[Dailydrool] Bassets who won't eat

[dpmcquade at verizon.net]

Our Belvedere refused to eat for three days whenever we went away on vacation. Every time I'd get a call from his caregiver on the second day, asking what to do. By day three, he invariably decided we were not worth starving for and ate again. A few days' worth of not eating may be no big thing.

But not all food refusal is so benign. Every spring, Jane would refuse her kibble, and I would go on a search for a newer, tastier one. This year, I tried four different brands and was running out of new possibilities when I took her to the vet's. After testing, we discovered she had kidney issues, which make a dog's stomach upset, so it won't eat. When that was cleared up and she still wouldn't eat, we learned she had pancreatic cancer. So don't completely wave aside the need for care if a dog isn't eating. Jane showed no other signs of illness initially.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets