# Papillon on hunger strike!



## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

Help! My papillon, 11 months old, has been gradually eating less and less. She pretty much refuses to eat chicken or eggs. Will eat small amounts of beef. I tried some sweetbreads which my two other dogs absolutely loved and she just spit them out.
She did eat some cooked chicken gizzards and hearts the other night. Last night she ate about half a serving of pork heart, her first taste of this food. (god does that smell awful!)
I've tried parmesan cheese with no luck! She seems to feel well, very playful but I'm wanting to show her and she's gotten too thin. I've been trying to feed her 3% of her weight, meat for 2-3 out of four meals. She hasn't eaten enough liver, finally figured out that she will eat it seared so she'll start getting her liver down now.
Any hints on getting her to eat, besides searing every single meal? The chihuahua eats pretty well, although I have to cut everything pretty small, I think his teeth cause him some issues, he's nearly thirteen and I'm not getting them cleaned because he had severe hepatitis two years ago. The Doberman is a garbage disposal, except for liver.
They've been on raw for about four months.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

with a picky eater, i'd go back to the beginning and start over.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Well, I'd stop searing everything and adding Parmesan cheese every time she doesn't eat. She's very quickly training you to add whatever she wants to her food, and its going to be a downward spiral if you don't nip it in the bud. I know its hard to watch them not eat, but tough love is better in this situation- you don't want to deal with a dog who eventually won't eat anything at all without increasingly more complicated toppings. 

Start out with one protein and stick with it for a while. Give her her own area (like a crate or bedroom) and give her 15 minutes to eat. If she doesn't eat, it goes back in the fridge and she gets NOTHING else until the next meal, which is what she refused to eat. You need to crack down on her before she starts refusing anything.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i've read on other forums that papillons are the pickiest eaters....i don't know if that's true, but certainly savage destiny hit upon some real important points....and the one thing we never want to do is be part of creating a picky eater....

we have to be smarter than the dog....hard because of those eyes, that look.....and trust me, i swear they stand in front of a mirror working on that look to melt you and wear you down.

i'd go back to chicken for a few weeks....

and, ya know how there are people who are simple meat and potato kind of folks?

well, maybe your pap is a simple eater and doesn't want sweetbreads.....maybe she really is just a chicken, beef, pork, and fish eater....: ) and tiny bits of liver (lamb is gentle) and kidney)


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## tracydr (Feb 25, 2011)

I'm a little worried that this is more than being picky. She's always been picky, but now she's not even eating her very favorites, like steak. If it continues, I may just take her in for some blood work. A lot of young dogs around here get Valley Fever and it doesn't always come with a cough.
Could it have something to do with her season? This started right after her first season. I'm positive shes not pregnant!


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Definitely don't give into her pickiness. My chihuahua Zoey had a picky streak, and wasn't eating, so she got the same meat for every meal until she ate it (same chunk of meat, I would put in ziploc and back in the fridge), if she didn't eat she went hungry, I would leave it out for 15 min, and if she didn't eat, she didn't eat. It took a few weeks of doing this, but now she inhales everything. She wanted smaller pieces, so I was cutting them up into tiny chunks etc.....then I'm like "WTH am I doing..." so I just give it as is (1oz chunks) and if she doesn't eat it, she goes hungry. Now she inhales EVERYTHING, she hasn't missed a meal in several months. I still do have to sear her organs or grind them up in other meat to get her to eat them raw, but sometimes you just have to do that. How long ago was her season? Some dogs generally don't eat well during/after a season.


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## SilverBeat (Jan 16, 2011)

I agree with the others. Give her a little tough love. If you are really concerned you should be consulting your vet.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

well, when i'm in season, i tend to have cravings...so i would imagine a dog would , too....

if she's never had blood work, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get a senior panel done for a baseline for the future.....

but is it possible and i say this with absolute kindness....that you're kind of a worrier and that's rubbing off on the little girl?

they are delicate looking little kids, but from what i have heard from friends who have them, they are more stubborn than pugs and that's saying something : )


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