What can I add to food???

[dogsbestfriend]

My dog is still being picky about her new food (Natural Balance). What can I add to it to make it more appealing? I've tried mixing it with canned, but she only licks the off the wet food and leaves the dry. If I add bits of food like chicken or veggies, she only eats the bits of food and leaves the dry. If I add gravy, she just licks off the gravy. I'm not going to change foods again, she will just have to learn to like it. I just want to make it taste better for her because she obviously doesn't like the taste. Any suggestions?

 

[JennSLK]

I would change foods. With my dogs I dont care how many times I have to change foods as long as they like what I end up with and it's a good food thats great.

Dont add anything to her food. You will have a horible eater in the end.

 

[dogsbestfriend]

Part of my problem is finding a high quality food that she actually likes. She only seems to like the taste of Beneful. I can't really afford to keep trying all the expensive foods and her not eat them. It's seems like such a waste.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

She will eat eventually. Set the bowl down twice a day for fifteen minutes. If she doesn't eat the food within those fifteen minutes, take the food away until next time. A healthy dog won't starve itself.

 

[Kathy29]

I have the pickiest dog in the world and she had no tolerance for ANY brand of kibbles I tried, premium or not. But she LOVED Innova Evo even after she was exposed to the raw diet, so if you haven't already done so, I'd try it. Most stores carry trial bags.. perhaps yours does?

I also tried canned foods on her before - nope, no luck. At one point, I got so desperate that I even added dog "gravy" to the kibbles but it sparked no interest either.

 

[dogsbestfriend]

What I mean is, would it be okay to add something like garlic powder or some kind of seasoning or herb to the dry food? This may sound like a stupid question, but I don't have very much knowledge about dog nutrition. I'm not sure what's good for them to eat and what's not good.

 

[iheartsammy]

My dog use to do that... I would just put the dry food over the wet so she has to eat that first! It worked for me, but some dogs push threw the dry, but it's worth a try...

 

[iheartsammy]

I think garlic is fine, just as long as you don't put alot

 

[shadowfacedanes]

You can try soaking the food for a few minutes in low sodium chicken broth. A little garlic powder (not garlic salt!) will also make it more palatable.

But as someone else mentioned, your dog, if healthy is not going to purposely starve herself. YOu just have to set the ground rules. Put the food down for 10-15 minutes in the morning. If she doesn't eat it - take it up. Offer it again mid-day for 10-15 minutes. If she doesn't eat it - take it up again. Repeat the same process in the evening. Eventually, she'll get the hint.

 

[PoodleMommy]

alot of people say not to add anything but my dog will not eat a lot of times.

People say to do the 15 minutes thing and it doesnt work for me.

I feed my dog canned food and add sardines, canned tuna, meat, chicken, just a little of something mixed in and she usually eats the whole plate.

It is the only thing that has worked for us.

Good Luck.

Elissa

 

[micro202]

what about feeding just canned?

 

[Herschel]

We thought our dog didn't like Canidae because he would walk over to his bowl, sniff the food, and then turn away.

It turns out that our puppy doesn't like to eat out of stainless steel bowls (he only does if he is REALLY hungry). We thought that we would have to add something to the food but it was just a matter of getting a place mat and spreading it out for him.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I don't think garlic powder would work. Garlic has a strong smell and many dogs won't eat it unless it's disguised. Try the setting the bowl down thing and see if it works.

 

[dogsbestfriend]

what about feeding just canned?

I never really considered feeding canned. My vet said that dry food is best. Better for their teeth and for firmer stools. ???

 

[Fran27]

Vets have no clue about nutrition. Honestly. Canned is fine, it's just hard to find a good brand, and it's horribly expensive in the end (it would be $500 for one of mine for a month with a good brand ).

 

[pup-man]

Take about 75% of their normal dry food.... place in a coffee grinder or blender and blend it until it becomes the consistency of dry bread crumbs.... add 25% of the canned food and mix well.... you wouldnt even know their was dry kibble in it.... see if this works! It has for me

 

[dogsbestfriend]

I've tried leaving her food for 10-15 minutes (sometimes even a half hour) and then picking it up. She'll go sometimes 2 or 3 days without eating. Around the third or fourth day she'll eat, but just her first meal of the day( I feed her twice a day). And then it starts all over again- she'll go without for a couple of days. I feel sorry for her, but at the same time I get frustrated. What I want is for her to devour her food the minute I put it down, every time, like most normal dogs do! I guess she's just stubborn like me!
Anyway, grinding up the dry food and adding a little canned is a great idea. Why didn't I think of that??? Thanks pup-man I'll try it tomorrow.

 

[IlUvMyAnImAlZ05]

My dog is doing the same thing we've done everything to try to get them to eat it. Last night I put this (Iams) gravy over the food and he just licked the gravy off. I tried mixing (Purina) Moist and Meaty (hamburger) food with the dry food and he just picked out the moist and meaty food. I have tried the canned food too. I am going to try the garlic thing.

 

[pup-man]

dogsbestfriend: Let me know how it worked out. I have dealt with a lot of picky eaters in my time.... their are times where I would take their food, place it on a normal dinner plate... go through the motions like i'm actually eating it... then they end up curious like always on what im eating and end up eating it all up The things we do to get our dogs to eat.....lol

 

[Herschel]

My dog is doing the same thing we've done everything to try to get them to eat it. Last night I put this (Iams) gravy over the food and he just licked the gravy off. I tried mixing (Purina) Moist and Meaty (hamburger) food with the dry food and he just picked out the moist and meaty food. I have tried the canned food too. I am going to try the garlic thing.

Just out of curiosity, what are you feeding?