Help with food!
 

I've got a 3 year old Yorkie who supposedly was fed Beneful and cooked meat (chicken, beef) by its former owner. I've been feeding her Caesar wet food and chicken and beef - now she won't eat the Caesar. I bought her a bag of Orijen dry food recommended by the pet store but she's turning her nose up at that too! Have I created a monster? She sneaks the cat's Royal Canin Urinary food so I know she can eat dry - please help!

My Roxie is SUPER picky, and when I got her she was already a bit over a year old. She loved Royal Canin for Yorkies, granted not the best food, but the only food I have found so far that she gobbles up. But I got some great advice from another member on here (Britster) and she recommended Acana, and i just picked up a bag today, so I have no clue if shes going to eat it or not..lol..Sorry I am not much of a help!

I'd remove the cat food to another area she can't reach and leave the orijen. Too many options can lead to a spoiled dog. We used Mabel's actual food as treats in the beginning, handing her one piece of food at a time. Now she's very content and has no eating issues. Good luck!

Can you move your cat's food to an area your Yorkie can't access? Maybe she is trying to fill up on the cat food.

My guy eats Orijen as well (which is a much better choice than the Beneful or the Cesar). He usually eats his kibble well, but if we are traveling or visiting a friend, he will occasionally refuse to eat dry kibble. To entice him, I'll mix in either a bit of wet food (maybe a tablespoon, I use Wellness Core wet food) or chopped veggies (carrots and green beans) and this will usually stimulate his appetite enough to eat his dry food.

Have you tried sprinkling a little grated Parmesan cheese over the Orijen? That can trigger their interest in food again.

If she likes the Royal Canin cat food, maybe she will like the Royal Canin dog food. I don't think it is that bad a food at all, as long as their are no grain allergies. Some say their dogs itch on it, but mine do not. I like Canidae All Life Stages Food but can't find it locally so I sometimes have bought the Royal Canin in a pinch. They have a special Yorkshire Terrier formula. I especially like the RC puppy food due to the tiny kibble size.

Our hardware store just started stocking Sold Gold Wee bites so I am thinking about switching to that. I just want a food I can get locally. If I forget before I am out or the online company is out of it, my whole feeding plan is out of whack. We don't have a lot of local options here in the boondocks. :)

No matter what food you choose, I think the dogs will eat it before they go hungry. I have had mine rebel a little when I tried to feed them a quality food that they did not like as well, but they always relent and start eating when they are sure nothing else is forthcoming. If it looks like they are not eating, I immediately stop treats and only offer the kibble as treats for the usual "good boy/girl." Just like our food, sometimes the food that is not best tastes better to them. Just as we would not let our human child eat all ice cream, we can't let them eat the cheap dog food with poor nutrition just because they like it better.

One thing I did when I picked the Canidae -- I got samples of 5 or 6 quality brands of dog food and put them all out in separate dishes. Then I watched to see what they ate first. It was a win/win situation as whatever they liked best was already one of the foods that I had decided they could have.

Thank you!