Food Issue again: Maybe he's tired of the food - YorkieTalk.com Forums

veggienut · 11-11-2010, 06:14 PM

I don't know if a dog can tire of the brand of food or type he's on. Nor do I know if I should (non-allowed word) food again. What do ya'll think. This has been going on all week, maybe longer. He won't eat but once a day, and at night. At night is when I play ball with him and give him vitamins cut up as treats. He then goes for a bit of food between his tiny bites of his soft chew vitamins. If I don't give him any, he may eat a nibble of his food, and then again he may only smell and walk away. I gave him a bit in his tiny scooper and he ate only when I added some of his vitamins in there. Anytime I add stuff in his dry food he will eat, but after a while, he will pick only the wet and leave the dry. This has gotten to the point like whenever I have switched food on him. What brands do ya'll use~? Have any of ya'll had these issues~? I only gave him one treat this am after I groomed him and nothing more. I have cut treats out in the past and did pick the bowl up after so many minutes if he didn't eat, but nothing like that works for him. He holds out. Is this a terrier issue. I just don't know of anything else to do except to (non-allowed word) and I have no idea to what brand.

CesarTheGreat · 11-11-2010, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggienut

I don't know if a dog can tire of the brand of food or type he's on. Nor do I know if I should (non-allowed word) food again. What do ya'll think. This has been going on all week, maybe longer. He won't eat but once a day, and at night. At night is when I play ball with him and give him vitamins cut up as treats. He then goes for a bit of food between his tiny bites of his soft chew vitamins. If I don't give him any, he may eat a nibble of his food, and then again he may only smell and walk away. I gave him a bit in his tiny scooper and he ate only when I added some of his vitamins in there. Anytime I add stuff in his dry food he will eat, but after a while, he will pick only the wet and leave the dry. This has gotten to the point like whenever I have switched food on him. What brands do ya'll use~? Have any of ya'll had these issues~? I only gave him one treat this am after I groomed him and nothing more. I have cut treats out in the past and did pick the bowl up after so many minutes if he didn't eat, but nothing like that works for him. He holds out. Is this a terrier issue. I just don't know of anything else to do except to (non-allowed word) and I have no idea to what brand.

When I switched over to blue brand food, my dog would devour it. If I put some hot water over it and stirred it up, he'd go crazy for it. He seems to enjoy the food much more than the puppy chow I was feeding him before I was told about the Blue food.

He also went from pooping 5-6 times per day to once or twice per day, and his coat is much shinier. It does give him bad gas though, that's the only part about it that I can't stand. He's sleeping next to me as I type this and every once in a while it'll creep up to me.

I did see a segment on television where a woman couldn't get her dog to eat. Cesar Milan said that some dogs want to work for their food, as it's in their instinct. So he took a toy that had a hole in it, filled it with food, and the dog had to roll it around on the floor to get the food to spill out, then he would eat it off the floor. If you can't get him to eat you may want to try that.

yorkieusa · 11-11-2010, 08:06 PM

I've never had that problem. If I ever tried a new food, I could tell immediately if she liked it or not. Some foods just don't taste good to them, I suppose, and I'm sure that each individual has different taste buds - just like people. Mine loves the Natural Balance Ultra Premium Small Bites Chicken & Rice formula. She doesn't get tired of it. I remember she liked Wellness, too, but the bites were too big for her. They may have some small size kibble by now. I haven't checked.

veggienut · 11-12-2010, 08:09 AM

It seems that is the only way I can get him to eat, he wants to play ball as you mentioned. He brings the ball to me but I am not really ready to play when I roll out of bed with one eye opened. Usually, he does eat then. What about rotating flavors each bag, as someone suggested to me on another forum (not this one)~?

FlDebra · 11-12-2010, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggienut

I don't know if a dog can tire of the brand of food or type he's on. Nor do I know if I should (non-allowed word) food again. What do ya'll think. This has been going on all week, maybe longer. He won't eat but once a day, and at night. At night is when I play ball with him and give him vitamins cut up as treats. He then goes for a bit of food between his tiny bites of his soft chew vitamins. If I don't give him any, he may eat a nibble of his food, and then again he may only smell and walk away. I gave him a bit in his tiny scooper and he ate only when I added some of his vitamins in there. Anytime I add stuff in his dry food he will eat, but after a while, he will pick only the wet and leave the dry. This has gotten to the point like whenever I have switched food on him. What brands do ya'll use~? Have any of ya'll had these issues~? I only gave him one treat this am after I groomed him and nothing more. I have cut treats out in the past and did pick the bowl up after so many minutes if he didn't eat, but nothing like that works for him. He holds out. Is this a terrier issue. I just don't know of anything else to do except to (non-allowed word) and I have no idea to what brand.

Why does your post have the (non-allowed word) entries? I have never seen this before. Are you typing it or are there really non-allowed words on YT? Just curious.

I have never worried about how much my dogs are eating (after they pass the 12 week mark anyway). I look at results. Are they gaining weight as puppies and continuing to look healthy as adult dogs. Just like human babies, they go through spurts when they just do not eat as much. They also may have foods that they don't like as well. But I have never seen a dog starve himself when any food is available. They can be stubborn, but as long as they are not going hypoglycemic on you, I would not worry so much. You say he is eating in the morning and again at night? That is fine. Mine eat a tiny nibble here and there throughout the day. It never seems to amount to anything, but they are all healthy weights. So, I don't worry. I do think we should offer a little variety at times. I have read that dogs are different and don't mind eating the same thing every day. I thought -- "How do they know that?" So, I occasionally give mine a different food. Sometimes they will pick out all of their old. Sometimes they only want to eat the new. If so, then I will change to the new. That is how I fed Ryal Canin (I know -- not everyone's favorite food -- but it is my dog's favorite). They will pick it out no matter what else is mixed with it. They also prefer any type of canned over dry. So, I limit the amount of canned. I don't think it is as good for them, but again, it offers variety. So, I give it occasionally as a treat.

I am not as food-snobbish as I should be probably. But I figure a lot of science and research has gone into most of these foods and as long as they don't have by-products or full of fillers, I don't have a problem with most of them.

BonBon · 11-12-2010, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veggienut

It seems that is the only way I can get him to eat, he wants to play ball as you mentioned. He brings the ball to me but I am not really ready to play when I roll out of bed with one eye opened. Usually, he does eat then. What about rotating flavors each bag, as someone suggested to me on another forum (not this one)~?

That's what I do, mainly to help keep them from getting tired of their food. And to try to provide a variety of nutrients for them. It's worked for me - I've never had a problem with them getting bored with their food.

What food are you currently feeding? Which others have you tried?

veggienut · 11-12-2010, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Why does your post have the (non-allowed word) entries? I have never seen this before. Are you typing it or are there really non-allowed words on YT? Just curious.

I have no idea what your talking about

veggienut · 11-12-2010, 09:47 AM

I called the "Blue Buffalo" company and just talked to them about this issue. I'm not the first person that called that owned a Yorkie that had this food issue. She suggested that maybe switching to another flavor and/or a larger kibble. The person that posted the switching of flavors within the brand is a good suggestion too.

Shorkielover · 11-12-2010, 08:08 PM

Wellness does have a small breed kibble. It works well for my lil guy! From time to time, Mocha will go through his non eating spell. I've come to realize or at least it seems that each time he does this, he's not feeling well.

Ringo1 · 11-12-2010, 08:40 PM

I think they can get tired of the same old same old. Rotating flavors within the same brand is a good idea; others have 3-4 favorite brands that they rotate between; ensuring a good variety of various different elements,minerals, and vitamins.

I keep Ringo on Blue Buffalo but rotate between Duck and Chicken flavored kibble.

I also put a little canned food on their kibble at night and rotate flavors of that.

veggienut · 11-13-2010, 01:02 PM

I got a different flavor in "Blue Buffalo" and mixed a bit in his other flavor thinking he would eat a bit more. He did nibble on some, but not much. I don't know if he doesn't like it since some he takes out of the bowl and puts on the ground or floor. He did get a good whiff and seemed interested, but when I put the bowl down he wouldn't eat until I played ball with him.

dottiesyrky · 11-13-2010, 01:26 PM

I too wondered what words have to be deleted from text as in "(non allowed word)" in your post??? The context looked very innocuous and I could not figure out what 'bad word' could be deleted.
As for the food issue. It seems strange that your dog would not eat the usual food any more. One thing I heard here and has worked for me and others with picky eaters is to sprinkle a VERY VERY SMALL amount (as it is salty) of Parmesan cheese powder on the food. They cannot pick it out and have to eat the food to get the taste of the cheese. He He!
I use BB chicken and rice and my dog loves it dry, black bits and all.
Good luck!

veggienut · 11-13-2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottiesyrky

I too wondered what words have to be deleted from text as in "(non allowed word)" in your post??? The context looked very innocuous and I could not figure out what 'bad word' could be deleted.
As for the food issue. It seems strange that your dog would not eat the usual food any more. One thing I heard here and has worked for me and others with picky eaters is to sprinkle a VERY VERY SMALL amount (as it is salty) of Parmesan cheese powder on the food. They cannot pick it out and have to eat the food to get the taste of the cheese. He He!
I use BB chicken and rice and my dog loves it dry, black bits and all.
Good luck!

I posted the same post of 3 different forums and all 3 have (non-allowed word) which I am only seeing now. I have no idea what the word is and I don't curse or use bad words in my posts. I don't have any earthly idea what word it could be that isn't allowed.

dottiesyrky · 11-13-2010, 03:32 PM

Hi:
It is so weird!!! Please do not even think that I thought you wrote 'bad words', and I pointed out that the context would not appear to leave no room for 'bad words' even if one wanted them! Perhaps food or dog has become 'bad', who knows!!!
Anyway I hope the food suggestion had some use to you and that your baby is eating better now. It is so worrying when they don't eat.

gcoronado4 · 11-13-2010, 04:48 PM

There have been times when one of my two yorkies does not eat. At first I thought it was a bit weird, and was worried that maybe he wasn't feeling well. But after some time of him doing this and switching his food multiple times, I have figured out that my little one is simply just a picky eater! This may be because occasionally we spoil them with a little fresh chicken in their food.

If a dog is hungry though, he will eventually eat no matter what. Only in extreme cases will a dog ever not eat because they are too picky. I have been feeding mine Blue Buffalo and so far my picky eater loves it! They both love a little warm water in it to make it nice and mushy! mmmmmmm

11-11-2010, 06:14 PM	#1
veggienut YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 805	Food Issue again: Maybe he's tired of the food I don't know if a dog can tire of the brand of food or type he's on. Nor do I know if I should (non-allowed word) food again. What do ya'll think. This has been going on all week, maybe longer. He won't eat but once a day, and at night. At night is when I play ball with him and give him vitamins cut up as treats. He then goes for a bit of food between his tiny bites of his soft chew vitamins. If I don't give him any, he may eat a nibble of his food, and then again he may only smell and walk away. I gave him a bit in his tiny scooper and he ate only when I added some of his vitamins in there. Anytime I add stuff in his dry food he will eat, but after a while, he will pick only the wet and leave the dry. This has gotten to the point like whenever I have switched food on him. What brands do ya'll use~? Have any of ya'll had these issues~? I only gave him one treat this am after I groomed him and nothing more. I have cut treats out in the past and did pick the bowl up after so many minutes if he didn't eat, but nothing like that works for him. He holds out. Is this a terrier issue. I just don't know of anything else to do except to (non-allowed word) and I have no idea to what brand.

11-11-2010, 08:06 PM	#3
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	I've never had that problem. If I ever tried a new food, I could tell immediately if she liked it or not. Some foods just don't taste good to them, I suppose, and I'm sure that each individual has different taste buds - just like people. Mine loves the Natural Balance Ultra Premium Small Bites Chicken & Rice formula. She doesn't get tired of it. I remember she liked Wellness, too, but the bites were too big for her. They may have some small size kibble by now. I haven't checked. __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel

11-12-2010, 08:40 PM	#10
Ringo1 Ringo (1) and Lucy too! Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: On the Edge of Glory Posts: 3,447	I think they can get tired of the same old same old. Rotating flavors within the same brand is a good idea; others have 3-4 favorite brands that they rotate between; ensuring a good variety of various different elements,minerals, and vitamins. I keep Ringo on Blue Buffalo but rotate between Duck and Chicken flavored kibble. I also put a little canned food on their kibble at night and rotate flavors of that. __________________ Mommy to Lucy, Ringo, and Matthew

11-13-2010, 01:26 PM	#12
dottiesyrky Donating YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: SW USA Posts: 2,505	'Non allowed words' I too wondered what words have to be deleted from text as in "(non allowed word)" in your post??? The context looked very innocuous and I could not figure out what 'bad word' could be deleted. As for the food issue. It seems strange that your dog would not eat the usual food any more. One thing I heard here and has worked for me and others with picky eaters is to sprinkle a VERY VERY SMALL amount (as it is salty) of Parmesan cheese powder on the food. They cannot pick it out and have to eat the food to get the taste of the cheese. He He! I use BB chicken and rice and my dog loves it dry, black bits and all. Good luck!

11-13-2010, 03:32 PM	#14
dottiesyrky Donating YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: SW USA Posts: 2,505	Words! Hi: It is so weird!!! Please do not even think that I thought you wrote 'bad words', and I pointed out that the context would not appear to leave no room for 'bad words' even if one wanted them! Perhaps food or dog has become 'bad', who knows!!! Anyway I hope the food suggestion had some use to you and that your baby is eating better now. It is so worrying when they don't eat.

11-12-2010, 08:09 AM	#4
veggienut YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 805	It seems that is the only way I can get him to eat, he wants to play ball as you mentioned. He brings the ball to me but I am not really ready to play when I roll out of bed with one eye opened. Usually, he does eat then. What about rotating flavors each bag, as someone suggested to me on another forum (not this one)~?

11-12-2010, 09:47 AM	#8
veggienut YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 805	I called the "Blue Buffalo" company and just talked to them about this issue. I'm not the first person that called that owned a Yorkie that had this food issue. She suggested that maybe switching to another flavor and/or a larger kibble. The person that posted the switching of flavors within the brand is a good suggestion too.

11-12-2010, 08:08 PM	#9
Shorkielover Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 106	Wellness does have a small breed kibble. It works well for my lil guy! From time to time, Mocha will go through his non eating spell. I've come to realize or at least it seems that each time he does this, he's not feeling well.

11-13-2010, 01:02 PM	#11
veggienut YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 805	I got a different flavor in "Blue Buffalo" and mixed a bit in his other flavor thinking he would eat a bit more. He did nibble on some, but not much. I don't know if he doesn't like it since some he takes out of the bowl and puts on the ground or floor. He did get a good whiff and seemed interested, but when I put the bowl down he wouldn't eat until I played ball with him.

11-13-2010, 04:48 PM	#15
gcoronado4 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: sacramento, ca, usa Posts: 101	There have been times when one of my two yorkies does not eat. At first I thought it was a bit weird, and was worried that maybe he wasn't feeling well. But after some time of him doing this and switching his food multiple times, I have figured out that my little one is simply just a picky eater! This may be because occasionally we spoil them with a little fresh chicken in their food. If a dog is hungry though, he will eventually eat no matter what. Only in extreme cases will a dog ever not eat because they are too picky. I have been feeding mine Blue Buffalo and so far my picky eater loves it! They both love a little warm water in it to make it nice and mushy! mmmmmmm Last edited by gcoronado4; 11-13-2010 at 04:49 PM.