Dog won't Eat

[Mazzy's Daddy]

We just adopted a dog from the local shelter. She is about a year and a half old. Since we brought her home, she has had very little to eat or drink. She is a pretty small dog (Corgi Mix). She has only eaten about a cup of food since we brought her home. We have been giving her dry food and she is not really interested in it or dog treats. Any suggestions on how to get her to eat?

[JMM]

How long has she been home? Has she been checked by the vet yet?

[Mazzy's Daddy]

We got her on Saturday. We are scheduled to take her to the vet tomorrow.

[Marty]

You might try adding a bit of cottage cheese or plain yogurt to her food. With all the changes in her life recently, it will take some time for her to feel at home. And thank you for giving her a new home! We would love to see a picture!

[JMM]

She is probably still unsure of her surroundings. Adding bland extras like Marty suggested is a good idea. Do you know what the shelter was feeding her before?

[Mazzy's Daddy]

She was on a dry food at the shelter. The shelter gave us 2 bags when we adopted her. I would assume it is the same brand.

[k9Karen]

They may have been feeding her, but do you know if she was eating?

Some thoughts:

Very likely, she is confused and upset and things will improve as soon as she gets used to her new surroundings.

other possibilities:
She is fussy and doesn't like the food
She has some problems with her teeth, throat, and/or gums, and dry food hurts.

Does she show any interest in food? When you are eating, is she interested in what you are eating? Begging? If she is showing interest, she is hungry, but for some reason doesn't want the food you are offering. I adopted a sheltie about a year ago, and was given some of the food she was supposedly eating. I got her from a very good home, and she was very well taken care of. I could tell she was loved, but they could no longer keep her and it hurt her owner to give her up. Foxy would not eat the food they gave me. She showed extreme interest in the food I was feeding my other two dogs, but would not eat the food I was told she was used to. I started feeding her the same food my other dogs ate, and she ate with gusto. Maybe it's just that she doesn't like that food.

Let us know what the vet says and how this all turns out. Good luck!

[Mazzy's Daddy]

The vet visit went well. He said she was in good shape and a good weight. She has started eating and drinking more. I think she is just getting used to her environment. Now, if we could just work on some obedience.