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Having trouble getting your basenji to eat their food?

Basenji Talk
  • @Maya:

    I've yet to have a dog that doesnt like the raw food though :)

    Unfortunately i did. I used to feed flank of lamb (before the Mad Cow crisis which put Lamb prices through the roof). One of my dobe boys used to grab his flank of lamb, run to the bottom of the garden, i presumed it was to eat in peace - but he would leave it for the girls to find - took me a few weeks to find out why he was losing weight and they were gaining.

  • @sky:

    NANO is almost a year old. Friends of ours gave him to us because he was nauty and always jumping over fences, but since he stayed with us he still tries to get out but that problem has beeb fixed the only problem left is the food. I dont want to give him everytime something else to eat because they are going to get used to not eat their pellets because he know if he doesn't eat i will give him something better. MY other two dogs eat the same pellets for over two years now and they still love it, sometimes they all get a bone after a braai but not everyday.

    First, check his teeth. The vet should have done that but if not check yourself. One may be absessed or something else may be wrong. You could also go to a different vet and get a second opinion. Did the vet think he was too thin?

    I personally do not change my dogs food, but I will add bonus treats to it. My dog loves green peppers, sour cream, gravy etc. If you didn't want to add a topper to his current food, you could try just adding hot water. That will give it some flavor.

    You could also try feeding him in his crate. Maybe he feels threatened by the other dogs.

  • I think that "free" feeding is a mistake to anyone that does it. (In my opinion and in 99% of the cases)
    It is best to develope good eating habits by giving them a certain amount of time to eat and when that passes, its gone. Also that they all are fed separate in a crate or in different places so that they can all "eat" in peace….

    What food are you using?

  • First of all, not all dogs like the same food and your Nano may just not care for the food.

    On occasion Jazz will refuse to eat for a day or so. I will flavor up her food then – a little broth or egg or cottage cheese, whatever I have handy -- just a bit. I can do that for a meal or two and she'll eat okay, then I cut out the flavoring and she eats her kibble just fine.

  • @etzbseder:

    Are you sure it's a basenji? 20.1kg is too heavy for a basenji. Medjai is a light basenji (also a little short) and he only weighs about 8.1kg. I think standard for a male should be about 11.3kg.

    He will eat if he's hungry enough, just do the best you can with picking something he'll like based on what the rest like and he'll eat it in time. If the vet says that nothing's wrong, go with it. It'd help if you could post pictures.

    Yeah, that does sound HUGE….like almost double the accepted weight for a male Basenji. Must be a mix with something. Can't wait to see pictures.

  • We feed Tupper Blue Buffalo with the life sources bits. He loves it. On special nights try adding a little pumpkin to the dry food. Make sure you get real pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling and add NO MORE then a tablespoon. Anymore then that the dog with have a bathroom problem. As soon as we put the pumpkin mixed food down Tupper goes crazy, it's so cute

  • The vet told me that he is to thin.I found an absessed in his mouth, took him to see the vet and now everything is fine.He started to eat a bit more then usually but not like my other 2 dogs.There are 3 bowls for each dog but i place it far apart from each other and they eat in peace.Thenk you so much for everything.

  • Every morning and evening they will get some extra with their food but i know that Nano loves and going crazy if i pour some meat flovour soup over his pellets. He doesn't like to share his food but that's okay, i never share my food not even with my kids or husband.I put a red light in their kennel so they can sleep warm during the night in the winter because Nano easily get cold and the he doesnt want to play but i understand it's too cold outside so he would rather snuggled. Oh, i LOVE MY NANO>

  • @wizard I have tried that no luck, so left food out all day no luck. he will eat SOME food at night when I put him in it for bedtime. I hate to see him go with out food for so long. we are on our 6 food still no luck.

  • @badbasenji - Should be feeding on a schedule not free fed... NOTE that they will NOT starve themselves unless sick.... give them 10 minutes to eat and then take it away until the next feeding time. If they are hungry they will eat.

  • @tanza
    While I agree that is almost always true, it is not absolutely. You can say "must not know where the sickness is"... but I have personally know known of a dozen for whom no medical issues were found that WOULD hold out until skeletal.

  • @debradownsouth - People should always first have a health check on their pets if there is a problem..... obviously

  • Check for a cracked tooth.

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    My Rosa wrote the "How To Be a Basenji DIVA" manuscript - as many rules there were, it was so worthy of a 'script' at the end! She, and all her offspring, had spring and fall heats, but I only bred her once in the spring. That produced one puppy, my Captain. She always ruled over her pups, except when Captain came along - she did what HE said when he was about 2 weeks old!
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    @jordandwilly - Thanks for clearing that up.... 9-5 is just fine, IMO.... I work and have always had to leave mine when I was at work, never an issue. That said, we were able to set up the house that access to the backyard (with 10 to 12' privacy fences) with a doggy door and a dog room in the house for them, Locks on the gates so there is NO access for anyone. Dogs sleep 90% of the day so being at work doesn't bother them... never have mine even when I had a litter in the house (And have been in the breed as owner/breeder for 35+ years). You can hire a dog walker to take them out mid day..which is a good solution. and give them a mid day meal depending on their age. I do not and never have used free feeding, period. Especially if you have more that one... you never know what/who is eating what. And you can set up camera's on line to watch them from "afar".... LOL. Keep in mind people that many of us need to work and have day jobs. The most important thing is the time you need to spend with them when you are home. Example would be, if you have young children and you work... when you get home you are going to spend your time with your human children... NO dog would be happy if left out... they need their time also because they are a family member and need as much time as a human child. Again in my opinion
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    @emmett Hope you're still reading our responses. I'm impressed that you're doing research and reaching out to people who have the breed of dog you're interested in. In my opinion you're doing exactly the right thing. I also like that you're considering a Basenji. I really hope you'll keep that seed of interest in the back of your mind, and that when the time is right that you'll revisit having a Basenji. As other have pointed out, and you've concluded... a Basenji may not be the best choice for where you are right now. Another thought might be to find a local dog park, go there, observe the dogs, the way that they interact with their owners and see if particular breed looks interesting. Some are laid back, some are high energy, some crave attention, some want independence, etc. Watch them. Get use to spotting the behaviors that you want in a dog. Then, when it comes time for you to choose your dog for life, you'll be better prepared to spot the personality, or temperament as we call it, that best fits where you are in life. In turn you'll be making the best choice for your new pal as well. We have great members here with decades of experience breeding, training, showing and co-existing with dogs. I hope you'll stop by anytime you have any questions at all. They don't have to be about Basenjis. Good luck and let us know if you get a pup!! :oncoming_fist: :slightly_smiling_face: :thumbs_up:
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    @lovedogs @eeeefarm said in should I get a basenji?: wait until the time is right, even if you really, really want a dog now I agree... with everyone. Sometimes you just need to accept that (no matter how much you want a dog/car/kid/house) you aren't quite ready for it. I waited 5 years before I brought my Basenji home and it was probably the most adult thing I've ever done. I was still in recovery from a spinal injury and knew that I wouldn't be able to provide (her) the exercise she would want and require. Waiting made all the difference in the world. Whan I was finally ready, the most perfect little girl was ready for me. Don't fret about it. You can read, research, consider all of your options, and really prepare yourself. (Don't look at puppy pictures online! You'll fall in love without even meeting the pup(s) and it will pull at your heartstrings.) Remind yourself that "one day you will have a Basenji", just not today.
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