# Here we go again



## jbh06751 (May 16, 2014)

Is this normal for a picky eater? My fluff eats home cooked chicken and rice with peas and and most nights digs in like he hasn't eaten in a month and then all of a sudden, like tonight, refuses to eat. This happens once or twice a week, every week.
I tried to feed twice daily but when he refused breakfast every single day we got into a routine of a few filling healthy snacks in the morning and one good sized evening meal. I take up his food after an hour and wait few more hours before giving him a couple of treats on the nights he refuses food. He gets things like sweet potato chews, gluten free biscuits, just a couple, to keep his blood sugar up and avoid early morning bile vomiting from being empty.
Do some Maltese do this as a normal thing? He tends to hork up bile when his stomach is empty but I can't force food down his throat. 
He's a normal weight, playful, not acting sick or different in any way. He will refuse food one or two nights in a row then eat like crazy. I'm used to dogs who eat whatever I put down but this guy has me stumped on how to make him eat on a regular schedule.


----------



## Mallen600 (Oct 27, 2012)

Henry is a weird eater. As a puppy he wouldn't eat regularly when we fed him - so we went with free feeding. He eats a small amount of food twice a day most days, but sometimes he will eat a small amount or nothing at all. He usually eats the next day just fine. My parents have a Jack Russell that will sometimes go two days without eating for no reason. Some fluffs just aren't natural pigs I guess.


----------



## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

My dog is a picky eater also. He will not eat treats. He is never hungry in the morning & never eats all day even if food is left out. I usually don't feed him until 8:30pm. Even then it might sit there 2 hours before he eats it. Today he had a snack of apple pieces.


----------



## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

Oh forgot to add if there are visiting dogs he will eat right away & whenever it is offered 😳pack mentality I guess.


----------



## Lou's Mom (Apr 8, 2014)

Lou and Nola were like that - I had always done the free feed with them, they ate when they were hungry. Some days more than others. Once Dallas the little piggie came along I had to change to twice a day feedings because she will eat until there's nothing left. Lou and Nola continue to be picky and not eat sometimes - I pick up the bowls if they choose not to eat, wait a while and offer it again. I will watch them carefully on the days they don't eat just to ensure there's nothing else going on. I also rotate their food - two varieties of Fromm's and two S&C so that helps with them not getting bored with the same food everyday. Good luck, it is frustrating, isn't it?


----------



## jbh06751 (May 16, 2014)

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this. I can't leave food out all day because my other dog is a Beagle who waits to finish any crumbs Max might leave in his bowl. She's voracious and would eat until she bursts. And, she'll eat anything, not fussy at all.
Max recently spent 9 nights at a pet sitter's house and ate just fine. She feeds all the dogs in crates and was surprised that I asked he how he ate while he was there. She said just fine so I'm sure pack mentality played a part there. When he first came home he wouldn't eat so I got out a crate and voila, he ate. Now I just leave it in there with the door open and he may or may not go in to eat.
Yes. they can be frustrating at feeding time but at least I know he's not the only one!


----------



## Lou's Mom (Apr 8, 2014)

You might want to consider cutting back on the treats a little though as that might encourage him to eat the real food. I totally understand why but their tummies are small and if I could wait it out and get a cookie instead of real food, I'd do it too! Lol! Or maybe hide the treat in the kibble to get him to eat. But he may be like mine, pull all the food out until they find the treat!


----------



## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

You're not alone! Emma will occasionally skip a meal too. I used to get worried but I don't stress about it too much now. As long as she eats her other meal (I feed her twice a day, breakfast and dinner) and is acting normal, I don't worry.


----------



## rasgari (Feb 25, 2014)

Bumping this..currently going through the same situation. Lily is such a picky eater that even the S&C beef patties or primal raw beef is a no go for her. Princess only wants cooked chicken. As far as kibble she only eats 3-5 pieces during each meal...she spits out the rest on the floor... I'm going to switch proteins (which I always feel like I doing) once again, if that doesn't work then I have no idea what to do!


----------

