The Shar-Pei Forums-Health Behavior Diet & Rescue Info and Discussion Group

I think my peiby us afraid of Dog Bowls it has Bowl Issues. My peiby is 14 weeks old but since I had him at 7 weeks he always use to have trouble with food bowls?? Being he would always seem to lick the outer rimms of the Bowls first and then I would gave to put my finger in the bowl to guide him in but as I found out hus sight was bad due to hus eyelashes turning in and ge had eye ulcers. He always use to Lick the food on top rather than take mouthfuls unless I put food into a little mound then he would take a mouthful . So when his k eyes were tacked at 10 weeks and ulcers healed he can see great:). But still he always seems very wary and cautious of any type of food bowls. It came to the extent where I've had to feed him by hand!!! As he seems to be so akward around food bowls. And when he does finally eat as I said he licks the food rather than take a mouthful and its as if he can't get an open mouthful as he sorta flattens it eith his,mouth??? I've tried shallow bowls ..deep bowls etc but he just seems sooo akward. Even with kibble he does not like the Noise of it in the bowl so I put it on a mat and then he eats the kibble just fine. I'm now wondering if this is related to a litter thing as he would not have been able to see much against his littermates and that's why he's obsessed with the edge of bowls first and even drinking he licks the edge first then uses the edge as a guideline ??? So um now considering using a baking tray or something to help him eat etc and get over fear of bowls etc . Has anyone heard of something like this or experienced anything similar??? Thanks x

his vision might have started it - perhaps trouble with depth perception.

Instead of a bowl try a plate (plastic or paper)...see if he will eat off that. Hand feeding is a dangerous things to start...he will get used to it.

If you are using a dark colored bowl, where the food is hard to see in contrast (assuming dark kibble), try a white or light bowl so he can more easily see the food against the bowl.

Just a couple ideas!

OMG!!, your Soooo right:). As he has issues with confidence with curbs/ steps etc even though his sight is good now its just more of a fear and confidence thing as after encouragement he does it just find:). The plate is a good idea !! Why didn't I think of that lool. His bowls are stainless steel but I think its a fear thing etc. Which I belueve is depth thing issue as for sooo ling he had to cope eating drinking etc from litter to ky house etc I am trying to stop hand feeding now as I felt sooo sorry for him as it was heart breaking to see him struggle but now I tend to push it into little mounds for him if soft food. But he still likes me to guide him with my finger into the bowl but thus is,a security comfort thing I feel more than anything else. It's just sad to see him so fearful and anxious as its sooo unlike him as everything else he's a brave confident bundle of springing jumping playful bundle of mishief loool. Hopefully with time and lots of love and encouragement he will overcome this x. Thanks again for your help and kind words:) x

Just use a plate regular flat one.
Hope the eyes are being fixed soon

LOl don't mean to laugh but Norman will not eat out of a bowl. So he has a little placement and I put his dry food on that and he eats. I finally landed on Taste of the Wild dry food and he cannot wait to eat. I thought I had the only pei that would not eat out of the bowl. PS my husband said if Norman got hungry enough he would eat. No such luck. try a flat plate or on a placemat.

None of my Pei would eat or drink from a stainless steel bowl. I use glass pie plates. I always mound the food for MeiLi. If he has a very large muzzle, he may not like putting his whole face in a bowl. A flat plate may work too but you might have a mess to clean up.

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Leia 12/29/02 to 11/01/11 Will be forever missed.
MeiLi Birthdate 02/28/06

Awww Thanks guys for all your great help and advice as usual:). Inca again its very kind of you all x. Firstly would like to say that his eyes have been done and there totally fine now fingers crossed but that's why firstly u thought it was due to that as habit as he had eye issue from litter age! But after reading your comments I belueve its a bit of both Fear and him having a big meat mouth:). As I said when he attempts to eat from a bowl which is deep he tends to lick the food rather than take a mouthful and he ends up flattening the food with his mouth no matter how deep it is:) and the fear side as I think ge does not like the feel of the food under his mouth and he seems to circle the bowl and build up courage before he even attempts to eat from it lol:) x So after all your great help and advice I'm glad to see I'm not the only one and I will defo be doing and trying what you've said:). Thanks again x x ps sadly:( we cannot get The food you mention in UK:(

My kids will not eat out of stainless or drink from it..I have a plastic water bowl and a pie plate for Charlie because his muzzle is huge and he pushes the food away..Emmie eats from a plate

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shar-peifsf

Just an Update lol:). Troy is now feeding happy now since I got him a large Picnic Blue Plastic Plate lol. He has no issues eating of the large plate at all and woofs everything down loool . Thanks guys for all your great help:) x

that is good news. These are the most particular breed, only other pei owners know the 'secrets'....LOL.

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Our Pei will drink from stainless bowls - really any bowls but are raw fed and will not eat from a bowl - so I got small 12" pizza pans for them and they're happy