Border Terrier not eating

Rasputin

Well-Known Member
My border is 9 and refuses to eat. I have never seen anything like it to be honest. He's always been iffy around food since he was a pup just eating a small bit that he wants then meandering off bored. He's also the only dog I have ever known who refuses raw meat and any form of treats. Had him to the vets and the vet says this is fairly common in borders and all his bloods and teeth are fine. Its actually getting quite stressful for us as he will go sometimes 2/3 days without eating. He's a small border so you can literally see him wasting away.

Anyone else have a fussy eating one? Debating wether to get a second veterinary opinion.
 
My border is 9 and refuses to eat. I have never seen anything like it to be honest. He's always been iffy around food since he was a pup just eating a small bit that he wants then meandering off bored. He's also the only dog I have ever known who refuses raw meat and any form of treats. Had him to the vets and the vet says this is fairly common in borders and all his bloods and teeth are fine. Its actually getting quite stressful for us as he will go sometimes 2/3 days without eating. He's a small border so you can literally see him wasting away.

Anyone else have a fussy eating one? Debating wether to get a second veterinary opinion.
Hi Rasputin just read about you problem with your Border Terrier,there's an article in Sporting Gun (May 2018)that could help you out.(PGSD)paroxysmal gluten-sensitive dyskinesia if you want to Google it.Good luck :tiphat:
 
Hi Rasputin

My Border is the same. She is very fussy about her food but normally will eat a meal a day, longest she has gone is three day. My vet also said not to worry as very common for the breed apparently.

I also just looked up
paroxysmal gluten-sensitive dyskinesia
, its actually what my dog went to the vets for 4 weeks ago as every 5 or 6 weeks she was walking around with very tensed back and stomach muscles. She also had extremely loud gurgles and noises from her stomach. The vet told me not to give here ANY food with wheat in it or cheap crappy biscuits that contain it....her favourite was gravy bones which are a prime culprit for this.

The trouble is if you look at the pack of just about every pet shop feed for dogs the have dire ingredients. If you look at most foods it is the first three ingredients that will normally tell you the quality of the product. The three to look out for which are bad for dogs are ...No cereal, No Meat meal and No animal derivatives or by products...What ever the latter three are! Another ploy the feed makers use is wording such as 'chicken meal' as opposed to chicken, clever wording for cheap products.

Any food should have a high genuine meat product.

I tried raw but she wouldn't eat it and she also contracted Campylobacter and E Coli, all in one it which really knocked her for six.

These links will give you excellent advice and let you know the foods. Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor — Dog Food Reviews and Ratings and https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/

My partner did a lot research about foods as we needed to get everything right for my dog. Our only mistake was to find a good food but we neglected to stop the gravy bone treats, now they have been removed all seems well.

It could be the same with your dog.

Hope all goes well.
 
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Thanks for the heads up will check it out. He already has a quality food with high meat content but he even just refuses cooked chicken for God’s. Have you ever heard anything so insane a dog not eating chicken. Little bugger.
 
This is literally Jack to a Tee

Involuntary movement of one or 
more limbs. Frequently looks like his back legs spasm.
Severe abnormal movement leading 
to collapse. Strains so hard to go to the loo you can see him shaking
Gastro-intestinal upset, either between or during episodes. Frequently upset stomach
Staring into space. Just stares aimlessly at things
Lip licking. Frequent
Arching of the back and tensing of the abdominal muscles. Frequent but he has had a back op
Occasionally, licking or chewing at paws.
Episodes can be short or last over an hour.
Episodes end abruptly and recovery 
is immediate.
There is a lack of “aura” before and after episodes (unlike epilepsy).
Episodes can be triggered by excitement (think doorbell or cat!). Hears a load bang and he freezes on the spot or if you yell at something on the Tv
There is no improvement with anti-epileptic treatment.
[FONT=&quot]
Read more at Gluten-free diets for dogs - when are they necessary? - Shooting UK[/FONT]
 
My Border is the same, only recently started to try chicken and she is 6. She will have a food she loves such as beef and then after a while she turns her nose up at it and its another food she wants, then its back to the beef. She has to have meds as she to has a possible back problem and was refusing to walk as so painful and is now on gabapentin which seem to be helping. She has that with cheese as the only thing she will accept the tabs with but she decided 3 days ago that cheese was the food of Satan. A lot of Borders tend to be a tad fickle with food and the vets she has seen say its the norm. They also have an exceptionally high pain threshold so when the are in pain its not easy to see sometimes.

Hope things improve for you and the pup.
 
Sorry to hear about Jack. Have a look here. https://livingwithaborderterrier.com/border-terriers-spikes-disease They have some advice about food. Home cooked food might be the only route to go. Lilly’s Kitchen owner has a recipe book with our fussy BT liked. I also highly recommend Butternut Box if you can’t manage the home cooking.
Probiotics and digestive enzymes might also help settle upset tummy’s. Make sure the digestive enzymes are plant based however.
 
My Patterdale is the same. Shes 14 now and we have to feed her human food to make her eat anything and she often turns her nose up at that
 
My Border is the same, only recently started to try chicken and she is 6. She will have a food she loves such as beef and then after a while she turns her nose up at it and its another food she wants, then its back to the beef. She has to have meds as she to has a possible back problem and was refusing to walk as so painful and is now on gabapentin which seem to be helping. She has that with cheese as the only thing she will accept the tabs with but she decided 3 days ago that cheese was the food of Satan. A lot of Borders tend to be a tad fickle with food and the vets she has seen say its the norm. They also have an exceptionally high pain threshold so when the are in pain its not easy to see sometimes.

Hope things improve for you and the pup.

Two of his discs ruptured so he’s on gabapentin and metacam alternatively. But your right getting pills down is nothing short of Hercules wrestling the lions jaws.
 
My Patterdale is the same. Shes 14 now and we have to feed her human food to make her eat anything and she often turns her nose up at that

I am finding this out as well with my three year old Patterdale. Will not eat raw ffs. Am now cooking a good proportion of venison scrap for her. will wolf down all cooked meats and cooked eggs but not raw, and leaves kibble in bowl when mixed in. Has suffered from upset stomach quite a bit with FOUL smelling mucus covered stools. Revolting.

I want a dog I can feed at Aldi not Waitrose !

Does anyone feed their dog just once a day or has the occasional low calorie day ?
 
I am finding this out as well with my three year old Patterdale. Will not eat raw ffs. Am now cooking a good proportion of venison scrap for her. will wolf down all cooked meats and cooked eggs but not raw, and leaves kibble in bowl when mixed in. Has suffered from upset stomach quite a bit with FOUL smelling mucus covered stools. Revolting.

I want a dog I can feed at Aldi not Waitrose !

Does anyone feed their dog just once a day or has the occasional low calorie day ?

I now understand why Labs are so popular as dogs haha.
 
This is a strange post and I feel sorry for folk with these kind of dog problems. Borders have become very popular in recent years and I wonder if it's anything to do with the breeding, as popularity can weaken a breed.
I kept working Borders for thirty years or more and never had a problem with eating or strange physical problems. Mine would eat anything and work anything and the only occasional trouble I had was either from Fox bites or antler punctures.
 
I have two borders and they do just the same with their food.Both have exactly the same but will spend hours not eating it until I’ve swopped bowls over then they will both eat each other’s.Best dogs I’ve ever had except after 3 of them went to ground for 36 hours and one cost£1,600 pounds to be put back together they have to stay on leads now.Wouldnt swop them for the world though .
 
Unfortunately I am at an age where I won't have another dog (I would hate to leave one pining for me).
I have had a good few terriers and a great many gun dogs over my lifetime, but there is only one breed for me as an all rounder.
The Border will do anything, I used to train mine with my gundogs and they would do everything the same (including stop on the whistle) plus go to ground and follow up deer. I was so sad to lose my last one, it was like losing a best mate.
Your £1600 dog I take it was up front with others behind it pushing on.
 
Unfortunately I am at an age where I won't have another dog (I would hate to leave one pining for me).
I have had a good few terriers and a great many gun dogs over my lifetime, but there is only one breed for me as an all rounder.
The Border will do anything, I used to train mine with my gundogs and they would do everything the same (including stop on the whistle) plus go to ground and follow up deer. I was so sad to lose my last one, it was like losing a best mate.
Your £1600 dog I take it was up front with others behind it pushing on.


They are the best little dogs. Jack was the runt of the litter and always has been a small but game dog. In terms of toughness they are like the Terminator they are so tough. Two of his discs shattered in his back requiring a very expensive emergency operation in Wigan which cost multiple thousands but right up until they went pop he was showing no real signs of pain then he just went of his legs. Unbelievable toughness. I have a cocker as well who is a great dog and a real character but just doesn't have the affection and companionship mentality that borders do. Bloody excellent little dogs.
 
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