I too have a picky eater. I've tried Wellness, Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Three Dog Bakery, Wilderness, and Royal Canin brands dry food and Wellness, Caesar, and Science Diet brands wet food. I've tried a homemade concoction my bro-in-law made of sausage/beef, scrambled eggs, cooked rice, cooked carrots. I've tried the "gravy" that goes on top of the dry foods. I've tried boiling a beef bouillon cube, putting it over the dry food. She doesn't eat certain "treat" snacks. No cheese, no carrots, and, now, no more sweet potatoes. She's a year old now and I've been going through this with her since she was 12 weeks old.
Here's what I've come up with after countless reading in books and online and about five conversations with my vet: (she's a small yorkie who is 3.6 lbs currently) I take a spoon full of wet food and put it in her bowl alongside a 1/4 cup of Royal Canin in the morning. I leave this out for her all day. Once she eats this or it's getting low, I put another 1/4 cup of Royal Canin in her bowl. I give her Zuke's treats for everything (coming back inside from outside, sitting, laying down, being calm when the hair dryer is going) every day. If I eat meat for dinner, I'll put a couple of tiny pieces with the dry food. Every once in a while, I fill her kong toy with peanut butter.
I've come to the realization that she has a tiny stomach and will eat when she's hungary. As long as I provide food and water for her at all times, then I don't feel like I'm being a bad owner. She stills eats random stuff when she's outside- it drives me crazy, but I can't control her with everything.
That's how I've solved the picky-ness issue. Any other thoughts or suggestions would be fantastic...although, I think a lot of this is the breed and their size. |