will go days without eating. After she's allowed to run, she'll eat good for a couple of weeks. Maybe increase his exercise?

Also.. try feeding him cottage cheese, yogurt and a sliver of butter mixed in his kibbles. The yogurt and cottage cheese will help in want to eat and the butter will help him gain weight... Add an egg in there also. Dogs can resist eggs.

Maybe he's nervous with the other dog around. Feed him alone.. Maybe put the other dog away for a couple of hours with his food out. See if that helps him to relax and eat his meal. Some dogs just like to be alone when eating.

Good luck

[shazamataz]

Completely agree with Luckys advice.
My boy went through a really picky stage when he was about a year old and I took him for a solid run every evening, not just a walk, but a good run, and he would come home and devour his dinner later that night.

[longlong]

My 12 year old Sheltie has been diagnosed with Kidney Failure and we had a tough time getting her to eat, well she would eat anything at all, it was well over a week and I was desperate, through trial and error I eventually found that give her homemade chicken broth (boiled down a whole chicken in water and nothing else) she liked it and would lick it up, I then put the broth in a bowl with the prescription diet canned dog food and again through trial and error found that she would gulp down the food if I feed it to her in small pea size amounts through the front of her mouth. I held the food up so that her chin was tilted enough that she could swallow the small amount without lowering her head thus preventing her from throwing the food into the back of her mouth. This did the trick. She now eats like crazy. After 2 days I stopped putting the broth in it and served it to her from the fridge (so it maintains its shape and doesn’t get all mushy in my hands) as long as she can “tear” a small piece from my fingers she would hold her head up she ate it and now looks for more, you can imagine what a relief it was. She will always have kidney disease but perhaps now her quality of life will improve greatly and she will be with us a little bit longer. It is with great hope that this advice will help someone else to have more time with their precious pets as well.