[TheBigAnimation]

First I moved them away from each other and into my room so that way I could make George feel more comfortable, and then George started eating out of my hand. Then he wouldn't accept anything else unless if it was from my hand? And I can tell he really liked the Wellness CORE bites because they were easier to chew so I'm going to continue to keep getting him that.

Should I continue to feed George in my room? He likes being in there sometimes when hes scared, and I think Bryan really does intimidate him when they're eating so feeding them separately will help.

Should I mix wet food with George's food so he can eat it better? I want it to be more tempting for George, and I can even do this for Bryan. Moms only complaint is the smelly and sticky bowls and I'll wash out them right away if they have to be.

Which would be better? Get little cans each? Or big cans and split them in half and save them? (For wet food).

So yeah. I heard feeding wet food can be good for them sometimes anyway. I just want to know - because the only reason why I started feeding Georgie from my hand is because I knew he was a nervous dog, and I felt empathy for him?

I think when I feed him in my room though I'm going to get him another bowl, something stainless steel or ceramic - something easy to clean and without artificial coloring's like a plastic one that's easily chew-able (I heard plastic bowls some pets can get rashes from), and I'm gong to get some sort of mat to place the bowl on when I'm feeding him. So that way I can train him to say its okay, this is your own little mat and you've got permission to eat here whenever you want to.

Though aside from all that, do you all have any tips?

 

[Sibe]

Is his mouth ok? If his teeth are hurting him, he won't want to eat. Retained puppy tooth, fractured/creaked/broken tooth, gingivitis or other periodontal disease, an abscess or cyst. Similarly, if he is sick or hurt and doesn't feel good then he may not have an appetite.

Stress can absolutely decrease his appetite too. You say he's a nervous dog. That could be the issue in itself, he doesn't feel comfortable enough to eat well. How long have you had him, what things happen in his life that make him stressed/nervous?

Once you've ruled out pain and illness and are working on his stress, if he's still not eating well then change his food. In the mean time, wet is a great idea. Split a can or use little cans, it's up to you. I would continue feeding him in your room if that makes him more comfortable. You can also try feeding several times a day. Feeding from interactive toys can help too, or even scattering the food across the floor so he has to search and sniff around for it. Much more fun for him.

 

[TheBigAnimation]

Thanks for the tips Sibe! I think a vet-checkup is in order. Or at least mom and I can go to the vet and ask questions. There's no way George would let me or anyone check his mouth/teeth at home, the vet would have to do it. And BTW - he's six years old, and so he doesn't have any puppy teeth anymore. At least I don't think? He could have an abscess or a cyst D : I didn't think of that! Dental issues YUCK! Don't even get me started on the dentist! Now my dog might have to go to the dentist! D:

But no, in all seriousness I'll check with my veterinarian about his lack of appetite. Thank you so much for the thoughts.

 

[miarosen]

This is only for after you've checked for medical issues.
Did he scarf down his food before this? How long has this gone on?
If, and only if, the answers are Yes and Not Long, here's an idea. Give him his food (in another room-good idea), and leave it and him alone for an hour. At the end of that hour, with no fuss, pick up the food and put it away. Give him new food at dinner, and leave it out for an hour. He should get hungry enough to learn that if he doesn't eat in the allotted time, he won't get to eat.
It's only something I've read-if it sounds too mean, then of course don't try it.
Good luck! Hopefully it's something simple the vet can fix, or as easy as changing food. I think Sibe's definitely got good advice to start with.

 

[Greater Swiss]

I just thought I'd add in here...I've heard the same about plastic bowls, and I did take care of a dog that had a HORRIBLE rash on his nose, and sure enough, after about a month in the metal bowl his nose was back to normal. I wanted to point out though, there is one bonus to plastic bowls, especially with a nervous dog, some dogs freak out if their tags clink against the bowl, which is louder with ceramic or metal, you can always remove the collar for eating which will prevent this if it seems to be an issue. My husband said he had a dog that refused to eat out of a metal bowl....we figure maybe it was the reflection in the bowl that made the dog uncomfortable or something. Anyway, just a couple of things to watch for. Try different bowls, but if he doesn't want to eat out of them, keep in mind there might be some odd reasons for it that may not be completely obvious (basically, don't buy a $50 pretty ceramic bowl unless you know that he'll eat out of a ceramic bowl in general).

Some days Caeda gets fussy, when she does this I'll bury a couple of weiner bits in the dog kibble and while digging for those she generally starts eating the kibble and is fine from there on (I don't know why she does this....it is weird but not a big problem).

I do like your mat idea, it sounds like a good one. Good luck, and I hope you get this solved, and I do agree with the others, a vet check seems to be called for.

 

[spotted nikes]

I don't know what breed George is, but some breeds get back or neck injuries, making it painful to bend over to eat out of a bowl. Arthritis can make it painful also. Dogs that had an injury at a young age, can later develop arthritis in that part at an early age. If you think that might be possible, try feeding out of a bowl on a raised surface (like a step or a stack of books).