Beating canine dysrexia / food aversion / inappetence

Has anyone had any experience with overcoming canine dysrexia? Hubble has seen at least 5 vets who say nothing is wrong with him, but I can tell that he is malnourished from not eating. His weight is okay (50lbs), but he is “skinny-fat” with no muscle definition & feels frail at only 3 yesrs old. I’ve tried every protein source, grain inclusion, kibble, raw, homemade, etc. and at most he will eat 0.5 cups of food per day when he should be eating closer to 3. He is moderately active. I believe it is a behavioral food aversion because he will run/hide/cower from the food bowl (any material food bowl) like you’ve used it to hit him with. He’s done this since I rescued him at about 5mos of age after a bad bout of demodex. He doesn’t eat human food beyond boiled or dehydrated meat during trainings. I just ordered some cbd oil to try … he is a pretty anxious guy. Thanks in advance!

Hello!  I am not your vet and haven't seen your dog.  However, assuming that you are UK based or from another country with a good record in well-regulated animal health-care, I would be surprised if 5 consecutive vets made an incorrect judgement about something as simple as whether or not a dog was underweight. Sometimes owners are surprised to learn what 'normal' is for a dog.  At least 40 per cent of dogs in this country (UK) are thought to be too fat, so altering our perceptions what what a 'normal' dog should look like. Dogs have different conformations and appetites;  some will generally eat as much as they need while others will overeat until they are fat. These days, living in homes with humans, the former is probably a better survival technique, so if this is what your dog is doing, they are on to a good thing.  It would be extremely unusual for a dog to willfully starve itself. My rambling aside, you are concerned about your dogs' weight.  How can you check out the objective facts of this matter?  The answer is to read up about condition score and how to objectively judge the condition of your dog, which should give you insight into how your vets are doing it. If you still feel that there is a problem, you could ask for a blood test to check for eg hyperthyroidism, diabetes and pancreatitis, to be on the safe side.  However, vets may refuse if they already have evidence that this is completely unnecessary. I hope that some of this is helpful.

My apologies;  Rereading this, I think your main concern is that your dog appears highly strung / nervous, almost too scared to eat.  Interestingly, demodex does sometimes occur in pets who are chronically somewhat stressed.  If this is the case, whether Hubble's weight is acceptable or not, I wonder if you could ask to see a veterinary behavioural specialist to see in if they can shed any more light on things.  Best to choose an accredited veterinary one, as the title 'behaviourist' is not protected in the way that 'vet' or 'surgeon' are. We would love to hear how you get on.

Behavioural specialists are usually contacted via referral from your vet, who will first rule out underlying medical causes.

Behavioural specialists are usually contacted via referral from your vet, who will first rule out underlying medical causes.