He won't eat his food

by Heather Taylor
(Toledo, OH)

My Jack is 11 months old. A few months ago he stopped eating his food. So we changed it. The new food would work for a day or two, then he would stop eating that, also. We started slowly adding soft food, shredded cheese, and/or crumbled soft treats. The same. Now he won't eat at all it has been several days. He has had 5 different kinds of food. He doesn't like really crunchy food. We even tried just soft food. Nothing. He will still eat treats when we comes back inside from going to the potty. For a couple of days we acted like his food was a treat and that worked, but like I said, I couple of days. I am so frustrated.

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Jan 21, 2015
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Cotonsknow what they wish to eat - do we LISTEN? NEW
by: Anonymous

My Coton refuses ALL doggie store treats and dry/wet foods with preservatives. BY reading & experimenting, this is what he loves best: (home made) grilled chicken breasts, cod sticks, wieners (all beef), ground beef (no hormones or antibiotics - all natural), rice, yams, carrots, potatoes, fresh bread crusts (no preservatives) (dipped in milk!), eggs (scrambled, boiled). The trick is HE ONLY will eat one food at a time - NO food combining. Now isn't that what they teach US humans that are sensitive to allergies?

For treats he LOVES cheese, bananas, apples, peaches, fluffy popcorn & potato chips!

I'm still experimenting. He's 7 months old (8 pounds) and has perfect poop. His hair is shiny (I use Jojoba Oil for flee control). Its good as for (dippty-do) for hair styling!. When I got him at 11 weeks he refused to eat, dull hair and skinny. He had post-traumatic stress dreams every night (or seizures). I nursed him back to health with all natural products. He had so many vaccines before he came to me. I kept him away from toxic substances until he's big & strong. I bathe him in natural baby shampoo & use lavender (1 drop) for flee control.

His number one treat is a drive to the old fashion meat "butcher" who cuts up large chunks of marrow bones. We cook the marrow bones and when he's done chewing/licking the marrow we throw the bone out before it drys so there's no dry bone splinters. He LOVES the marrow! We bath his face clean with a warm washcloth after the treat!

He loves french bread crusts (cut in strips) dipped in warm milk with brown sugar. He takes a bite like an adult, then we do another dip into the milk! He likes to eat his wieners this WAY too (bites a bit at a time)!

He refuses to eat out of plastic or metal dog food containers. He likes GLASS plates or bowls best.

I leave (no preservative brand) dog food out for his leisure (little amounts to keep it fresh). He eats that as he wishes. Its filled with natural balanced vitamins to ensure puppy nutrition!

I'm lucky my Vet is a natural holistic Vet from India. He tells me my puppy is in perfect health!

I'm not going to casterate (neuter) him. I believe every male needs his testicles for proper harmone production & immune protection. My Coton is shy, extremly well behaved and isn't too interested in dogs (so I think I'll be OK with him).

What ever happened to old fashion home-made cooking without fillers & preservatives, non toxic skin substances and natural harmones for natural immunity?

Allergies to store bought dog food, in my opinion, is the GMO corn! Genetically altered CORN is making our Coton's sick! That's my read. Even I can't eat GMO corn.

Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Commercial dog foods are filled with CORN and corn OIL!

I use whole/natural OLIVE OIL for my Coton puppy.

For every extra penny I spend on whole natural foods, I feel I'm saving on Vet bills!

My puppy is so cute, he 'kisses me' each time I feed him fresh foods! He watches me in the kitchen cook his dinner. He gets so very excited when it's cooked and time to eat! With their high sense of smell & taste I bet they appreciate the luxury of so many smells & tastes.

Think if you had to eat the SAME store bought dry food every day for each meal for your entire life! Who ever created that commercial dry dog food? Smell it. It stinks!

Nov 02, 2014
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My coton has acid reflux! NEW
by: Nancy

Panda, age 2, started to vomit frequently. We had him x-rayed and he was fine. Our Vet suggested a Proton Pump inhibitor, like Prilosec. We give him a half of a pill morning and evening. He has not vomited since we started with the med! It is comical because I worked for 17 years in an Endoscopy unit, and I, too, have acid reflux and am on PPI!! We just keep it all in the family. They aren't kidding when they say a Coton adapts to their owners schedule and environment!

Oct 01, 2014
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More suggestions NEW
by: Anonymous

Give gluten free a try. I think a lot of dogs are allergic to gluten but the vets do not know it and the owners have no clue. And dogs can and do die from it, ours almost did. (I wrote the post further down about our 14 1/2 year old dog) Even our own vet told us they do not teach gluten intolerance in vet school. I think they only teach diseases where they can prescribe a pill for. Best wishes with your doggy.

I mean, if a better diet works for him, that's great but you may find eventually homemade is best. I guess you see as you go as we did. But it's nice to have these suggestions from other coton owners. It helps to know others have had similar issues and to know how they manage.

Oct 01, 2014
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Thank you NEW
by: Anonymous

I am very grateful and thankful for your comments and concerns. When he doesn't eat, his tummy gets so upset, he throws up. When he threw up 4 times in a row, we took him to vet. All she could say is he had a fever. Nothing else was wrong. We are trying Royal Canin, for sensitive bellies. That worked for a couple of days. We aren't giving up, yet.
Please, keep the ideas and comments coming

Oct 01, 2014
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dog food NEW
by: Vicky & Jonah

DITTO 4 Sherry. Pick a dog food in your budget & stick with it. Jonah does all the same things & I to put a little chicken, turkey burger etc on top. I feed him twice a day & if he doesn't eat in the morning he only gets his normal half at night.

He is 20#'s & has maintained this weight since a yr & will b 7 in Dec. He is not fat just a big Coton. Remember treats need to be subtracted from quantity of food given & food quantity depends on activity of lifestyle. Ex agility, search/rescue, obedience etc.

Use food for treats in training mode or ex 1 slice of hotdog should b cut into 8 pc. If u give them treats to keep teeth cleaned cut them into 2 or 3 days worth. Sometimes I think dogs r smarter then us in food control.

Treats, milkbones etc find your preference & use them sparsely nutrition comes first. Ex if u give them a cookie at night cut or break in 2 don't give then 2.

The more you u switch food the more it upsets digestive system could b y they start to shy away from food since they get the s??ts & upset tummy. Food switching requires 3/4 old ,1/4 New 1st wk. 1/2 to 1/2 2nd wk. 3/4 New to 1/4 old 3rd wk, then on to new. U can stretch this formula out to use up old food but keep formula transitions in tac.

I had to laugh Sherry. I to have hand feed Jonah. Also I move food to flat plate so fur on mouth doesn't get gravy in it since sometimes I just use pro plan soft ovr dry & now he thinks he cannot eat unless 1/2 on plate & finish the other 1/2 of his dry in bowl. Bless his soul he knows he has my number. (-:

Sep 29, 2014
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won't eat food NEW
by: sherry cotton candie

I love reading all these comments and this seems to be an issue we have hashed over and over...I do believe they are all picky!......I know I have worried and spent so many $$$$'s trying to buy good food and get my "perfect" little girl something she likes.

I have come to the conclusion such dog food does not exist, like so many others she will eat it a day or two and thats it. I have discovered neither of mine are morning eaters, they get raw food 2/3 times a week and it always got thrown out because they did not want it early, now I feed between 11-12, they are hungry and will usually eat right away. If I am going to be gone then I put down a small handfull of dry before I leave.

Also I figured out they eat better later at night --around 7 pm because we are done eating and they know they are not getting any of our food.

My husband laughs at me and says "you need to be smarter than they are". Well they are clever but I am tired of stressing over it. They do like variety and I try to do that.

I am hoping by mixing up their diet they get enough of all that is essential. Wished I would never have given them table food but too late now......to the lady who holds her girl and feeds her, lol I have done that also and do alot of hand feeding......You are right they are our babies and we love them.

When they get hungry they will eat, they get dry food in the pm and I scatter it in the living room, after dinner we go in and they graze and usually clean it up......Never had this much trouble raising my kids! LOL

Sep 29, 2014
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It is frustrating......a few things I do NEW
by: Anonymous

Providing everything checks out ok at the vet, I did want to share my challenges with my 18 month old girl. Food has never been a priority for her, so I have gone through some struggles with her to eat. I made a few changes and it seems to be working and in a routine with her. I tried the changing of the food, it would last for a few days and then she didn't want it anymore, etc.....this is what works for us;
1. I feed her Taste of Wild salmon dry - but she doesn't like it crunchy so I put a little bit of wAter to soften and make it wet so she likes it. I don't her food anymore, seemed like options made it worse, sometimes she just doesn't want to eat.
2. I stopped giving her bully sticks to chew on and I don't give her treats before her meals, it seems to fill her up and then she won't eat.
3. She likes to eat about half and then an hour later will finish, I do feed her twice a day. Her snacks are mid day and night time or after her meal.
4. And then finally which started totally out of frustration.....and I know it is wrong but since I got her at 12 weeks she would never eat by herself....LOL...I walk away...she walks away....so she sits on my lap to eat....I KNOW I KNOW....I CREATED IT MYSELF.....but....I was frustrated that she wouldn't eat....I don't mind at all.....she is my baby girl!! So what can I say...lol....she is healthy and happy!

Good luck and I hope all is ok!!

Sep 28, 2014
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He wont eat his food NEW
by: stanleys mommy

Go to the vet, needs an x ray just in case he ate something. Like a ball or socks

Sep 28, 2014
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Forgot to include something from the last post about the homemade diet NEW
by: Anonymous

Oh, by the way, we drain the fat from the beef with a strainer after I cook it. (One time I forgot to drain the fat and he got the runs because I guess it was too much fat). With the chicken and turkey I give him some coconut oil since those meats are super lean. I would also include some yogurt for calcium along with the doggy vitamin. Over the years he has since become allergic to even some of the homemade foods but he has not become allergic to the main items such as the brown rice and the meats. When he became allergic to the oil, I switched it out and now give him extra virgin organic olive oil. But he did excellent on the organic coconut oil for years until he became allergic to that. You learn as you go. But at least he can eat and he is healthy! I also give him some low fat, low salt, gourmet popcorn (Vic's gourmet popcorn - it is a special kind where the kernels almost disappear when they cook it so that there are no hard kernels, only the popcorn).

Sep 28, 2014
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Our coton came back from the brink of death by starting all homemade gluten free food NEW
by: Anonymous

Our coton is now almost 14 1/2 years old. At 8 years, he almost died. He had thrown up off & on for many years, never knew what it was. Vet misdiagnosed him and he was dying. Praise God my husband & I found out on our own that our dog has celiac disease (gluten allergy) as well as numerous other food allergies. As he was losing weight very quickly and dying, we fed him a 99% lean turkey burger, you know, the kind people eat, Jennie-O brand or something like that. We bought it raw and cooked him a burger. Well, he ate it right up and kept it down! I thought, if I am going to be cooking for this dog, I might as well do something (that I thought at the time was radical but now think that it's the best way to go because of the results I have seen, God saved our dog thru it) like feed him all homemade, gluten free food. So we added some Uncle Ben's brown rice. He ate that together with the meat. Once we knew he could eat that, we added some raw carrots, some coconut oil (he needed some fat since the turkey was so lean), some psyllium husks powder from Whole Foods (for fiber), steamed green beans, etc. Also a gluten free doggy vitamin from 21st Century (that's the brand name). We also alternate his meats each week, one week 99% lean ground turkey, another week, 96% lean ground beef, another week skinless chicken breast. I think that has kept him from becoming allergic to the meats because we alternate it rather than him eating the same meat day in and day out for months and years.

Have never looked back since. Our coton had a 2nd chance at a long and healthy life and he is still with us. By March of 2015, we will have been feeding him all homemade for 7 years. If he lives that long, he will be 15 years old :)

Best wishes, I know it's hard and really scary when your dog is sick or won't eat. Our vet always tried to steer us away from homemade (I think all they know is the commercial dog foods and they also get the dog food makers pushing their brands on them at the animal hospitals) but it's the only thing that returned him back to glorious health. Now I think our vet can see that homemade could be a really good thing.

Sep 28, 2014
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Store bought Food is worse than JUNK FOOD! NEW
by: Mrs. C.

Is he still drinking plenty of water, any vomiting, diarrhea? If he shows any signs of distress get him to a vet and have his stomach x-rayed he could have an obstruction of some sort. If nothing shows up I would stop all treats and use just praise as reward. Treats and store bought dog food is just junk food! (Actually it is worse than that) Making homemade dog food is no big deal, it is just like making a special meal for a family member. I have 5 cats and my Coton Ruthie Rue and I make all of their food. I feed it raw and they all usually devour it. It is normal for animals to occasionally go off of their food, but not for days on end. I believe your baby is trying to tell you something the only way he knows how. This is what happened to me. I got a little black kitten that was the runt of the litter, he was so scrawny and refused all kinds of dry and wet store bought food when we got him home. He worried me sick thinking he was going to starve. I had been making Ruthie Rue's dog food for quite sometime so I decided to try to feed a little of it to him. Well low and behold he went crazy over it!! Then and there I decided to switch all of my 5 cats over to raw homemade food and I have not looked back since. My animals are living proof that raw is right for them. Ruthie Rue's coat is so plush that I can barely keep up with it (I leave it long and glorious). All 5 of my cats have plush soft coats with very little shedding, bright eyes and lots and lots of energy. The only thing that they ever throw up is an occasional hair ball. Dr. Anne Martin has an excellent book titled "Foods Pets Die For" that I strongly recommend to all of my pet loving friends to read, it is a real eye opener and you will never look at store bought food as being wholesome and nutritious again....

Sep 28, 2014
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food NEW
by: Maggie's Mom

Try hard boiled or scrambled eggs! They are good for the dogs, and Maggie loves them. I give her 2 a week. It's her favorite.

Sep 28, 2014
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He won't eat his food NEW
by: Sharon P.

This is a problem. I believe you need to stop experimenting at this point and get him to the Vet as soon as possible for a check up. He can't subsist on the occasional treat. It's not nutritious enough to meet his needs.

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