# Gretel isn't well -



## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm worried about Gretel. She's downright refusing food, this has been an issue for a while but the last month it's gotten much worse. She's been finnecky in the past but this now she'll go days without eating. 

Let me back up and say I've taken her to the vet twice, once (last week) she had a slight fever so the doctor sent us home with an antibiotic and the second time (today) the fever was gone but she's still acting unwell. They ran a thorough blood panel today which returned that there isn't anything wrong with her physically. She still has normal bowel movements on the odd day I can get her to eat, she does vomit occasionally with no apparent reason, but otherwise she usually acts okay - not 100% but not downright lethargic or anything. 

Does this sound like dog depression? The reason I ask is because we had a baby and it seems like this refusing food stuff got much worse when he came home. We don't treat her any differently, we make it a point to sit with her, the schedule has stayed the same. We did slowly try to change her food back to The Honest Kitchen because we were concerned the food she had been eating was making her unwell (Blue Buffalo) but she still refuses THK so obviously the food wasn't the issue and our other two were eating it without issue. 

I'm just at a loss what to do. We've tried showering her with affection, we've tried acting like everything is fine, nothing seems to encourage her to eat.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

The only thing I can think of, is maybe a probiotic might help. It might be just a little tummy irritation, and the probiotic would help. Other than that, you've done every thing you could. Have you tried a meat baby food???My vet keeps it at the place to urge dogs that have had surgery, eat.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Oh! I did forget to mention that, she is currently on a probiotic and she does take that without too much fight but I'm dreading if she decides to give that up too. 

My vet didn't want us to change her food because she doesn't want us to give her the idea she can act up until we switch her (just in case she was being picky) but we told her we switched today, my husband is beside himself with worry about this and couldn't stand one more day of her not eating so he's at the point he'll do anything for her to just eat.


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## Jenna&JoJo (Aug 30, 2015)

Wow... How old is she?
Is there ANY chance at all that she could have a a foreign body in her tummy?


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Jenna&JoJo said:


> Wow... How old is she?
> Is there ANY chance at all that she could have a a foreign body in her tummy?


That's what I was worried about too, but the vet didn't seem to think so. She felt all over on her stomach and we have seen her having bowel movements after she eats on the odd occasion she does so i'm not sure that is the problem. I was able to coax her to have a few bites this morning of the honest kitchen, but that's all she would take. 

I'm really stressed about this.

ETA: She'll be 7 in November. She's been a finicky eater in the past, but she refused a tiny bite of banana yesterday and that has always been something she enjoys.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

And today she also refused her probiotic for the first time in a long time. Sigh.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

What about giving her some yogurt? Scrambled eggs? Human food for a short period won't hurt her. Maybe play with her just before, so she gets your attention. Do you pay a lot of attention to her when she won't eat? I have a 4 pounder that just recently started to refuse to eat. I left her in the pen for awhile and if she didn't eat, it was taken away. After a couple of hours, she is again given the food, and eats it right way then! Attention is a powerful thing---even negative attention! I would offer this dog her meal, and walk away. No hovering, no coaxing. Give her 20 minutes or so, then take it up if not eaten. Give her the meal at your meal time--Am, lunch, dinner and bedtime. Hopefully she'll learn she is ignored when fed, and she had better eat when it is served.


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## Jenna&JoJo (Aug 30, 2015)

Something that I just thought of... could be totally off base but anything is worth mentioning... is it possible her sense of smell is going? Or maybe was lessened by whatever was causing her fever a bit ago? I remember reading something eons ago about dogs and cats losing interest in food if their sense of smell was off and their handlers getting them to eat by trying things that were REALLY smelly, like fish or stinky canned dog food, etc. 
But I agree with Susan, people food for awhile will not kill her... Has she lost a lot of weight?


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

If you think this is a problem, get some tuna fish in water, and drizzle some of the fluild into the top of the bowl---see if that helps.


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## minnies_mom (Jun 15, 2014)

I hope your baby starts eating again. It's scary because they are so small. 

I just went through having to feed Pip human food for two weeks because she had some nausea problems post surgery. She loved chicken, eggs, liver and steak. I worried about transitioning her back to regular kibble but once her appetite returned to normal she was back happily eating kibble. 

Pip also just had a bout of diarrhea and vomiting (crossing my fingers it's nothing to do with her accident) and was on a wet food from the vet. That helped her get her appetite back and seemed fairly easy on her tummy. 

I hope your little Gretel gets her appetite and starts to eat soon! We are sending hungry thoughts her way!


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