Vagaries of the Canine Appetite

Right around the time we figured out that we were supposed to be giving the dog twice as much of her joint supplement daily, she started displaying a lack of interest in the previously irresistible, chewy, bacon-flavored medicine-disguised-as-treats (of which we had just purchased a new two-pound tub). This is a dog that would pick through dry kibble with her tongue, seeking out whatever worthy gems of goodness we had hidden at the bottom of the dish.

We resorted to breaking up the chews into small pieces and mixing them with her evening food. Since the food is also doused with chicken broth and plain yogurt, it tends to be consumed very quickly, scooped into her mouth via her long, spoonlike tongue. We've had a few nights over the past week where she seemed less than interested in her food overall, barely touching it and sometimes leaving it to congeal overnight, other times circling back to it around 11 pm.

A bit of strategic thinking brought us to the realization that we may have been feeding her too early, and her actual appetite may not have been matching up with her need for reassurance that her feeding was imminent. We started holding off on feeding her for 20 to 30 minutes past her usual time, and that seems to have solved the problem. Coincidentally, it seems that the chewy medicine treats are once again worthy of being eaten immediately when given in the morning.