Having trouble getting your basenji to eat their food?

[sky]

Hi i have a brown basenji dog for 4 months but i have a huge problem, i cant get him to eat.He is so skinny and weight 20.1 kg. I have tried everything but he still dont want to eat. My other 2 dogs are doing fine with there eating habits it is just Nano thet doesn't want to eat.Is there anyone who can help me because i tried many dog food and i even gave him cooked meat aswell but NO, he just walk away.The vet say thet there is nothing wrong with him and he is in goog health i should just tried to get him to eat.

[etzbseder]

Are you sure it's a basenji? 20.1kg is too heavy for a basenji. Medjai is a light basenji (also a little short) and he only weighs about 8.1kg. I think standard for a male should be about 11.3kg.

He will eat if he's hungry enough, just do the best you can with picking something he'll like based on what the rest like and he'll eat it in time. If the vet says that nothing's wrong, go with it. It'd help if you could post pictures.

[wizard]

Do you leave the food out all day or only make it available at certain times?
If Nano doesn't want to eat, take the food away until the next meal. He'll eat when he's hungry.

[nobarkus]

Dogs can get bored eating the same thing everyday like people. Add a little something different here and there. Not a drastic change. It's better for them anyway not to feed the same food year after year.

[etzbseder]

Year after year? Medjai gets new food every time I have to get him a new bag. Sometimes it's just a new variety of the same stuff, but sometimes it's a change in brand too. I just got him Taste of the Wild (the fish version) to replace his grain-free canidae which was the last one of them for him to have after switching around the canidaes.

[tanza]

I agree that it is good to switch around the food…

[jonny b.]

try mixing in a little peanut butter. Yum.
or try putting a teaspoon of plain yogurt in with the food.

[basenji_fan]

little warm baby food works too, it doesn't have any added sugars or salts and is good for them and they LOVE it, makes nice little gravy/sauce for them

[sky]

Yes i'm sure it is a basenji, but it is not the short one he has long legs and is light brown and white.The reason why i said he doesn't want to eat or do not eat enough is that i can see his ribs and backbones and the vet also said that he is to thin. I don't have pictures of him right now but i will take pictures of Nano and post it so that you can see why i say he is thin.Thanks so much for your reply.

[sky]

Yes, there is always food available for my dogs, they eat when they are hungry.Maybe i should try giving them food only in mornings and in the evenings and see if that helps.

[sky]

That is fair enough but my other two dogs, a BOXER and a JACK RUSSEL eat the same food for almost over two years now and they are still doing graet.Now and then they will get a bone or dinner food aswell as NANO but NANo will eat it but not eat his pellets, WHY. Is it because he knows there is other food and so thats why he dont want to eat his pellet so that he would get my attention to give him the left over dinner, ex. rice or vegetables and meat.I am cluelless with this dog and i love him so much.

[sky]

Peanutbutter you say.I have never tried it but what about my other two dogs, the eat their pellets.If i give NANO this won't he would never learn to eat his pellets because everytime he dont whant to eat he knows that i will give him something else, and isn't that wrong. Dogs should be able to eat pellet and now and then a bone here and there abd maybe the left over of dinner but not everytime, they will get used to eat left overs and not eat their pellets?

[sky]

NANO is almost a year old. Friends of ours gave him to us because he was nauty and always jumping over fences, but since he stayed with us he still tries to get out but that problem has beeb fixed the only problem left is the food. I dont want to give him everytime something else to eat because they are going to get used to not eat their pellets because he know if he doesn't eat i will give him something better. MY other two dogs eat the same pellets for over two years now and they still love it, sometimes they all get a bone after a braai but not everyday.

[wizard]

I think you misunderstood - keep feeding Nano the pellets but occasionally mix in the other suggested food items. And feeding him at regular times instead of leaving the food available all day is better.

[Maya]

I almost wish i had that problem with Maya she will eat anything and everthing. I regularly find her IN the bags of dog food helping herself. She is a little pig.

I had a pug who was a terribly fussy eater as a baby. Breeder said she definately will eat sooner or later, keep offering her a bowl of food etc etc etc. After about FIVE days of her eating nothing i had to start hand feeding her cooked chicken!! She is also a little pig now. Its so worrying when they are so fussy though.

I've yet to have a dog that doesnt like the raw food though

[Elscodobermann]

@Maya:

I've yet to have a dog that doesnt like the raw food though

Unfortunately i did. I used to feed flank of lamb (before the Mad Cow crisis which put Lamb prices through the roof). One of my dobe boys used to grab his flank of lamb, run to the bottom of the garden, i presumed it was to eat in peace - but he would leave it for the girls to find - took me a few weeks to find out why he was losing weight and they were gaining.

[dash]

@sky:

NANO is almost a year old. Friends of ours gave him to us because he was nauty and always jumping over fences, but since he stayed with us he still tries to get out but that problem has beeb fixed the only problem left is the food. I dont want to give him everytime something else to eat because they are going to get used to not eat their pellets because he know if he doesn't eat i will give him something better. MY other two dogs eat the same pellets for over two years now and they still love it, sometimes they all get a bone after a braai but not everyday.

First, check his teeth. The vet should have done that but if not check yourself. One may be absessed or something else may be wrong. You could also go to a different vet and get a second opinion. Did the vet think he was too thin?

I personally do not change my dogs food, but I will add bonus treats to it. My dog loves green peppers, sour cream, gravy etc. If you didn't want to add a topper to his current food, you could try just adding hot water. That will give it some flavor.

You could also try feeding him in his crate. Maybe he feels threatened by the other dogs.

[tanza]

I think that "free" feeding is a mistake to anyone that does it. (In my opinion and in 99% of the cases)
It is best to develope good eating habits by giving them a certain amount of time to eat and when that passes, its gone. Also that they all are fed separate in a crate or in different places so that they can all "eat" in peace….

What food are you using?

[JazzysMom]

First of all, not all dogs like the same food and your Nano may just not care for the food.

On occasion Jazz will refuse to eat for a day or so. I will flavor up her food then – a little broth or egg or cottage cheese, whatever I have handy -- just a bit. I can do that for a meal or two and she'll eat okay, then I cut out the flavoring and she eats her kibble just fine.

[JazzysMom]

@etzbseder:

Are you sure it's a basenji? 20.1kg is too heavy for a basenji. Medjai is a light basenji (also a little short) and he only weighs about 8.1kg. I think standard for a male should be about 11.3kg.

He will eat if he's hungry enough, just do the best you can with picking something he'll like based on what the rest like and he'll eat it in time. If the vet says that nothing's wrong, go with it. It'd help if you could post pictures.

Yeah, that does sound HUGE….like almost double the accepted weight for a male Basenji. Must be a mix with something. Can't wait to see pictures.