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03-22-2005, 11:31 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| for everyone who has a FINICKY EATER! For all of you frustrated yorkie owners who have a stubborn little guy or girl who: - will only eat from your hand - refuses to eat for hours or days - will only eat people food - starves him/herself on purpose - spits food out after taking a bite and walks away - has no interest in food at all I have the solution: I was reading so many posted messages on this site about stubborn yorkies who starved themselves and cannot believe how many of you are out there! My perfect, 5 pound yorkie Stormy with AKC champion lines would starve himself for days, his little belly growling. I spent 2 years trying every canned and dry dog food and every type of people food imaginable (he wouldn't even eat hamburgers or filet mignon!) I also tried putting it in a bowl, feeding him by hand, making it a seem like a treat and force feeding him. The only thing Stormy would eat consistantly was American cheese, until I found a solution completely by accident... in a last ditch effort to get him to eat, I grabbed some unusual looking dog food at a new pet store while on vacation, and it has worked now for a number finicky yorkies (including a traumatized 10 year old 4 pound yorkie who had starved himself for 3 weeks, he was so sad that his owner gave him up to go into a nursing home and lost so much weight until I fostered him before he went to his forever home...he was a little bone rack...but, within one week, Rexxy had gained a half a pound and his new mom said he eats 3 times a day now and has gained over a pound in one month!), so I am passing on my experience to all of you out there who have tried just about everything. 1) Purchase a "tube" of NATURAL BALANCE dog food rolls - ultra premium dog food. Here is the website for more information: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/pro...s.html#Product and the phone number: 800 829 4493 (if your dog has food allergies, make sure to check the ingredients first) 2) Cut a 1-1.5 inch "wheel" off of the roll (2 times a day) and chop it up into tiny, yorkie-bite-size pieces 3) Take your baby to a very quiet spot, his/her favorite cozy spot...a fluffy blanket, the carry bag, the window seat, where ever they feel most comfortable 4) Put that hand full of chopped food in front of your baby, ON the blanket, NOT in a dish, or in your hand, and sit down and read a paper near them, watch TV or do something that takes your attention off of them for 15 minutes to a half hour...they WILL eat it. (Rexxy needed to be left completely alone with no distractions to eat his food and I used to put Stormy's in his carry bag, clip him in and take him shopping, within 10 minutes, he'd be gulping it down! Of course, if you do this, make sure you have fresh water on hand because your pooch will be thirsty before you get home!) Not only is this dog food yummy (I ate it to make sure, because if I don't like the taste, Stormy DEFINITELY wouldn't eat it...it tastes like sweet beef jerky!) it lasts for 12 months unopened and is easy to refrigerate after opening...just put it in a ziplock bag with the outer wrap still on the roll and stick it in the fridge! I never have to deal with messy wet food or plastic can covers either. It is one of the healthiest dog foods out there and my yorkies swear by it! If you try it, I'd love to hear your success stories. After 2 years of panic, frustration, and wasted money, I want everyone to benefit from my knowledge. Karen Last edited by kbartolomei; 03-22-2005 at 11:37 AM. |
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03-22-2005, 11:53 AM | #2 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| What flavor, I know they have lamb, beef and turkey. Is it the consistency of the canned food. I bought the lamb canned of this brand, first day he gobbled it down, after that, he wouldn't touch it. Do you feed this with dry as well, or just this roll? I haven't tried their dry. Okay, Petco here I come (again). |
03-22-2005, 12:28 PM | #3 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| Hi! ONLY the ROLLED dog food, not canned!!! And you just feed it by itself, don't mix it with anything - it is so tasty and smells good too (I tried mixing it with dry and wet before and Stormy used to pick out the pieces of Natural Balance rolled food and leave the rest). Beef was Stormy's favorite! It is not the consistency of the wet food, it is dry and soft, but solid. Stormy did the same thing that your little guy did, he'd gobble up the new food flavor for one meal and then never go near it again. I know your frustration. You can also order it online at petco.com! Let me know how it goes. Karen |
03-22-2005, 02:18 PM | #4 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| So you are saying feed this only, no dry, no canned??? |
03-22-2005, 04:11 PM | #5 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| Yes, that is it - just the rolled food. If you read the information on the Natural Balance website, it is one of the best dog foods on the market. It is a complete balanced diet, and full of the same ingredients as their dried and canned food. "Scientifically formulated by veterinarians and animal nutritionists to provide high quality nutrition and optimize skin and coat condition. Rich in nutrients and energy, a 4 lb. Roll is equal to any 10 -13 oz Premium Dog Food Cans. USDA inspected meats, no by-products, (an excellent source of protein), and dried kelp (an excellent natural source of vitamins, mineral and trace elements). The high quality animal fats (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, source of vitamin E, and ascorbic acid – vitamin C) helps your dog have a healthy skin and a shiny coat." A big reason why most vets strongly recommend dried food is to promote good oral hygiene. I found that with the dried food, Stormy was swallowing it whole anyway, so it wasn't helping his oral hygiene. For good oral hygiene, I recommend petite size Greenies (I have found that most yorkies I know, including Stormy use the brush end to hold the Greenie while chewing, and don't eat it when they get done with the bone and stick of the Greenie, so I take the brush end and throw it away, this way they are not eating too much, but still enjoying the chewing and getting the blood flow in their gums for good oral health). Also, Booda Fresh N’ Brite Bones are fabulous, you can get them here: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...001+22759+1031 and Booda Bimple Bones are great for your dogs teeth and have far less calories and protein than the Greenies but they are fully edible and good for their teeth and gums, you may want to let them chew on one of these a day instead of the Greenies. Most dogs go WILD for Greenies and they help fight tartar and plaque and make their breath so fresh. If you use Greenies, be sure not to give them more than one a day, as they are full of protein and can cause a little bit of weight gain if not regulated. The other thing I do to keep my dog's teeth healthy is to use Premier Pet Dental Wipes with baking soda once a day. The tooth brush was too scary looking for Stormy, but with tooth wipes, you wrap them around your pointer finger or your thumb and rub the teeth and they love the minty flavor. Plus it is their mommy's finger, so it is not scary! Stormy would rip them up afterward just for fun! Let me know if you have any more questions. Last edited by kbartolomei; 03-22-2005 at 04:25 PM. |
03-22-2005, 04:17 PM | #6 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 402
| The roll is a complete food. It can be used alone or as a supplement to regular meals. I put mine in a food processor to chop it up really good. Once opened it needs refrigeration and gets kinda hard to chop up by hand. I bought a small chopper type processor for that. I use a blender for the dry to make a mush for the pups with the natural balance sweet potato and fish dry, and warm water. I do find some Yorkies don't like to eat from a dish. I don't know why, maybe they don't like their noses in there or something. I will put food on the floor or a flat bread plate for ones like that. Its easier than hand feeding. |
03-22-2005, 04:23 PM | #7 |
Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tontitown Arkansas
Posts: 4,909
| Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all you did about this food. I bet it will help so many finicky eaters out there. I am familiar with this product as i too had a finicky eater as you described. She was Half-Pint (RIP), however she did not eat this food either. The breeder gave it to me the day I adopted her and I tried it during my "trials of foods". In no way do I blame this food, nor am I trying to "crash your thread" as I do believe Half-Pint had many health problems besides a lack of appetite. She ate one huge meal of boiled chicken and rice the day before she passed away. However my other pet's gobbled up this rolled doggie food quicker than I could feed them more, so I know it's good stuff.
__________________ ~~**~~ Schatzie and Ransom ~~**~~ |
03-22-2005, 05:07 PM | #8 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| I would like to clarify an important point in my original email...it is the only dog food Stormy ate more than once, and he has eaten it consistantly for the past 2 years, every day, two times a day and actually barks uncontrollably and jumps up and down while I cut it up. BUT... it is so important that your finicky baby be completely free of distractions and as comfortable as can be when you feed them. Most yorkies are extremely intelligent and it takes more than just food to keep them interested, so if there are any other animals or people or sounds going on, they may walk away from the food. Which is why Stormy had to be in his carry bag or laying in a puffy blanket in bed. The other important thing to remember is that you must ignore them while they eat it because yorkies are smart enough to know that if they wont eat they will get your attention! Thanks to schatzie's mom for bringing up an important point...there might be an extreme case where this food just doesn't work...your dog may have other health issues, digestive problems, etc. below the surface that could affect their appetite, but I have not yet come across a finicky yorkie who doesn't like it, and I have told at least 9 owners so far with 100% success. I see so many frail yorkies with stringy hair and I know by looking at them that they are stubborn and finicky when it comes to food. I am passing the information on, because it was amazing to see the transformation in Stormy, and watch him actually enjoy eating healthy food...and after literally YEARS of worry and aggrevation, it was such a relief to know he was getting proper nutrition and loving it! He stopped having the runs, he stopped throwing up from upset stomach, he stopped shivering and being tired from lack of food and low blood sugar. His coat was thicker, softer and did not get matted like it used to, and he put on almost a pound, and it was all muscle weight and I didn't have to force feed him anymore. It is amazing what a proper diet can do for your yorkie's health. I am so happy I didn't give up searching for the right dog food for him, and wanted to save everyone the time and stress of going through what I did to find it! Last edited by kbartolomei; 03-22-2005 at 07:32 PM. |
03-22-2005, 07:14 PM | #9 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| I just had to comment. I stopped at Petco on the way home and bought 4 of the small rolls (2.75 oz). Brought them home, chopped/grated up just 1/2 of the 2.75 oz and put it on a saucer for Beau. HE LICKED THE PLATE CLEAN. He ate more tonight than he's probably eaten all week. I hope he loves it as well tomorrow as he did tonight. I think for the first time in a long time my baby got full. YIPPEE!! My question is, how many oz's do I give him. 1/2 cup graded up in the morning and 1/2 cup at night? He's 4 months old and weighs 3.2 lbs. I've seen those rolls at Petco every time I go and didn't try them as I thought here's one more thing he is not going to like but he LOVED IT!!!! Thank you for the suggestion. |
03-22-2005, 07:37 PM | #10 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| YAY!!!I am so thrilled to hear that!!! Keep me posted, I'll be checking in to see how Beau is eating tomorrow, and I am SO GLAD you tried it! In answer to your question, on the side of the package it says a 2.5 inch thick slice per day for dogs under 10 pounds, so I would give Beau no more than a 1 inch thick slice 2 times a day. Because our dogs are so small, it is preferrable to feed them 2 to 3 times per day so they don't suffer from low blood sugar. I usually feed mine the rolled food once when I get up and again around 5 (at dinner time) adding a couple treats or small bones here and there in the middle of the day and later in the evening. Just for fun, try these treats... feed your dog between 5 and 10/day...Stormy loves them as training treats...I think you can get them at Petco too: http://store.yahoo.com/pet-guys/-051233205560.html Last edited by kbartolomei; 03-22-2005 at 07:54 PM. |
03-22-2005, 07:44 PM | #11 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 402
| Glad he is eating! Hope he continues to enjoy it. Shredding is a good way to feed it. I measure by the inch. Is that oz or pounds you bought? I would feed a pup 3 times a day, 1/2" each time. If he doesn't eat it all next time cut it back a bit. If you got the sample size I would think he would eat a whole one of those 3 times a day. |
03-22-2005, 07:46 PM | #12 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| I got the sample size which is 2.75 oz, not even a 1/2 a cup and I only fed him about 3/4 of that 2.75 ozs, I think I need to feed him a little more but with what I put down he seemed to be full and even walked away for a while and came back and finished it off. |
03-22-2005, 07:52 PM | #13 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 18
| Don't forget to put the unused portion (if there is any!) in the refrigerator and seal it up tight in a ziplock or plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. |
03-23-2005, 08:38 AM | #14 |
YT Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NY
Posts: 360
| THIS IS SO FUNNY! I was at Petco the day before yesterday and picked up these rolls as a last ditch effort, and yesterday, this post was posted! I agree. Archie eats these. |
03-23-2005, 08:50 AM | #15 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| My little guy tried the lamb this morning, didn't seem to be that interested in this one, though he did eat quite a bit, but less than the beef he tried last night. I have noticed a couple of things since dinner last night. He's drinking alot more water, like this food makes him thirstier and since he's drinking more water, he's peeing more AND he pooped 3 times this morning in an hour which is not normal for him. It wasn't diarhea. Is the thirst, the peeing alot and the pooping more than usual because of this food? |
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