Boxer 'forgotten' how to eat? (long, sorry!)

Hello. It's my first post and I am probably going to sound completely nuts, but I'm really worried about my 13-month old Boxer Blossom. She's currently going through a phantom pregnancy and has been off her food for several days. I took her to the vets yesterday and he assured me that this was perfectly normal (she hasn't lost weight) and she won't let herself starve. Thankfully she seems to be getting her appetite back today, but both my husband and I have noticed that when she goes to eat from her dish she is just licking her food, but can't seem to pick it up. Out of desparation I've even tried letting her eat from the palm of my hand, but she still just 'licks' it up. I know it sounds bizarre but it almost appears as if she has forgotten how to eat normally and I'm starting to get worried about her.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? She usually has a fantastic appetite and I hate to see her apparently struggle to eat. Any ideas?!

Did the vet examine her mouth to see if there was a problem there?

I must admit I've only noticed this today as it's the first time she's really wanted to go near her dinner, but I've had a quick look and feel round her mouth and to my untrained eye it seems OK. There was a spell recently where she'd had a growth spurt and her tongue grew so it was too long for her mouth for a short while, but it didn't cause her any problems and the head has 'caught up' around it now. And very occasionally her bottom left tooth gets caught over her mouth, but she's had that since a puppy without any problems.

Hi Hels the fact that Blossom is showing some sign that she wants to eat is a good thing, maybe she is licking the food because she doesn't really want it yet.
As the vet has checked her out I wouldn't be too concerned.

What do you feed her on? I would keep the meals small and tasty until she gets her appetite back. Try adding a little bit of something with a strong scent like a teaspoon of grated cheese or sardines to a small amount of her usual food, that may prompt her to eat but it won't hurt her anyway to have a couple of days without food as long as she is drinking water.

Please try not to worry too much. You say she is having a phantom pregnancy which means her body is mimicking a real one.

This means that from around day 60, the bitch would stop eating in order to cleanse her body, ready to have her pups. her temperature will drop by several degrees and she will have milk available for the pups.

When Blossom doesnt have any pups, her hormones will revert to normal and she will start to eat normally again.

Phantoms are a normal part of keeping an entire bitch and we give Pulsatilla at the start of the season which seems to ease any symptoms.

Of course this can all be resolved by spaying. We dont spay except if medically necessary.

Hope this helps

Thalice's Mum

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions - I think I am like a neurotic mother over Blossom sometimes. I am hoping that it is just her hormones making her act a bit strangely and that she will wolf down her food as normal in a few days. I've tried all the tricks I've learnt with other dogs over the years to try get her to eat (she's even resisted cheese in her dinner which she would usually do anything for) amd has been turing her nose up at all her usual favourites, but she's still just licking at. I hadn't thought of that, but I agree that it is a good sign that she is at least interested.

We will be having her spayed when her phantom is over as when she was very young she had a complicated yeast infection, which having been wrongly diagnosed by our first vet, turned out to be linked to her puppy hormones and the theory is that once she had been through her first season and her hormones have settled down she should have the op, and become less prone to the yeast problems re-occuring.

Thanks again for the replies - hopefully I'll be posting that she is back to her usual greedy (and crazy) ways in a day or two.

Offer her a pice of chicken or perhaps cheese, if she scoffs it there is nothing wrong with her, maybe her usual food isnt too appealing at the moment as she has been feeling a bit low.

I agree with Dawn, when mine have been off their food, it only usually takes a couple of small meals of chicken and rice or maybe chicken and pasta, to get them back on track. One thing that mine will always eat, no matter what, is cheese on toast. Of course, I only give a tiny amount but it seems to get them back into eating.

Best of luck with her. I'm sure she's fine, just a bit hormonal, bless her

Glad to say Blossom is eating us out of house and home again!