Dog stopped eating (from bowl)

[lindsey35atl]

It’s a bit of an odd situation so I would like other peoples perspective on it. I’ll try to explain it in as much relevant detail as possible.

I have 2 dogs, Z & P. Z has always been crazy for food so I got her one of those plastic slowfeeder bowls about a year or 2 ago. P has always eaten from a metal bowl. They eat together in the kitchen, with enough space between them so they won’t bother each other.

Now about 2 months ago Z stopped wanting to eat from this bowl so I swapped it for a metal one. About 1 month ago she stopped wanting to eat from that one.

I’ve checked her teeth, mouth, all of it and nothing seems to be wrong. That combined with the other info down below makes me think it’s behavioural so I haven’t gone to the vet yet.

They never ate the same kibble constantly because they get bored of it so I mix it up sometimes. It was always supermarket brands and I know that’s not great so I now use tailored food from tails.com
If you don’t know this brand: they make food specifically for the breed/size/health of your dog.

She loved this at first (it’s much better quality than the previous kibble) but then stopped eating it. When I give her dog snacks or chicken, she does eat it BUT not with the same crazy enthusiasm as before, much more calmly and hesitantly. I don’t recall any fight happening between the dogs (over food) which would make her scared to eat next to P. She displays the same behaviour with the snacks or chicken when P is in a different room.

Things I’ve tried:

• feed her by herself in the kitchen, P in a different room. The new kibble in the metal bowl. She won’t eat it.
• feed her in a different room by herself. The new kibble in the metal bowl, she won’t eat it.
• add salmon oil, she won’t eat the kibble from the metal bowl.
• mix it with meat such as chicken and with Christmas she got lamb. She will eat everything including the kibble and from the metal bowl.
• and this is where it gets confusing to me, because I thought she just doesn’t like this kibble. She does eat it if I hand feed her! And quite happily as well. Next to the other dog, no problem at all.

Could it be the bowl? I also don’t understand why she lost her enthusiasm for the food. I mean, it was too much before (hence the slow feeder) but this seems weird.
I might try buying her a ceramic bowl. Any advice is welcome!

 

[rclraptor]

@lindsey35atl Try a paper plate or a ceramic bowl, sometimes if they have collars with tags, they don’t like the sound. You can also try a puzzle toy to fit her meal in, maybe she’s bored with the bowl?

 

[lindsey35atl]

@rclraptor I’ve got 2 food puzzles and she does eat chicken and treats out of them so I tried the kibble once, she ate it, but next time she didn’t. I’m buying a ceramic bowl today. It just seems so strange to me that she’s willing to eat other things from that metal bowl but not the kibble

 

[rmarie2020]

@lindsey35atl Have you tried feeding her in the slow feeder again? Both next to your other dog and in a separate room? I have heard that some dogs don't like the sound of their tags hitting the metal bowl or how shiny it is.

 

[lindsey35atl]

@rmarie2020 Yes she refuses the slow feeder