Help...I want to switch back to dog food...what do you suggest for picky dogs?

[cinnamonmon]

I have been home cooking for about 3 months now for my 3 and am so sick of doing it. I did it because they werent eating the food I was buying half the time which I know was bad anyways (Little Cesar and Kibbles and Bits dry), so when I switched I figured I would be saving money and that they would be eating more consistently. Prior to this, I might put food out in the evening and it would still be there in the morning.Plus my Yorkie was always throwing up and I thought a more neutral diet would be better. In fact I first started this after another one of her throwing up episodes. She has been seen by the vet who says she has a sensitive stomach.
I switched to a diet of cooked meat (varies in kind), with brown rice, sometimes an egg, and a teaspoon of missing link. I now think I am probably not giving them the proper nutrients plus they have turned as picky with the people food as they were with the dog food, plus I am tired of having to cook everyday for them. I dont even cook that much for my family to tell the truth.
So, my question is...what can I try that they might like? Are they so spoiled now with people food that they wont ever go back to dog food? What can I try that your picky dog likes? I have tried Merricks wet which they would not touch, Purina One which they wouldnt touch, Royal Canin, no luck, plus a few others. Tried to go back to the improved Little Cesar but no luck. I actually have tried mxing some meat in with the Cesar in the hopes that I would gradually give less and less people food and more dog food, but they just pick the people food out and leave the rest. My husband gets so angry that I waste so much money trying these foods that they wont eat but I dont know what to do. My Yorkie has gained alot of weight too which is not good for her. Thanks for any help you can give.
Laura

[Ellie May]

Good Evening. I am going to guess that it will be easier (although very expensive) to get your dogs to eat canned food. As long as it is a healthy brand it is probably better than kibble anyway. Have you tried Canidae canned? If you want to go with a kibble I recommend Canidae, Innova, Orijen, and a few others are good also. If you are trying different kibbles, how long are you waiting to see if they eat before you give them what they want?

[TootiesMom]

I just ordered a sample of life's abundance and Hope LOVED it... I have had this problem with my little one too and she is now eating Hills z/d prescription, DUE TO ILLNESS... most people dont like this food but I trust my vet and it has helped her with her stomach problems... but I do mix mine with a little boiled chicken and the juice, it gives the kibbles a very good taste to her...
I will be ordering life's abundance for her, she really liked it..
d

[Gracie2006]

I just started Gracie on Ziwi Peak. It is freeze dried meat. She goes nuts over the lamb flavor. I will often put a few pieces of it in with canned food to entice her to eat the canned. Otherwise, she gets the ziwi with some mixed vegies, brown rice or ww pasta or sweet potato.

[Archie's Mom]

My picky pup loves the Natural Balance foods -- discovered this when visiting a friend once (while Archie was eating Royal Canin). My friend was feeding her dogs the Natural Balance Premium and Archie started eating out of their bowls. I was looking to switch, so I let him "choose" his own food. Recently, my vet was having me try some foods for allergies, and recommended Innova Evo or Wellness. I tried both and he wanted neither one. So, I tried the Natural Balance Duck and Potato and he gobbles it right up!

[LC598]

I too had a picky eater. This might sound hard and boy does it make you feel bad but I tried it and it works.

Cut out all treats. Put the food down, whichever you decide you want to feed them. Leave it down for 20 mins. If it is not eaten by then pick it up and throw it away. Try the same at lunch time and then again at dinner time. If they don't eat any of it during the day still resist from giving them treats. Do the same the following day. They may not eat for a few day. My little girl went 4 days and then ate. As soon as they have eaten give them a treat. Continue you this everyday and eventually they will eat. If you keep changing their food they will test you just to wait to see what is next. It took 3 or 4 months to get my little girl eating. She now eats almost everyday.

Trust me, it will work. You have to be strong. My little one wouldn't eat anything at all exept treats. Now she eats a mixture of wet and dry food.

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by LC598

I too had a picky eater. This might sound hard and boy does it make you feel bad but I tried it and it works.

Cut out all treats. Put the food down, whichever you decide you want to feed them. Leave it down for 20 mins. If it is not eaten by then pick it up and throw it away. Try the same at lunch time and then again at dinner time. If they don't eat any of it during the day still resist from giving them treats. Do the same the following day. They may not eat for a few day. My little girl went 4 days and then ate. As soon as they have eaten give them a treat. Continue you this everyday and eventually they will eat. If you keep changing their food they will test you just to wait to see what is next. It took 3 or 4 months to get my little girl eating. She now eats almost everyday.

Trust me, it will work. You have to be strong. My little one wouldn't eat anything at all exept treats. Now she eats a mixture of wet and dry food.

I somewhat agree with this. Cut out the treats, and feed them the same thing each day at certain times maybe 2-3 times per day. Leave it down for 20 minutes. Whatever they eat, pick it back up after the time is up. In a day or two, they WILL eat. They're just waiting for you to come up with some other gourmet dish for them-they're only picky because they CAN be. Just like kids

With all that in mind, be sure to watch them for hypoglycemic symptoms. If you're unsure or worried about it, give them a little NutriCal or rub some Karo syrup on their gums.

I would also strongly recommend that you stick with the homemade diet. It's so much better for your dogs-at least you know what's actually in their food, and you can control the ingredients, and give them a variety of different things off and on. You might try raw meat instead of cooked-they may be more eager to eat it that way. My dogs also really like sweet potato, frozen green peas, and lettuce. I know that Marci's dog Layla will eat her dinner, as long as it has grated cheddar cheese on top!

You could also try and use fruits and veggies as treats instead of store bought to get them accustomed to healthy food-try frozen peas, bits of cheese, pieces of peeled apple or banana, broken whole-wheat crackers, plain cheerios, or a little yogurt. It's not expensive or complicated, because you probably have many of those things in your kitchen already!

I would also encourage you to try some of the recipes found in the sticky on homemade foods. Some are very easy and cost effective to make, and they're a hit with my dogs for sure!

If you're worried about them getting the right nutrients, I recommend the Healthy Powder from the book by Dr. Pitcairn.

If you really want to use kibble, try a quality brand, like the Canidae or Orijen for one meal each day. I feed my dogs kibble in the morning, mixed with 1 tsp. cottage cheese each. I would probably not feed the Caesar food or the other low quality canned foods. Many times they are not healthy for your dog, and can cause other health issues. Check it out at www.dogfoodanalysis.com.

If you have questions, or need recipe ideas or other help, please PM me, I'm happy to help you out!

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by Suzy

I somewhat agree with this. Cut out the treats, and feed them the same thing each day at certain times maybe 2-3 times per day. Leave it down for 20 minutes. Whatever they eat, pick it back up after the time is up. In a day or two, they WILL eat. They're just waiting for you to come up with some other gourmet dish for them-they're only picky because they CAN be. Just like kids

With all that in mind, be sure to watch them for hypoglycemic symptoms. If you're unsure or worried about it, give them a little NutriCal or rub some Karo syrup on their gums.

I would also strongly recommend that you stick with the homemade diet. It's so much better for your dogs-at least you know what's actually in their food, and you can control the ingredients, and give them a variety of different things off and on. You might try raw meat instead of cooked-they may be more eager to eat it that way. My dogs also really like sweet potato, frozen green peas, and lettuce. I know that Marci's dog Layla will eat her dinner, as long as it has grated cheddar cheese on top!

You could also try and use fruits and veggies as treats instead of store bought to get them accustomed to healthy food-try frozen peas, bits of cheese, pieces of peeled apple or banana, broken whole-wheat crackers, plain cheerios, or a little yogurt. It's not expensive or complicated, because you probably have many of those things in your kitchen already!

I would also encourage you to try some of the recipes found in the sticky on homemade foods. Some are very easy and cost effective to make, and they're a hit with my dogs for sure!

If you're worried about them getting the right nutrients, I recommend the Healthy Powder from the book by Dr. Pitcairn.

If you really want to use kibble, try a quality brand, like the Canidae or Orijen for one meal each day. I feed my dogs kibble in the morning, mixed with 1 tsp. cottage cheese each. I would probably not feed the Caesar food or the other low quality canned foods. Many times they are not healthy for your dog, and can cause other health issues. Check it out at www.dogfoodanalysis.com.

If you have questions, or need recipe ideas or other help, please PM me, I'm happy to help you out!

[Suzy]

You like my "shout out" to you and Lay, Marci?

[Monday]

Originally Posted by Suzy

I somewhat agree with this. Cut out the treats, and feed them the same thing each day at certain times maybe 2-3 times per day. Leave it down for 20 minutes. Whatever they eat, pick it back up after the time is up. In a day or two, they WILL eat. They're just waiting for you to come up with some other gourmet dish for them-they're only picky because they CAN be. Just like kids

This is exactly what my vet recommended ... and he said that if I switched and gave into them, I was offering options ...
and that was not how it should be.

PS.. same for kids .... <smile>

[cinnamonmon]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I do appreciate the info about home feeding, but I really think I am tired of doing this. Its funny, my vet said the same thing about them not eating. He said he has only had one dog go more than 4 days without eating. Im not sure I could do that though but I know "tough love" is the only way to change things. I will try the different foods mentioned, though I cant do it exactly as suggested as I work, so I could only offer it in the morning and evening. I have tried many of the foods suggested here but as I said they wont touch them either but will retry some of them with your suggestions.
laura

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I do appreciate the info about home feeding, but I really think I am tired of doing this. Its funny, my vet said the same thing about them not eating. He said he has only had one dog go more than 4 days without eating. Im not sure I could do that though but I know "tough love" is the only way to change things. I will try the different foods mentioned, though I cant do it exactly as suggested as I work, so I could only offer it in the morning and evening. I have tried many of the foods suggested here but as I said they wont touch them either but will retry some of them with your suggestions.
laura

I'm glad your vet agrees!

Please reconsider home cooking-I cook once every 2-3 weeks for my two dogs. I make bigger batches, and freeze in smaller portions. Every 2-3 days, I thaw out a new portion, which lasts 2-3 days in the fridge. It's really easy, cost effective, and healthy for my dogs. I also will use leftovers to make them something quick-for example, leftover pasta, frozen veggies, tofu, and cheese make for a wonderful quick dinner for them, and I use up our leftovers! You can do the same thing with an egg, some fruit, and a little yogurt in no time at all!

[Yorkiekids]

Mine love the natural balance, and their picky as well.

[Yorkiedaze]

I think you should stay with real food. It's healthier. No dog food is safe!! You do not know what is in the dog food even if they have the ingredients labeled. That can be very deceiving and are not government regulated. Please read these sites about what goes into dog food and buy Ann N. Martin's book titled FOOD PETS DIE FOR.


http://www.homevet.com/petcare/foodbook.html

http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79

http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/03.html

[Bunny244]

Amen! This is the best advice you've gotten!