Dog not eating

Question
QUESTION: I have 2 Yorkshire Terrier's that just turned 1 years old. FRom the beginning we have had a problem with feeding. Rosie, the female and alpha dog, now has a very healthy appetite. However, Rocco, the male has very very strange behavior with his food.  We feed both of them at the same time.. once in the morning and once in the evening. First of all, Rocco stands over his food bowl, shaking uncontrollably, (his hair sticks up, back is hunched, and ears are down) while Rosie devours hers. Once Rosie finishes, Rocco starts making a very low growl and shows his teeth to Rosie. Sometimes I talk to him softly and gently scratch under his chin and his head and that will coax him to eat. More recently though, he will not eat his food. This has been for the past 2 days. I have tried putting pieces of cheese in his bowl or pieces of beggin bits in his bowl.. but he just fishes them out and leaves his real food. Then he goes and curls in the corner, once again shaking uncontrollably.  I have also tried making his food soft but adding some water to it. Sometimes he will eat it that way, but not recently. When worse comes to worse I force feed him. He is already so skinny, I am just so afraid he might get sick or strave himself to death.  

I took him to the vet a while back and she said that this is just a behavior issue and that he may have anxiety. So she perscribed him some anxiety medication to take before eating. That didn't really help.  It's just very fristrating and heart-breaking that this lovable dog will not eat. I do not want to sit on the floor trying to get him to eat for the rest of his life. Is there anything I can do???

ANSWER: Hi,
Ok, here is what I THINK might be happening. Your vet MAY be correct about it being a behavioral problem although I would not rule out a back problem or hypoglycemia or even seizures. From your description it doesn't sound like these but you never know. Does it hurt him to lean down to get his food (back), is is too hungry by the time he is fed? Does this behavior happen at any other time other than mealtime?? If the answer to these is DEFINITELY 'no' then I would try the following.

*Do not feed them together in the same room for a while. Don't get stuck in a rut INSISTING that they eat together, ok?

*Feed him by hand and see if the behavior lessens. Do NOT WORRY about spoiling him at this point. You can work on that later once he starts eating--this is THE PRIORITY.

*Of course, he fishes out the cheese and bits cause that's what most kids do..pick out the junk food of the meal. By the way, what ARE you feeding your dogs? Most commercial dog foods are like feeding your dog "twinkies' but that's another issue at the moment.

*How many times a day do you feed him? If only once, then this is not enough for a finicky Yorkie. Have you tried home cooking for your dogs and adding supplements and vitamins? He may just not like the food (are you using kibble? HOpe not) and maybe I cannot blame him.

*The lip quivering and low growl SOUNDS LIKE A DOMINANCE ISSUE. This is why I am suggesting that you feed them separately where Rocco cannot see the other dog. Make it a special time for him..just you and him.

*Do not worry "about sitting on the floor for the rest of your life" at this point. GET THIS DOG  EATING AND COMFORTABLE FIRST. You will not have sit there forever, believe me. Feed him alone with no perceived'threat' from the other dog and see what happens. Rocco may be RESOURCE GUARDING HIS PLATE and this is a SERIOUS BEHAVIOR that must be broken. Feeding him separately may diminish or even eliminate this behavior.

He may be resource guarding AND disliking what you are feeding him at the same time...A bad combo.

Let me know and try the above suggestions...PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW ROCCO DOES and do not discount the medical. I do believe he is resource guarding...sounds like it. But if he is so skinny then he obviously is finicky and doesn't like what you are feeding. You may HAVE TO CHANGE HIS FOOD OR HOME COOK. I can help you with either. Let me know, Sue

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the very long response! I was not expecting all of that. I got Rocco to eat a little tonight. I had to do a lot of "baby talk" and scratching his head and under his chin. It took him about 30 mins to eat a small bowl with 2 scoops of dog food.

I will try to feed him by himself, but he has a hard time eating when Rosie (the other dog) isn't in the room. It's almost like he wants her there, giving him pressure to eat.

Should I stop putting small treats in his bowl? Because at this point it seems like the only thing that gets him to eat.

We feed them hard food (twice a day) that we buy at the Pet store made specifically for Yorkies, called Royal Canine. Do you have suggestions of other foods that we could try to give him? What are the dog vitamins and supplements, and where can I find them?

And the answer to all your questions at the start is definitely 'no'. He only performs this behavior when he is eating. I really believe he is guarding it, and it makes sense when you say that Rosie is a threat to him.

Also, Rosie eats poop. Could this be a nutritional issue? Like I said before, she has a very big appetite but she still eats poop. Is there anything we can do about that?

Thanks again for all your help!
Lauren

Answer
Should I stop putting small treats in his bowl? Because at this point it seems like the only thing that gets him to eat. YES, STOP!! I BELIEVE I ANSWERED THIS IN LENGTH IN MY PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION. BUT BELOW, PLEASE LOOK FOR MY RESPONSES IN ALL CAPS, OK????

We feed them hard food (twice a day)--GET HIM OFF THIS STUFF AND LEARN ABOUT HOME COOKING AND SUPPLEMENTING, OK?-- that we buy at the Pet store made specifically for Yorkies--THIS FOOD IS TERRIBLE AND IS LIKE FEEDING YOUR DOG TWINKIES--TOO MANY INGREDIENTS AND ALL SYNTHETIC called Royal Canine--STOP THE ROYAL CANINE BUT STOP IT SLOWLY. Do you have suggestions of other foods that we could try to give him? What are the dog vitamins and supplements, and where can I find them? YES, YES AND YES. WRITE TO ME AT DAZZINDAAWG@AOL.COM AND I WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I DID FOR MY MALE, SICK YORKIE OVER TIME. AND NOW HE IS SOOOOOOO HEALTHY THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL WOMAN I FOUND WHO MENTORED ME ABOUT HIS DIET AND SUPPLEMENTS. WRITE TO ME PRIVATELY AND I WILL DEFINITELY GIVE YOU TONS OF INFO. PLEASE ID YOURSELF IN THE SUBJECT LINE IF YOU WRITE TO DAZZLINDAAWG SO I DON'T DELETE, OK??

And the answer to all your questions at the start is definitely 'no'. He only performs this behavior when he is eating. I really believe he is guarding it, and it makes sense when you say that Rosie is a threat to him. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS. HE MAY LOVE ROSIE TO DEATH AT ANY OTHER TIME BUT NOT AT MEALTIME. ONCE HE GOES INTO 'GUARD' MODE, IT WILL LOOK TO YOU LIKE HE IS NOT HUNGRY ETC..BUT THAT IS NOT IT AT ALL. SO FEEDING HIM SEPARATELY DOES NOT TAKE MUCH EFFORT AT ALL--JUST VARY HIS TIME BY FIVE MINUTES AND CHANGE HIS LOCATION...NOT HARD AT ALL. aND PUT ROSIE IN ANOTHER ROOM LOL

Also, Rosie eats poop. Could this be a nutritional issue? Like I said before, she has a very big appetite but she still eats poop. Is there anything we can do about that?
I WENT THRU THIS POOP BUSINESS MYSELF AND DECIDED TO JUST KEEP MY DOGS AWAY FROM IT. I TRAINED MY THREE SMALL DOGS TO GO OUTSIDE SO I DIDN'T HAVE A WEE WEE PAD ISSUE TO CONTEND WITH. I SUSPECT THAT YOU DO USE PADS AND THAT IS WHY THE POOP IS THERE FOR ROSIE TO EAT. IS IT NUTRITIONAL? SOME SAY 'YES',SOME SAY "NO" AND I AM NOT SURE. I JUST KNOW THAT MY TWO DOGS OUTGREW THIS DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR OVER TIME AND AFTER KEEPING THEM FROM GETTING INTO IT. CLEAN UP IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU SEE IT AND IF YOU ARE NOT HOME AND YOU KNOW THAT THE DOGS HAVEN'T POOPED THEN PERHAPS YOU WANT TO SEPARATE THEM WHEN YOU ARE GONE. IF YOU DON'T AND ONE POOPS THEN IT WILL GET EATEN.

LET ME HEAR FROM YOU AT DazzlinDaawg@aol.com. I will then give you my mentor's email and you will be in heaven with doggie help lol...ok?? Bye now, Susan

Thanks again for all your help!