Re: [pyrnet] Getting a Pyr to Eat

[Mary Delmage <mary@ericnagler.com>]

Hi Robyn,

At 08:28 AM 24/04/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to
> encourage a perfectly healthy 7 month old female to eat?  She is
> going through the stage where sometimes she eats and other times she just
> turns her nose up at the food. 

IMN-S-HO:
First of all, I'm not sure this is a "stage" -
Pyrs are notoriously picky eaters.  They have a slow metabolism and
need less food than many large breeds.

My experience: I have one female who checks everything very carefully
before she deigns to put it in her mouth, looking at me as if to say - Is
this it?  When she realises that indeed, this IS it, then she will
eat, most times.  The only time I see her eating with real
enthusiasm is when she's afraid the pig will eat it otherwise.  I
saw her eat grapes rather than let the pig have them; though the look on
her face was very pained.

And then, I have a male pyr who will eat anything that doesn't eat him
first.  He inhales his food, and we Barf so that is quite an
achievement.  He always acts like he is starving to death, even
right after he's had half a dozen chicken backs.

I would take a look at what you feed her - maybe it's just not
appetising.  Have you thought of barfing?  My female refused
nearly all kibble, and when I researched and discovered what often goes
into it, I couldn't blame her.  Since I started giving them RMBs my
dogs have been doing very well, and my female pyr certainly shows more
enthusiasm for some foods (organ meat and beef bones) than others
(chicken necks).  So dogs have their preferences too.

My suggestion is to watch your dog and learn what is so for her. 
Maybe she will be a sparing eater and only eat what she needs.  I
would watch her for other signs of illness, check her weight to see that
she is not losing and leave her alone if she seems ok.  At one point
I was worried about my female pyr's poor eating habits and that she was
too thin so I brought her to the vet for a check and the vet said she was
fine.  In fact she said it was wonderful to see a dog that was an
ideal weight as nearly every dog she sees in her practice is overweight
which is much more detrimental to the animals wellbeing than being on the
lean side.

>  I don't want to get her use to the idea
> that she can have "special treats" on her food (like bacon) to
> get her to eat.  Any ideas, short of force feeding, which I refuse
> to do?

Yikes - please don't force feed!  And I'd encourage you
not to get involved in any silly co-dependent scenes with pleading or
tempting your dog to eat.  She'll love the attention and you'll be
making a rod for your own back.  My theory is that unless they are
ill, they will eat if they are hungry.

Hope my point of view offers you some ideas!

Mary.
PS: For those interested in the embedded porcupine quills situation, my
vet checked and said it would be more damaging to dig them out.  Her
advice was wait and watch and they will probably work their way
out.  I'm grateful to those who sent their points of view and for
the web references which I checked out.  It seems that opinions are
divided on this matter.  Not wanting to put my dog through an
anaesthetic and surgery if we can avoid it, I'm electing to take the
conservative watchful route.  Thanks again to you all. This list is
a wonderful resource! M.

Mary Delmage

RR#3

Shelburne ON

L0N 1S7

Canada