I've observed that dogs often have reduced appetites when their owners are not around. Does anyone have any tricks that seem to work when trying to get a Rover pup to eat?
First, disclaimer - my opinion is that a day or so of not eating is nothing to worry about as long as the dog is drinking. Stress makes many dogs lose their appetite (wish it worked that way for me!).
That said, I have had success putting a little chicken broth on my clients' dry food. I only use a little, and freeze the rest of the can as ice cubes until the next time.
This has also worked on my own dog when she was experiencing a slow recovery after surgery and would not drink. I poured broth into her water and she lapped it right up.
Thanks! May try this.
I absolutely agree with Carmen on this! The chicken broth (unless they have an chicken allergies or dietary restrictions) works well.
Other things I have done include playing around and using the food as treats for good behavior, and taking the time to feed them from my hands, as well. One or two days not eating because of separation anxiety/sadness is normal, just make sure they stay hydrated.
Agreed with Carmen and Daniela. I don't worry at all if a dog doesn't eat their meals the first couple days they're away from home. Unless there's a medical reason they need to eat regularly, I don't push it. I simply offer the food at meal times for a few minutes with a bit of encouragement, but pick it back up again if they don't eat. I'll offer it again a little later, but if they still aren't interested I'll wait until the next meal time to try again.
On the occasion I've opted to tempt dogs to eat, I've had luck using a variety of tactics. Some dogs prefer to eat from my hand rather than their bowl. Some will eat after I've tossed a few tiny treats into their food dish. Adding broth, tuna juice, plain yogurt, or canned/powdered pumpkin can be pretty effective depending on what the dog prefers, though with adding anything wet I usually try a little bit at a time until I know it will work. Otherwise you may have to throw out an entire dish of food if they still turn it down.
I usually add a tiny bit of warm water (or chicken broth). I do a lot to help my doggie guests feel comfortable eating, even though I know I don't have to worry if it's just a little while (and they're drinking water). I'll usually try hand feeding at first, try feeding without other dogs around, with me standing there, with me outside the room, etc. I've had great luck with doggies eating in my care. The only other thing I can think of is that my dogs are always more hungry after an active day. I want to stress how important it is to not stress about a pooch not eating a meal or two - you stressing out over the food will only make things worse. Stay calm and carry on. :)