How can I help my adopted basenji mix to eat her food????

I brought my adopted basenji home and she does not want to eat!! I tried adding a little flavor by putting some doggie BBQ sauce which she liked from my hand, but still wont eat her food!! I did not change foods and she needs to gain a little weight because i can see her ribs!! Please help us!!!!

You don't say how old she is or how long she has been in your home. If this is her first week, relax. She needs time to get used to her surroundings and her new home. Continue to put her food out at the same time every day and take it up after an hour or so. She will eat when she is hungry.
BTW Basenji's should be of slight build. They often look like they need to gain weight. 17 to 24 lbs is a good weight for a standard basenji. No knowing what she is mixed with, she may be of the correct weight.
In the wild dogs do not eat every day. If she is drinking water she will be ok.
Good luck with her and if you have any questions about her check with BRAT (Basenji Rescue and Transport) These people know their stuff when it comes to the Basenji and they are always happy to be of assistance to anyone with questions.
Best of luck to you and your dog.

This happened with my maltese. Ok, so what we did was we bought this really good brand called Bill-Jac, that looks like little pellets, and its really good for them. Then we mixed in a little wet food for her. She loved it. Eventually she stopped liking the wet food so we just gave her dry food. Try it!

Good Luck!

To first poster, Bill-Jac is not a good food...

Try an all meat diet, such as Evo, which dogs love and is a very high quality dog food.

If you just got her then you really need to take her to the vet to get her checked out so while you're there you can talk to the vet about her lack of eating. Good luck.

There could be several reasons why she is not eating. Dog do not eat what they cannot smell. She could have a sinus infection and you would not know it. Also STOP FEEDING HER BBQ SAUCE!! She may have an upset stomach and associate the tummy ache with that food. Change her diet to a good quality wet food for small breed dogs. If she still has not eaten take her to the vet she could have a sinus infection or something else. Plus new puppies need to be wormed. If she has a belly full of worms she will not eat either. Good luck

Sam's right-don't give her BBQ sauce. Some Basenji's are notoriously picky. You should be able to contact where you adopted her from. Alternately please contact brat for help. She needs the nutrition from a good dog food, not a cover up. There are many ways to get her to eat more. I had one friend who was at a loss, I told her to buy puppy food or milk, which is high in fat and nutrients. Her dog started eating again and gained a pound or two, wich in the Basenji world is a lot!!

One more answer from a Basenji owner....I have a 7 y/o male who I've had since a puppy and I recently brought home a Basenji girl from BRAT. She is also thin, and a picky eater. Be patient with her....Basenjis are a breed that tends to form deep bonds with an owner. If she's been surrendered, it will take time for her to adjust and bond with you. If she's been mistreated or neglected, it may take even longer for her to figure you out and learn that you are OK. She is working on finding her comfort level.

BRAT says that on average, it takes up to 4 months for a rescue Basenji to acclimate to her new home. Longer, if they've been re-homed a lot, or traumatized.

The best thing you can do, is stick to a schedule with her as much as possible. Be consistent, be predictable, be calm and pleasant, but don't force yourself on her, don't fuss, don't worry. Don't use "baby talk"....speak to her in a calm, pleasant voice as if you were adressing a friend. Dogs are perceptive, and a lot of fuss and baby talk can make them think something is wrong

. Plan "mealtime" a few times per day- placing her food down at the same time each day, and leaving it there for about an hour. If you have any other dogs, make sure she is fed seperately. Give her a quiet, safe place to eat. Don't hover over her or distract her. Just put her in a room with the food bowl and give her some quiet time on her own.

Or, you can try free-feeding if you don't have any other dogs....leave a bowl down all day long and give her plenty of time to munch if she desires. Only put a small amount of food out at first (1 small handful), if you free-feed, this way you can definitely tell if she eats any.

She will not starve herself to death. Being re-homed is a stressful process, one that's hard on any dog, but the Basenji seems to have an especially difficult time with it in some cases. If she continues to refuse food, or displays any other symptoms, don't be afraid to bring her to your vet for a checkup.

You are definitely welcome to join the BRAT-Chat email discussion list, and the Basenji-L discussion list. There are tons of wonderful people on both lists who can offer you some more advice. There are plenty of people with Basenji mixes and you would definitely be welcome.

Here's the link for Basenji-L:
http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/bas...

BRAT-Chat:
http://lists.basenjirescue.org/mailman/l...

If you decide to join, tell them Jibini and Tana the Truckin' Basenjis sent you :)