Tasty Food

[BC Lover]

Reese never likes to eat her food. She eats Taste of the Wild-Duck and we have switched her on and off many flavors, and she will eat them in the begining, but after a week she doesn't like it anymore. The problem isn't that she isn't hungry or there is something wrong with her she just get bored of it.

I bough some freeze dried liver treats and crumbled them up ontop of her food and she ate it in record time, but they are really expensive! I can't just put some treats in her bowl, because she just pushes through all the food to her treats.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a little something I can put on her food so she eats it more willingly. Something in sprinkle form or I can lightly pour over it that isn't really messy and is somewhat nutritional.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

I use olive oil on top of my guys TOTW--they love it--but then, they are hounds!

 

[Lizmo]

Keep some chicken/beef broth on hand in the fridge and pop a little on at each meal?

 

[JacksonsMom]

Parm cheese tends to do the trick with most dogs.

But I used canned food and mix it real good to get him to eat. Or chicken, chicken broth, etc.

 

[DogKisses]

Lacey is like that. I add a couple spoonfuls of wet food, a little water, and mix well. She will eat that 99% of the time, LOL.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

she will eat them in the begining, but after a week she doesn't like it anymore. The problem isn't that she isn't hungry or there is something wrong with her she just get bored of it.

I bough some freeze dried liver treats and crumbled them up ontop of her food and she ate it in record time, but they are really expensive! I can't just put some treats in her bowl, because she just pushes through all the food to her treats.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a little something I can put on her food so she eats it more willingly. Something in sprinkle form or I can lightly pour over it that isn't really messy and is somewhat nutritional.

Sounds like your dog has trained you. She is waiting you out for something better as she now knows it is coming. Finding more and more attractive things to add may add to your issue, not improve it. You aren't the first chazzer with this issue or that solution to try to improve it.

If your dog isn't a small 5 pounder, most people start removing all the extra tasty, putting the food down for 10 minutes twice a day and letting the dog go hungry. Usually doesn't take long for them to realize you aren't catering anymore.

When Cider was an only dog I did similar. I had to go to enforced feedings too. Took a while, but the problem was very much solved with no more food switches or additions. Now I can add things on whims, and it doesn't cause finickiness.

 

[Saeleofu]

I have to agree with Maf on this one. Logan has his moments like that too. If I DARE put any medication in or near his food he'll throw a ittle "I'm not eating because you're poisoning me" fit for 2 to 3 weeks and I used to add stuff to get him to eat. Now I do as Maf said and he gets over it. That being said, K9 Showstopper is an instant cure. I just put Logan back on it since I wasn't thrilled with the results of the Seameal and he LOVES it, as always. Personally I think it's one of the best supplements I've ever used and is a tasty powder.

 

[JessLough]

I am with Maf. Wait it out. She is not going to starve herself to death. If she does, the problem is likely deeper than just getting bored with the food.

 

[vanillasugar]

I'm going to chime in with the "she's trained you" crowd. It won't hurt her to miss a day's worth of meals in the process of learning that what you put down is the food she has to eat.

Stop catering to her, and start feeding her on a timed schedule and I'm sure you'll see improvements very soon.

 

[SaraB]

Totally with the "don't add stuff" peeps on this one. Danes are well known for this, but a healthy, sane dog will not starve itself to death so playing mean mommy generally does the trick.

Leave the food down for 10 min and don't offer any treats or other food until the next meal.

Also, generally giving less food than normal will help train the dog to finish it's meals. So if you are normally feeding 2 cups, try feeding 1 cup until they are finishing that, then bump it up to 1 1/4 cups, etc. The dog will get in the habit of finishing it's entire meal rather than leaving some behind.

 

[DogKisses]

How many days do you let them go without eating?

I tried that several times with Lacey... no treats, no nothing, just food. And one time she went 3 days without eating anything. So I gave her some not-so-high-value treats and she ate those but still wouldn't touch her food. I gave in and mixed in some wet and she gobbled it down. That was 1/3 her normal amount of food, hoping that she would be good and hungry next feeding.... once again she wouldn't touch "plain" kibble.

I've tried mixing in less and less wet food, but after a certain point she will just lick the wet food off of the kibble and leave the kibble. So I just keep mixing in the wet, it's not really a huge deal to me.

Frustrating dog is frustrating. lol

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Unless they weigh 5 or so pounds. I'd wait them out. Cider would go three or four, give the stink eye to every family member with food as they were letting her clean the plates till I put my foot down, she'd then eat a meal (1/2 cup kibble) or some of that and choose to starve some more.. after a few days eat another meal.

Once trained the amount of time to fix it can be large, and scary as you don't want to starve your pet. Most dogs won't starve themselves. Cat have a tendency to.

 

[monkeys23]

Yeah I'm with the tough love crowd.

I've heard of dogs taking up to 5 days, but with Scout it was more like the odd meal here and there before she really got into the groove. now she'll clean up anything I hand her.

 

[~Jessie~]

I'd definitely wait it out unless the dog was so small that hypoglycemia would be an issue.

For instance, Emma and Chloe have been fairly picky lately. Chloe can skip a meal because she weighs 7.5lbs... however, Emma weighs 3lbs and I have to make sure she gets SOMETHING in her otherwise she'll vomit up bile. I just can't starve her out.

Tucker, Rylie, and Rory are all food machines lol. I don't think any of them have ever skipped a meal.

 

[DogKisses]

Well I've been trying again since yesterday, for her last 3 meals she ate dry but I mixed a little bit of water in it and let it sit before giving it to her. She tried holding out, but gave in after sitting in her crate for an hour with it lol. Yes, I got the stink eye. Multiple times lol. I am going push the issue after reading your responses,

The funny thing is that I am not the type of person who gives out treats "just because." And if I give her people food it's not daily and it's certainly not more than a couple spoonfulls if that. In fact, I do NOT give her high value treats regularly because she will snub her food after that. One time giving her (re: making her work for it) 1/2 a hot dog resulted in her snubbing her food for a day. I just put her food away and tried again when it was time for her 2nd feeding. Now she's (mostly) knows that once the treats (training) are gone, that they are gone for good and they are NOT coming back out even if she refuses her food. She started doing this out of the blue, I was feeding plain kibble in the morning and mixing in a spoonfull of wet into her kibble at night as a treat. She was eating it all just fine for the longest time then BAM! "I wont touch plain food" one day. So I am not sure if I will ever be able to add anything to her kibble again once we get this worked out... I like adding something special here and there, but she gets hung up on it.

The time she held out for 3 days she was in heat, now that I think about it... that could have been part of it. I did try several times, but after 2-3 days I got cold feet and gave in. Judging on the way she gave in so easily at her last feeding (yes it had water in it tho, nothing else but kibble) I think she won't be able to hold out as long this time. I am going to keep adding a little water to her food for a couple days, then give her plain kibble. I know, I know, but I am hoping that the transition will be quicker this way by weaning her towards plain kibble lol. I am horrible, I know. She still sorta snubs the watery kibble and sits there for a bit before she sloooowly eats it, once she starts gobbling it down (2 days is my guess) I am switching to all dry.

Thanks guys, sorry for the hijack!!!!

 

[StillandSilent]

Argon held out for four days when I brought him home. He was an icky beneful addict, and didn't think he should have to eat Wellness. I disagreed and he eventually saw it my way.

 

[DogKisses]

So far so good.