# Poodle won't eat :-(



## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

Hi,

Am at my wits end and finding this very upsetting and frustrating.

I have a 18 month old 3kg toy poodle who just won’t eat. She has been the same since she was a puppy but it’s worse now. She used to just be picky and eat selectively; she would eat chicken and treats. I have tried home cooking, raw feeding, chicken, salmon, sardines, scrambled eggs, porridge, milk, various biscuits, lily’s kitchen wet food and I am just stumped now. A week ago she ate for a week in a row, three times a day of raw nutriment lamb complete. I was so happy as she gained a little bit of weight. I then changed to a different flavour and she refused to eat for a day.. went back to the old flavour and nope she didn’t want that! I tried chicken again and all of the above and she would literally ignore the food all day, then eat a handful in the evening. In the mornings or by lunch time the next day she’s then excited to get outside, eat grass and sick up bile as her tummy is empty. It’s been a week now and I am just getting upset by it and clearly so is she! This is what she did today when I went home for lunch and I hated coming back to work leaving her. 

When I took her to the vets for this about 8 months ago they said it’s my fault for giving her too much choice and tried to fob me off with crappy biscuits she didn’t want! I have tried tough love but she's tiny and I worry she will get poorly.

She seems herself, maybe a little bit more tired at times maybe as she has no food in her tummy and I can hear it growling! She plays as usual, drinks water and goes to the toilet. She spends two days a week with my mum and her dog and seems fine playing with her… despite not eating! I wonder if there’s something wrong with her mouth? She has a puppy tooth left at the front that needs to come out but that wouldn’t explain why she will eat chicken sometimes or chew a pizzle! She does burp a lot and I wonder if she has reflux?

I tried to get a vets appt today but they’re fully booked for easter and nothing until Tuesday. I’m so worried about her and just wonder if anyone can help shed some light?


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

There are others here with more experience than I have - all my poodles (childhood mini, tpoo I had many years ago and my current minipoo) have loved their food.

However I do want to address your comment about the burping - and yes, she may have acid reflux which can be treated. 

Could your dog have food allergies or intolerances? My current minipoo does and until I figured out what the problem was, she would sometimes burp and I'd hear stomach gurgles and when it was really bad she had smelly gas and diarrhea and threw up bile. When I figured out all her food issues and now that I keep her limited to the foods she thrives on, the burping, stomach gurgles, throwing up, diarhhea etc. has completely stopped. OTOH, your dog may not have food allergies or intolerances, it could just be an empty stomach.

The other thing I can address is when tpoos are tiny puppies, as you know they can get hypoglycemia (there had been posts on PF about recognizing and treating it). So there is definitely a worry to keep tiny puppies eating. However that doesn't mean spoiling your tpoo now with food which is the trap you have fallen into and your vet has already given you valid advice. While you don't have to feel the biscuits that the vet recommended, you do need to find a quality food and stick with it. I know others who have had this problem will have more suggestions on how to handle this.

Be careful you aren't setting your tpoo up for Small Dog Syndrome with other behavioral problems - best to nip these problems now.


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

Thanks so much for your reply.

I don't know how to find out if she has reflux? She burps loads but never has gas from the other end and never smells or has diarrhoea. She has this bile only when she hasn't eaten and she has an empty tummy. I have a freezer full of raw food and chicken, salmon and sardines in the fridge! its costing me loads and none of what I give her is a complete meal...I wonder if I am better off getting her some sachets of quality wet food so it's a complete food and sticking with it.. and taking it away after ten minutes then just putting it back down again? It will be cheaper and less wasteful I guess.

I have got stuck in that trap of spoiling her to do anything to make her eat as it worries me but as she isn't a puppy, hopefully hypoglycaemia won't be an issue. 

I am 4 months pregnant and will have more to worry about soon so I really need to nip this in the bud as it's making us both miserable!

I have treated her like a baby and she's very spoilt because I am such an anxious worrier so I need to change all of this!

Thanks for your advice!





Skylar said:


> There are others here with more experience than I have - all my poodles (childhood mini, tpoo I had many years ago and my current minipoo) have loved their food.
> 
> However I do want to address your comment about the burping - and yes, she may have acid reflux which can be treated.
> 
> ...


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

How much are you feeding her? Three times a day seems like a lot, I feed my toy poodles and pom/chi twice a day. They eat 1/4 cup of kibble daily.

I inherited a very fussy eater a 6 pound Pom/chi mix Gracie, my mom catered to her fussy nature, giving her people food. She will often go a day and a half without eating, rarely she will go two days. Gracie is always hoping for something better, but all food comes up after 15 minutes, if she is truly hungry she will come get me and I will feed her. I know Gracie gets bored easily with kibble, canned even freeze dried, so I just don't give in, she gets what ever one else gets. 

A healthy dog won't starve.


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

twyla said:


> How much are you feeding her? Three times a day seems like a lot, I feed my toy poodles and pom/chi twice a day. They eat 1/4 cup of kibble daily.
> 
> I inherited a very fussy eater a 6 pound Pom/chi mix Gracie, my mom catered to her fussy nature, giving her people food. She will often go a day and a half without eating, rarely she will go two days. Gracie is always hoping for something better, but all food comes up after 15 minutes, if she is truly hungry she will come get me and I will feed her. I know Gracie gets bored easily with kibble, canned even freeze dried, so I just don't give in, she gets what ever one else gets.
> 
> A healthy dog won't starve.


I was basically trying three times a day and only a small bowl full of raw food or the last few days it's been salmon and chicken mixed together. she has then eaten one small meal for the last three days and nothing today.

I am leaving it down when I go to work.. coming home and it's still there. Then trying a fresh plate or hand feeding her.

I think i'll pop to shops on the way home and get a sachet of something high quality and try tough love. I worry i'll go home and she'll be dying or hypoglycemic! Probably over-reacting! I didn't even want to come back to work.. I finish at 4.30 so in about two hours.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Some times dogs get fussy on texture, smell... even when Gracie is being fussy she will still take a treat or a dab of peanut butter in her kong daily ritual when I leave the house.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Remember poodles are sensitive and can feel your frustration


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

twyla said:


> Remember poodles are sensitive and can feel your frustration


I definitely think I have made food times stressful for her and now I feel bad. I was putting peanut butter on her nose to make her lick it off and get some food inside her but not sure she enjoyed that!

I will remain calm when I get home and stop fussing as I feel I am making it worse!

Thanks for the input


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Darlydootoypoo said:


> I definitely think I have made food times stressful for her and now I feel bad. I was putting peanut butter on her nose to make her lick it off and get some food inside her but not sure she enjoyed that!
> 
> I will remain calm when I get home and stop fussing as I feel I am making it worse!
> 
> Thanks for the input


I went through a trial with Leonard, my new toy puppy, when I first brought him home at 18 1/2 weeks he was so little, it got better as I worried less and figured out part of his trouble was due to teething. He is 7 1/2 months and 5 pounds now eats twice a day.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Tough love is what is needed here - tough for you as well as the dog.

You're probably stressed and busy with your pregnancy, but I'm going to suggest you look for an adult obedience class using positive training. Plan on training your dog 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening. You can do this without a class following instructions in a book or youtube videos, but going to a class gives you structure and a trainer who can help you if you run into problems. 

You have gotten her over the hard part of puppyhood, now it's time to get your relationship with your adult dog under control before you have the baby. Your dog is smart, she will quickly adjust to the new rules. The end result is you both will be happier and more relaxed. Don't think of her as this tiny helpless baby that needs to be spoiled and is easily controlled because you can pick her up. Instead think of her and treat her as if she's a standard poodle that needs to be trained to have good manners. 

A little tough love -- (((HUGS)))


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

Skylar said:


> Tough love is what is needed here - tough for you as well as the dog.
> 
> You're probably stressed and busy with your pregnancy, but I'm going to suggest you look for an adult obedience class using positive training. Plan on training your dog 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening. You can do this without a class following instructions in a book or youtube videos, but going to a class gives you structure and a trainer who can help you if you run into problems.
> 
> ...


You're so right!

She is a clever little madam too.. totally ignores me when she wants to and wont come in from the garden and then follows me and leaps into my arms when my husband is brushing her as she knows i'll comfort her! 

I know i've got in to bad habits as I see her as this helpless baby but I know I need to be strict. We have some local training I've already enquired about so will look into that again.

Thanks x


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Darlydootoypoo said:


> I know i've got in to bad habits as I see her as this helpless baby but I know I need to be strict. We have some local training I've already enquired about so will look into that again.
> 
> Thanks x


I know it's hard to get started and to make changes - but once you do, you're going to love your dog even more and you'll be so proud of the changes in her behavior. You'll become more confident in handling your dog - and it will help when the new baby arrives. It's a win/win situation. Just takes a little effort to get going.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Tough love for sure and not just about the food. Your poodle is just that a poodle, not a child. You have to stop treating her like one. Dogs thrive on structure and routine and knowing that the people are their benevolent leaders who provide food, shelter, safety and all the other necessities of life. One of my colleagues has an adult autistic daughter who has been coming to campus for a special program this year. She is afraid of dogs and recently didn't want to pass me and Javelin in the hall. I had to go to class so I moved first. As I was walking away I heard my colleague say that he is a very nice dog and like my son. I stopped long enough to note that he is not my son, he is a dog, well loved, but a dog.

I urge you to settle on a food (in one flavor) and stick with it. Since you mentioned burping I would consider doing a NutriScan test first to make sure that she tolerates all of the ingredients, but once you have that figured out just stick with it and have a routine. I home cook for my dogs because of intolerances, but they eat the same basic meal every day twice a day. My mom's mpoo was a terrible eater since he was always holding out in hope of toppers and stuff. I have always just given him his meal with no extras and limited time to eat it. If he didn't eat it then I would send Lily to eat his food in front of him. It never took more than two repeats of that to get him to eat his meal promptly and he always took that behavior home with him.

Since you are having a baby you need to get the other unruly behaviors like failure to come when called under control. It is much more of a kindness to a dog to have them understand that you are in charge than to leave them trying to decide for themselves what to do. This is true no matter how large or small the dog. While my dogs can't be allowed to be rude since they would easily scare people because they are big I find small unruly dogs to be more challenging to be around since they are often very unpredictable since their people excuse all sorts of things my dogs aren't allowed to do with statements like "but she is too small to be dangerous!" No she isn't.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh gosh yes! You gotta start the 'tough love' before your baby gets here or you are asking for trouble! Do Google 'Little Dog Syndrome' for some good tips !
AND YES! A healthy dog will not starve itself! If you are worried you can put a 'measured' amount of food in her bowl and after 24-48 hours, remeasure what is still in the bowl, and I bet there will be some missing!


P.S. 3kg (6.61 lbs) is a good weight for a small toy!


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

I know everything you are saying is right. I got her at a time I had massive anxiety and needed her to help me feel better and it worked but now I just tend to worry about her a lot!! When I came home she hadn’t eaten a thing and was begging to go outside again to eat grass which she did for ages but no sick!! She then came in and played for a bit. She then asked me to pick her up and projectile puked pretty much water!! Then drank some water and had diarrhoea on back door mat and garden! 

I had to wash her bottom and there was a bit of blood but I didn’t see that in her diarrhoea, just around bottom? 

After washing her she was hyper. Now she’s chilled and next to me. 

Not sure what to do for the best now! She’s not eaten for nearly 24 hours but is drinking water. Do I ring on call vets as it’s Easter weekend... do I wait it out? What food shall I offer?! Sorry so many questions just don’t know what to do for best and she must be starving!!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I would ring the vet ask them what they think. As for food, plain boiled chicken and rice


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

twyla said:


> I would ring the vet ask them what they think. As for food, plain boiled chicken and rice


I agree.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Yes a call to your Vet and a bland diet if she has diarrhea!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I think you have made your dog really, really picky. You need to pick a food that you know she likes (try many samples until you find one you like and she likes a lot) then stick to it.

I can assure you 24 hours with no food is perfectly fine ! My toy Merlin is 6 pounds now. When he came to me, he was 5 pounds (too small) and 18 months old. He has a severe anxiety disorder, so whenever the routine changed a little and for the first year or so (he was 18 months when he came to live with me), he would skip dinner 2 days in a row. And he is only fed once a day, plus a frw treats. That means 72 hours without food !

That was his choice. I put the food down for 15-20 minutes, and then it went away until the next day. I would give him another chance at the same bowl a little later, sometimes. But that’s it.

These days, he will sometimes skip a meal, but it doesn’t happen as much. He knows he won’t be offered anything else if he doesn’t eat it.

So unless your dog has medical issues, it’s okay if she chooses not to eat. She needs to learn the consequences of that. Right now there are none, because she knows you’ll bend over backward to find something she likes.


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## Darlydootoypoo (Jun 5, 2017)

Well I waited it out to see what would happen. No more sickness and diarrhoea but she woke at 1am went in the garden and tried to go but couldn’t poo. My husband then tried offering her food and she ate a whole bowl of chicken and is fast asleep still now. I wanted to starve her in case it was a bug but I think she’s poorly from not eating rather than anything else.

My husband remembered accidentally startling her by kicking her bowl whilst she ate the other day and we wonder if this hasn’t helped! 

Going to persist with the chicken and rice although I expect she will ignore the rice and see how she gets on!


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