Whats better? what's worse?

[capt_noonie]

Having a picky pup go without food and not giving treats and people food, or giving them "good" food so at least they are eating something?

Specifically for Uni (she is not prone to hypoglycemia). I guess she is just protesting. Today, she did not eat until about 5pm, unusual. (I did force down about 1 1/2 tsp of nutrical though.) The night before she ate very late about 11 pm (and had breakfast late, about 3pm!) We have a late schedule. We wake about 10 am and go to sleep about 2 am, Uni too.

so I am no longer giving her treats of bread and egg to "punish" her for not eating her kibble today (right now she is eating Life's Abundance). I will note though, that the past 2 days she has been 'protesting", she has not thrown up yellow foamy bile, as she usually does when she doesn't eat. So am I giving her too much bread so that she doesn't feel hungry? Uni is svelte, and stops eating once she is no longer hungry, unlike me, (and Katie) won't stop eating until there is no more room! Am I doing right or wrong?

[mimimomo]

I have the same predicament w/Mimi girl, but it's most likely my fault. Ever since she was a pup, I had to add something yummy to her kibble to entice her to eat. I've tried everything & it's only for a few days...or she'll turn her nose up at it. Currently, it's pan fried egg whites in coconut oil lol. I only have to do this in the morning bc I need to feed them & leave for work. She'll eat dinner fine, but only after her walk. On my days off, she won't eat til 5 o'clock & that's when I have to put something yummy in her kibble bc I don't want her to throw up yellow bile.

You give Uni bread? I read somewhere that dogs shouldn't eat bread bc of the yeast fermentation...it makes alcohol in their tummy or something like that? But I think that's in high quantities.

[Britster]

Jackson pulls these shananagins with me all the time.... I find a kibble he loves but then after a week or two, he typically stops eating it. I used to free-feed and just leave kibble out all day. Honestly, some days I don't think he ever touched it. We have an ant problem around here lately so I cannot leave kibble out all day anymore and I've begun giving him 2 meals a day... both meals I just put a little bit of wet food (or human food like chicken if that's what I ate for dinner) and he eats it right up. I feel more comfortable knowing he's eating properly and enjoying it so I really don't mind mixing something in to entice him. Although last night he surprised the crap outta me and ate 1/4 cup dry kibble by itself and seemed to totally enjoy it.. lol. I dunno what to tell you!

[Maddie23]

I, like alot of others, thought my Maddie was a picky eater too. I went through ALL the "good" foods. If I just put kibble down, she's not gonna eat ANY of them. I finally just settled on Natural Balance Duck & Potato because through all the foods I found she is itchy with corn and/or chicken. I think I was making her more picky because she never just devoured anything like it was the best thing she had ever eaten, so I kept changing food and changing what I added to it.

In the mornings I give her kibble with a little of the Natural Balance food roll grated on top. This stuff smells great.. smells like summer sausage or salami. I swear it smells good enough to eat... until you read the ingrediants and see it has lamb lung and other wonderful things!!! I like using this because it is formulate as a dog food and comes in different flavors. For supper I add 4 -5 thawed frozen green beans. I also add 1/2 tsp of the organic coconut oil to both. It seems she has started eating better after I started adding the coconut oil. I dont know if it is the flavor from the oil or the smell that entices her.

There are some days where she will still skip breakfast, but I just let her be and feed her supper a little earlier. Some days I add a little shredded cheddar to it and she eats it fine.

The Natural Balance food roll can also be cut up to be used as treats or to entice a dog to eat (because its smells so good, I'm guessing), so if you are fearful that your baby needs to have something in her tummy, perhaps this would work but it is still "dog" food and good for her unlike most of our "people" food.

[capt_noonie]

Thanks everyone. yes jenny, I do give Uni bread, I thought it was ok? Just plain white bread. then I thought wheat was better, then I heard wheat was not good for them, but then I keep seeing dog cake/cookie recipes with wheat flour. I'm confused!

Brit, Uni will do the same as jackson, if I get a new brand, or even a new bag of the same brand, just as long as it's new, she likes it. But after a few weeks it's like torture to try to get her to eat. She's not crazy about the LA, like Katie was, but she seemed to like it better than Wellness core, or is it just bc it was new? So we have now started wetting it with some water to make it gravy. She won't eat it until the water is almost all dry and then the kibbles are like turkey stuffing consistency. then when she finally eats it, she acts like she's sooooo hungry and even licks the bowl for like 5 mins afterward!

Maddie's mom, what's wrong with lamb lung? LOL

So I am still left wondering, should I stand my ground and just let her starve herself protesting? or give in and give her something yummy?

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

So I am still left wondering, should I stand my ground and just let her starve herself protesting? or give in and give her something yummy?

I would hold the bread, and try putting a *little* yummy stuff -- egg, green beans or sweet peas, Natural Balance meat roll (we use the lamb) directly on top of the kibble to try to wet her appetite.

Teddy is a waif like Uni and he won't eat dinner if he has had a Texas Toothpick or another treat.

Both my guys have been eating a lot less lately, and what they do eat I often have to coax them by playing games, hand feeding. In their case, I think it is a reaction to the heat.

[Nancy1999]

Not eating can be a sign that something is wrong, maybe it's pain, or maybe she's not hungry. Many people and animals have a built in appetite regulator, and it's really efficient, until we wreck it by offering too tempting of foods. I would not give the Nutri-Cal, unless she was showing obvious signs of hypoglycemia, many breeds only eat once a day, and so if she's eating once a day, I wouldn't worry. Remember, Nutri-cal is mainly sugar, and so it's a lot like giving a candy bar to a diabetic who's suffering from low blood sugar, it's only helps temporarily. Some people don't like to feed any grains, and some dogs do better without any grains, but this does not mean that grains are necessarily bad for your dogs. Wheat is considered a grain, and white bread as well as whole-wheat is made from wheat, whole wheat is considered healthier because it has the wheat germ and bran in it, and this is the healthiest part of the wheat grain. At this age, I would trust that she knows what's right for her, and if she isn't hungry, I wouldn't make her eat. If she goes longer than a day without eating I'd do a vet check. I personally don't think white bread is a great treat; it's really not offering much nutrition. Too many treats, of course, can make them pickier with their food.

[princessizzy]

Originally Posted by Maddie23

I, like alot of others, thought my Maddie was a picky eater too. I went through ALL the "good" foods. If I just put kibble down, she's not gonna eat ANY of them. I finally just settled on Natural Balance Duck & Potato because through all the foods I found she is itchy with corn and/or chicken. I think I was making her more picky because she never just devoured anything like it was the best thing she had ever eaten, so I kept changing food and changing what I added to it.

In the mornings I give her kibble with a little of the Natural Balance food roll grated on top. This stuff smells great.. smells like summer sausage or salami. I swear it smells good enough to eat... until you read the ingrediants and see it has lamb lung and other wonderful things!!! I like using this because it is formulate as a dog food and comes in different flavors. For supper I add 4 -5 thawed frozen green beans. I also add 1/2 tsp of the organic coconut oil to both. It seems she has started eating better after I started adding the coconut oil. I dont know if it is the flavor from the oil or the smell that entices her.

There are some days where she will still skip breakfast, but I just let her be and feed her supper a little earlier. Some days I add a little shredded cheddar to it and she eats it fine.

The Natural Balance food roll can also be cut up to be used as treats or to entice a dog to eat (because its smells so good, I'm guessing), so if you are fearful that your baby needs to have something in her tummy, perhaps this would work but it is still "dog" food and good for her unlike most of our "people" food.

I do the same thing...NB kibble and food roll....It has been a God send....She used to be soooooo picky, but now she eat great...She has gained some weight ( which she needed to do) and she does not throw up that yellow bile looking stuff anymore..I'm very happy

[mimimomo]

It says here that bread is bad bc it sits in the stomach. Maybe that's why she's not hungry? Is it bad to feed your dog bread?
I heard of a lab that got into a loaf of bread on a counter & he had to be hospitalized bc the yeast in the bread fermented in his stomach & produced alcohol. Lol I don't know if it's a made up story or true, but since it sits in their stomach, it kinda makes sense.
The NB rolls are great for picky eaters. We tried that for awhile til Mimi started turning her nose up towards it. It also contains wheat.

[BaxtersMommy]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Having a picky pup go without food and not giving treats and people food, or giving them "good" food so at least they are eating something?

Specifically for Uni (she is not prone to hypoglycemia). I guess she is just protesting. Today, she did not eat until about 5pm, unusual. (I did force down about 1 1/2 tsp of nutrical though.) The night before she ate very late about 11 pm (and had breakfast late, about 3pm!) We have a late schedule. We wake about 10 am and go to sleep about 2 am, Uni too.

so I am no longer giving her treats of bread and egg to "punish" her for not eating her kibble today (right now she is eating Life's Abundance). I will note though, that the past 2 days she has been 'protesting", she has not thrown up yellow foamy bile, as she usually does when she doesn't eat. So am I giving her too much bread so that she doesn't feel hungry? Uni is svelte, and stops eating once she is no longer hungry, unlike me, (and Katie) won't stop eating until there is no more room! Am I doing right or wrong?

I cant remember...did I send you the LA canned food?

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

It says here that bread is bad bc it sits in the stomach. Maybe that's why she's not hungry? Is it bad to feed your dog bread?
I heard of a lab that got into a loaf of bread on a counter & he had to be hospitalized bc the yeast in the bread fermented in his stomach & produced alcohol. Lol I don't know if it's a made up story or true, but since it sits in their stomach, it kinda makes sense.
The NB rolls are great for picky eaters. We tried that for awhile til Mimi started turning her nose up towards it. It also contains wheat.

I just want to add, that uncooked yeast bread is dangerous, this is when yeast is fermenting, and it can expand in a dog's stomach causing problems, but once cooked there should be no problems, and it won't just lie in the stomach. It's the uncooked yeast that can cause the problem, not the wheat.

[mimimomo]

Thanks for the clarification Nancy. I can be very gullible sometimes lol.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Thanks for the clarification Nancy. I can be very gullible sometimes lol.

Actually I believe the story about the dog dying, it was probably an uncooked loaf of bread rising on the counter, and they really smell good, so he may have eaten the whole loaf, and it would continue rising in his stomach! From what I've read, even a little bit can hurt them.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by BaxtersMommy

I cant remember...did I send you the LA canned food?

OH YEAH!!! I totally forgot about that! I didn't even open it yet. I'll try that!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Actually I believe the story about the dog dying, it was probably an uncooked loaf of bread rising on the counter, and they really smell good, so he may have eaten the whole loaf, and it would continue rising in his stomach! From what I've read, even a little bit can hurt them.

So it IS ok to give bread then? In small amounts like a treat? I guess i will try to not give white bread anymore.

When Uni is being picky, she on occasion will throw up yellow bile, but these past few days she has not. She has been eating at least once a day. I try to get her to eat 2x a day. When she doesn't eat her food in the am, after a few hours i will offer cottage cheese or egg white, which she usually loves, but that other day would not take anything. Not even chicken jerky. I don't know what was up with her that day. Pooped and peed normal.