Cairn terrier - not eating

Question

Our Cairn terrier Lucy has not been eating very well over the last few days. She is taking only about 1/2  bowl of food per day. She has however over the last few days done serveral big jobs and seems to be regular enough. She is sleepy all the time and very lethergic. When I try to lift her tails to check her butt she gets upset.
Any ideas


Answer
Margot -

The part about checking her butt made me smile... Not many dogs (let alone people) like having their butt checked...

Now, I can;t tell how many measuring cups of food you are talking about, but here is what I recommend - Measure how much food you usually give her.  Give her 1/2 of it in the morning.  Pick the dish back up 10 minutes later.  Do the same thing in the evening.

Free choice feeding seems to lead to both bad eating habits and fussy eaters.

Overall, I would have recommended not worrying if she is a little off her feed.  Dogs will sometimes go for 24 hrs or so without eating with no apparent reason.

HOWEVER, your comments about her being sleepy and lethargic make me worry.  You also don't mention her age.  I think you should consider a visit to Lucy's vet if she does not start eating within 24 hours using the above plan.

Let me know how you make out or if you have any more questions

-Beth