Chance WILL starve himself..........

[Des11]

Hi All

I hope all have been doing well over the past several months.

Chance will be 2 in March and thanks to the great advise I got from this board he has really realy fit in to our family structure.

Perhaps too much though.

There have been times that I needed to travel and need to board Chance.

I was sending him back to the breeder that I bought him from, where he did need encourgagement to eat at times but he still would end up eating some. Well, the last time I boarded him there he was TETRIFED of the woman. Hence, he has not been back.

I than tried a local kennel where he stayed for a week where he literally starved himself and when I picked him up he looked like one of those poor dogs on the cans asking for donations. He lost at least 30 pounds and was just over 60 when I took him there. OK, well he has not been back there either. I had my mom call everyday and they ensured her that he was fine and than the day before I pick him up, the OWNER takes him to the doctor for treatment and stick me with the bill. No big deal, but like I said, I had my mother calling everyday. She would have come and got him, if we realized that Chance was not eating at all.

Next trip I tried to his doctors office, only for a weekend trip. Well he did not eat there either and lost a lot of weight even in that short time.

OK, my final trip, I took him to my cousins house whom Chance knows very well because they all lived with me once and Chance still hangs out with them.

Do you know he had the nerve to starve himself there too. He would only drink and did a lot of whining. He would not even eat the treats the kids were giving him.

By the 3rd day, they took Chance back to my house and he ATE IMMEDIATELY!!

He really needs to be in his environment I guess.

Have any of you experienced this. I would literally have to pay someone to care for Chance while he STAYS HOME when I am gone. Luckily my cousin loves him dearly and has offered to move their family to my house for the next babysitting need.

 

[cashisking]

I don't have any advise for you, but I can say that Cassuis will not eat either when we are away, or even when he is with us in a strange environment. not even a can of tasty Salmon could tempt him last time. I too get worried about his eating habits while he is in strange environments. I just try not to travel and if I have to, I try to get someone to stay with him at the house. Our babies are so sensitive, and sometimes I think they know exactly how to guilt us into getting what they want..

Best of Luck to you

Jenn and Cash

 

[Debbie Magon]

Boxers are notorious for not eating while away.
My dogs will often not eat for the first day while we are at a show but are usually fine the second day.
Have you thought about re training him?

Try feeding him yourself at the home of the next babysitters.
Go there once or twice a week and feed him his supper there.
Then get the family involved etc.
It might not work when you actually go away but its worth a try.

 

[Des11]

Debbie

That is sucg a good idea. I will try taking him there for a feeding a few times.

cash............................glad to know that I am not alone.

It is so stressful when you are away for what ever reason, this one was a funeral, and my fur child is in a good environment but still chooses to starve himself. He did drink, but would not eat.

Blows my mind.

 

[binky]

Originally posted by Debbie Magon
Boxers are notorious for not eating while away......

Brings back memories of when I was younger. At the age of 12 or so, we would always bring our boxer with us when we went visiting over the weekend, etc. She was a good traveler, rode in the car with no problem. However, she would not eat. No matter what we would do. She was "my" dog basically, and even with me there, trying to hand feed her, nope..

Funny, funny dogs they are!

 

[harley03]

Harley is the same way. I went home for Christmas (3 weeks) and he refused to eat his kibble. I mixed it with yogart, broth, egg, jam, etc, etc, etc. All his favorites. He would only eat what my grandfather or grandmother was eating and they would have to hand feed him. He lost about 3-4 lbs in those 3 weeks (not a lot I know but at only 9 months old then I still expect him to be gaining, not losing).
Since Christmas I switched him to Barf (he would no longer touch kibble) and he hasn't missed a meal since.
He is such a spoiled little brat :p .

 

[sashamom]

My little angel is similiar but not as extreme....She has a babysitter who has a fenced in backyard and 3 labs to play with....between the separation anxiety(she is hardly ever alone as one of us is always home)....but she played like crazy and ran around all day........she lost almost 10 pounds....on a 45 pound boxer..that is alot...we had only been gone one week...and you could count ALL her ribs and her hip bones were protuding
Taken a whole month to put the weight back on her....Sasha is so spoiled that when we leave and put her in the crate(which is no more that twice a month) we put a kong filled with peanut butter....her absolute favorite...and she will not eat it until we come back home!! Makes us feel SO bad!!
I would take the cousin up on the offer.....how lucky you are to have that option!!
Sasha, Telmar and Lisa

 

[basak]

I hope you can solve this problem in no time

Krose doesn't care if I am in Alaska, he usually stays with his grandmother where he gets spoiled like there is no tomorrow:rolleyes: He eats just fine. It's the sleeping though......

He does not sleep at nights. It's like a guarding thing. Not one blink of an eye. I know, because once I got home very very late to pick him up and there he was, sitting in the middle of the room and looking out of the window. I stayed there for 5 minutes, he didn't see me and he didn't move!!!! Of course the next day, all hell can break loose, he will snoring away

weird dogs I say!

basak