Feeding Container Options

[Zena's Pet]

Zena has gone from behavioural problems to confused and dementia-like symptoms at times I've discussed it with the vet, and we're monitoring how she's doing, but I have a particular problem with feeding her, and wondered if anyone has any suggestions. She's developed a fear of taking her food from a dish (or plate). I've tried dishes of all sizes and materials, but I end up having to feed her by hand. The chicken and rice in gravy was very entertaining

I've considered using a kong, but she's always been lazy with them, and I usually end up having to scoop or bash the food out for her anyway, so that defeats the object. She won't take food from a spoon. I'm prepared to go and talk to the vet about syringing food into her mouth, but I'm looking at that as a last resort.

She isn't holding out for different or better food, and it's often the case that she is hungry but in these moods she will NOT take food from a dish, and appears to be genuinely frightened. In her worst state, I can't even have the dish too near her to take the food from by hand.

It doesn't help that Zena has been borderline underweight all her adult life - she has no reserve, so I do need to find a way to deal with this.

If anyone has any ideas at all, I'll be extremely grateful. Thank you

[celia]

Barney has recently become afraid of his bowls, on a stand ,after a toad may or may not have hopped nearby.
I have had to move the entire stand to another area of the kitchen.

Could she have had an incident ,obviously not with a toad like B, but something that worried her when eating or do you definitely reckon it is to do with dementia ?

Or could it be pain?

The other thing that came to mind was when B hurt his neck he was unable to stoop low down, hence the stand was introduced.
Could she have some stiffness in her neck due to age that is making your current bowl arrangements painful to use?

[Zena's Pet]

Thanks Celia. She's always had her bowl on a stand, originally in the kitchen, but we moved it to the sitting room a couple of years ago after she slipped in the kitchen and became very wary in there. There's been no specific incident to scare her, we've tried the stand in different places, we've taken the dish to her in different places but in her worst moods it seems to be fear of the dish itself. I've had her teeth checked, she had a full check-up last moth for her booster, and the vet described her as "physical perfection on four legs". She's just gone wonky in the head

We've already been through a stage where she wasn't afraid of the dish, but didn't seem to remember what to do with it. It definitely does seem to be dementia.

[Akitas]

Can you just scatter the food on the floor? or on a mat if it's a bit icky ... Practicality of that depends a bit on what you're feeding. I usually just scatter the food on the floor if it's kibble.

[nicola31]

As above I would have a go at scattering it, even in the garden, wet food aswell just put it out on the floor / garden and see how she does.

[Angel Fletcher]

I know it sounds silly, but she doesnt have a tag that rattles against the side of the dish? This used to panic one of my smaller dogs until we worked it out. We solved it by letting her eat her paltry servings out of a huge dish. Looks silly but she no longer gets frightened by her tag rattling the bowl.

This post has been edited by Angel Fletcher: 29th Mar 2012, 11:33 am

[Dalsmum]

You could try putting it on a flat tray on your lap.

[riotous_uk]

paper plate?

[Zena's Pet]

Thank you everyone

I've just come back from shopping and the dogs have gone out to their garden beds, so I scattered some bits of roast chicken around her and she's eaten those. Ianto managed to sneak some too , so it needs careful watching. He's supposed to be weight-watching. I've got an assortment of trays that I can try in the house, and I'm pretty sure I have some paper plates in a cupboard.

I'm not too keen on scattering food in the garden unless I can see it's all gone, as we do get rats pretty frequently.

A friend of mine has suggested that a large ladle might work for things like chicken and gravy. I'm going to give it a go, but I can see that ending in tears

If I can get food into her any way for a couple of days (this seems to go in a cycle of 4-5 days) then I can experiment a bit when she's back in a calmer state of mind.

She doesn't wear a tag in the house, so it's nothing knocking the dish when she's eating. We do know there's a problem with noise or movement while she eats, so everyone has to sit still and quiet at those times. Tis not an easy life at present.

Thank you all again

[Akitas]

I'm not too keen on scattering food in the garden unless I can see it's all gone, as we do get rats pretty frequently.

Could you scatter it on a blanket? That's easy to see what is and isn't eaten and to clean up the bits. Or you could send Ianto out after she's done to clean up, sounds like he'd be happy to assist

[Zena's Pet]

Could you scatter it on a blanket? That's easy to see what is and isn't eaten and to clean up the bits. Or you could send Ianto out after she's done to clean up, sounds like he'd be happy to assist

Stoppit Ianto is half lab, so he can't help his food dependency. Tis genetic

Zena has now scooped up a crumbled-up slice of corned beef She looked so grateful, bless her, not just because she's clearly hungry, but because there was no scary dish. I dug an old sheet out to throw down on the patio, and I have 2 or 3 I can use for this.

Bought them a treat at the butchers - breast of lamb, rolled and stuffed with kidney. Will cut hers into chunks and scatter, so I'm keeping everything crossed. Ianto will have his under lock and key indoors

[celia]

Glad to hear Zena is eating again

Now if you can just advise me how to convince Barney that there is not a plague of toads in my kitchen............................

[Zena's Pet]

Glad to hear Zena is eating again

Now if you can just advise me how to convince Barney that there is not a plague of toads in my kitchen............................

Sorry, I wish I could help! I could try sending you the plague of wasps I'm suffering with at the moment and see if that takes his mind off the toads? Maybe not

[celia]

No no no

[HoopZ]

A friend of mine has a dog that won't eat from a bowl and tried loads of different bowls, tea trays etc.
She now uses a boot tray similar to this and it seems to have worked.