Question:
Would you know why my 4-month-old Boston terrier puppy will eat her food only off of the hardwood floor? She ate fine from a bowl the first three months, but now it's only on the floor. I discovered that she wasn't eating and I spilled some food on the floor and she ate it. I have tried several foods -- all the same experience. I have tried china bowls, plastic flat bowls and wooden bowls. I don't think licking the hardwood is good for her.
She also was chewing on her tail area a lot, but I changed her food and that seems better now.
M.W., Fort Worth, TX Jul 25, 2011
Answer:
Many dogs, especially those with short muzzles, have difficulty eating out of narrow and deep bowls, and most dogs have problems when the bowl or dish keeps sliding on the floor. Some dogs are like one of ours -- he likes to pick some food out of his deep and wide food bowl and put it on the floor to eat, so we set down a sheet of newspaper. Another of our old dogs suddenly developed an aversion to eating out of her deep and wide no-skid bowl and now prefers a shallow and wide soup dish. They both now prefer drinking from a bowl set in a metal frame with 9-inch-high legs. Some dogs, especially large ones and arthritic older ones, enjoy elevated food and water bowls so they don't have to reach down too far.
Experiment with your dog and avoid using plastic food and water containers that may contain bisphenols and other toxic chemicals.
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