# How many days is ok to go without eating??



## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Today is day 4 of offering Avery rabbit and he has no interest in it. He's had ground rabbit before, this is whole prey and he won't touch it.

He has never ever refused anything I've offered. So my question is how many days should I go before offering him something different??


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

I don't do much of the "tough love" stuff with my Shiba since if he don't eat, he loses weight. And, he's a stubborn jerk, he'll go more than 8 days without eating. If he don't want it, there is NOTHING that will make him eat it, I've discovered.

Anywho, a week max is what I'd stop at and feed something else for a couple days, then feed nothing for a day, then try the rabbit again.


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## twoisplenty (Nov 12, 2008)

I wouldnt let him go any more days. I am not a fan of the eat or starve method. If I offer something and they dont eat it, then I offer something else the next day and try that meat another week.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

I only made it two days trying to force my old girl to eat whole rabbit. I'm a sucker and it's not really a huge deal to me, the other two will eat it so it's not going to waste, it's not a large part of their diet anyways and the only thing she's refused, she just hates the fur, if it's skinned it's just fine. I know people have gone 5-6 days but I couldn't.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Ive let my dogs go up to 6 days without eating...at that point he decided to eat!:wink: But Im not a give in kind of mom!LOL 

Are you trying to feed it with the fur as well? That can be a HUGE step for some/most dogs, and if so then I probably would be skinning it if he decided to take longer then 6 days to eat.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

It's skinned and I cut it in half, so it's just the butt end.


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## shellbell (Sep 24, 2011)

I don't know, if rabbit is the only thing he refuses to eat, I would just figure he doesn't like rabbit and move on. I do know of some dogs who would literally starve themselves before eating, one of them is a Great Pyr.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I just did tough love with all my dogs and emu. They went 4.5 days without eating before they "gave in" and I hated every second of it. BUT I'm glad I stuck it out because now they eat it without issue and I've got 100s of pounds of this high quality meat in my freezers. 

As long as dogs are healthy, large enough and have no reason medically they cannot go without food....dogs can go a while without eating without real damage being done. Of course dogs are going to drop weight when you use tough love, but that isn't going to cause damage to the body as long as you don't take it to the true extreme to where dogs would be emaciated which would take weeks for a healthy dog. The longest I've seen a dog go is 10 days without food. 

A lot of things can influence how long tough love takes to work. I expect my dogs to grab their meat and go to town on it. I don't give them even 2 minutes to think it over. If they don't eagerly take it from me (politely of course) and immediately start eating it....they don't eat. I've found the longer I've given them to eat it (like 10-15 minutes) is just too long and they don't "get it" that they need to eat. It just gives them longer to not make the right choice. I also handle this whole situation totally nonchalant, not a big deal, I don't say anything even though inside I'm cursing them for not eating! I'm positive its harder on me than it is on them :frown: 

How long are you giving as an opportunity to eat? Are you coaxing at all?


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Mine have gone 5 days and I would go longer. Giving in to them only creates a pickier eater so you are doing both of you a favor.

Have you tried feeding it frozen? Gunner will only eat duck if its frozen and Sprocket will eat liver if it frozen.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

try chunking it into decent sized hunks then mix parts of it with somthing he willingly eats, thats what i do if they dont eat somthing for so long


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Day 1: he got a rabbit furred in the backyard and I walked inside.

Day 2: I skinned it and gave it to him in his cage. No interest. So I cut it in half and gave it back, he ate the intestines..while I watched. I walked away an left him with it for a bit...

Day 3: Thawed skinned rabbit placed in crate. He whined and barked and growled to come out of the crate...I of course waited until he was quiet to let him out...

Day 4: place now frozen bottom half of bunny in cage and walked away...he started whining almost immediately...


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I would stick with it if I were in your shoes. I'd take it right back up if he doesn't immediately seem intent on at least trying to eat it.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Today is day number 6..he's still refusing to eat. I don't if I can take much more!!!


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

It is hard  but worth it!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

lauren43 said:


> Today is day number 6..he's still refusing to eat. I don't if I can take much more!!!


Dang....He's giving you serious stubborn knucklehead. Keep a close eye on him. If he's acting anything other than normal I'd give in and go ahead and give him his least favorite meal.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Is he getting ANYTHING else? Good bye treats? Bully sticks? Anything? :tinfoil3:


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## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

Scarlett_O' said:


> Is he getting ANYTHING else? Good bye treats? Bully sticks? Anything? :tinfoil3:


This is what I was thinking (glad I read the rest of the thread). It's a lot easier to turn down food if you're getting snacks elsewhere.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I gave in on day 7 (I'm weak, I know). It's too hard to put weight back on him and i could see some weight loss. The addition of food did not go over well, talk about explosive diarrhea! I'm going to try it again but I'll go about it differently.

I think I'm going to try a different rabbit, skin it before he's anywhere near it and freeze it with some beef heart (which he loves) and see how that works...I know if I can get him to bite into it he should eat the whole thing (in theory)..


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## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

When I introduce new proteins, I always start with a small piece and increase the size as time goes on. Now, I do this mostly so we don't have digestive issues that tend to accompany with new pieces but I'm thinking it also helps so he's not refusing anything. I've never had a problem with him refusing a meal.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I've never had him refuse a meal either and technically this isn't his first time with rabbit.

And for the most part he has a iron gut so at this point I can start him on anything new without tummy issues..


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## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

Bentley is fine with some things, and not with others. It's always hit or miss. So I just start slow with everything. Hopefully you'll have better luck in the future.


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