I can't seem to get my cavalier to eat!!!

[jewelz2390]

I have two Cavaliers (one girl named Ginger and one boy named George). Ginger always eats fine, and sometimes a little too much, so she is on a diet. However, we can't seem to get George to eat. We have tried all types of food, and he seems to like it at first, but then stops eating. He likes Ginger's food, but I don't think he should be eating it because she is on a diet and he is so thin. Because Ginger is "the boss" we wonder if he is feeling scared to eat. Does anyone know of any special tricks, types of food, or any solution to my problem? How do I get him to eat?!?!

[Canis-Lupess]

By continuously changing his food and trying something tastier, you are actually teaching him to become faddy. He'll turn his nose up at perfectly good food just to try and get attention or get you to try and ply him with something tastier. I suspect he's also doing it for attention. He gets given a new food and he eats it and then, satisfied that he's eating, you leave him alone rather than fussing about trying to get him to eat it. After a few days, he starts turning his nose up again in order to get that attention from you again because eating to food means he gets ignored. The solution...to stop rewarding him for not eating. Ignore him and just take the food up if he hasn't eaten it within a certain time.

Stick with the same food, feed him away from the other dog maybe and don't offer him anything else. No dog is going to starve itself to death and he'll get so hungry, he'll start eating whatever is available. Dogs don't taste as well as we do and it is in their nature to take advantage of any food source they come across. It isn't natural to be faddy, thats a learned behaviour that they get from their humans.
Don't leave his food down either. Give him 10 mins max in order to eat it and, if he doesn't, take it up and make him wait until his next meal.
Offering 2 or 3 smaller meals a day might help rather than just once....depending on how often he's fed in a day anyway.

[jewelz2390]

I was thinking it was that. And I am pretty sure it is. But he will literally go for weeks without eating and it really scares me. Ill try being a little firmer.

[Karen]

He must be getting some food - unless someone is spoiling him with treats, no dog that small could eat nothing for weeks and survive. As she suggested, pick a food and stick with it, and elminate "between meal snacks" as well, until he gets back on a regular schedule of eating. It'll be tempting to sneak him tidbits here and there, but that he eats his own food is more important. Nerves of steel - that's what it may take. I know those big brown eyes will try to melt your heart ... but if he's been vetted recently and is otherwise healthy, you know what to do!

[critter crazy]

Have you taken him to a vet recently?? I only ask because my MIL has a CKCS and he was recently diagnosed with a intestinal problem, and has to be on a special diet. Just a thought.