HELP! Rock Star HATES Nutrical but he NEEDS it!

[butterfly]

I have picky eaters too. I found they do like the royal kanin, but I make fresh food. They like hamburger, chicken, salmon, eggs, rice and cooked pasta. The vet told me to use the pasta as my little one with problems gets weak and he says that pasta helps keep the sugar levels up. I also use honey. I just mix a little in with their kibble and maybe a little finely shreaded cheese. I also put some cooked veggies in there too. I just make extra food and don't put any seasonings in what I give them.

Some people say not to give food that isn't dog food but I disagree. This is totally natural and since I don't use any additives to the natural food I don't see a problem and they have nice firm poops. That's a huge plus for me!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Maximo

The kibble in the bowl will spoil and not taste good before the end of one day. Premium kibble will spoil even faster because it doesn't have as many preservatives. If Star doesn't eat the kibble by dinner, throw it out and give him fresh.

I would recommend getting samples of other foods.

Also, giving honey and nutrical consistently may do more harm than good. They are not intended as preventatives, rather they should be used when the pup is actually hypoglycemic.

Try obedience and trick training and use kibble as reward. This may entice him to eat more if you make the kibble look highly desirable.

When you said "the kibble in the bowl will spoil", did you mean dry kibble spoils by day's end?

[Lisey]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Agreed

Dogs eat by smell, so if the food does not smell appealing that might be why the issue is with him being picky. Parmesan cheese is a good thing to try. Also, if you are free feeding you are allowing him to eat a little bit at a time contributing to your concern. I do not free feed but instead feed on schedule.

How much are you feeding per day? I only feed mine 1/4 cup twice a day and they are all over 10 lbs. So if your little guy is a tiny he really wouldn't need as much food as you might think he does.

Parmesan cheese is the only way Sophie and Bo will eat their food. I worry that maybe its not good for them. I got samples of taste of the wild and they all like it so when my current supply runs out I will start that hopefully without cheese.

[kjc]

I also posted this in your other thread... honey is not pasteurized and is not recommended for human infants (or compromised immune systems) so I would think it's not good to give to puppies, either. Coconut oil is great for the skin and coat, and can be given orally and applied topically.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

When you said "the kibble in the bowl will spoil", did you mean dry kibble spoils by day's end?

Yes, the kibble can spoil within a day, especially if it is a premium brand not loaded with preservatives. It probably won't reach the level of rancid, but I would toss it if it has not been eaten by dinner.

My boys won't touch kibble leftover from their last meal when it has been out for 3-4 hours.

I buy kibble in 5 pound bags and transfer a little at a time into an air-tight container for daily use. By the time we reach the bottom of the container, I can tell the food is less fresh from being exposed to air every time I open the can. I can also tell it is less appealing to the boys.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by kjc

I also posted this in your other thread... honey is not pasteurized and is not recommended for human infants (or compromised immune systems) so I would think it's not good to give to puppies, either. Coconut oil is great for the skin and coat, and can be given orally and applied topically.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat, so exercise caution when using it orally. It can make some pups sick if used excessively, and it would not be good for a pup at risk for pancreatitis.

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by kalina82

OK so i went back and read some of your older posts to get an idea about this pup. He's about 3.3lbs and almost 7 months old now. I took a guess at which eukanuba and cesar you are feeding him.

Eukanuba small breed puppy
3lb dog at 5-7 months old should be getting 5/8 of a cup a day. so that's a little more then half a cup a day.

Cesar puppy (in white tray) -
1/2-2 trays per 5lbs twice a day (assuming 1/2 is for small breeds and 2 is for larger breed puppies)

You are giving him 1/2 try of cesar 3x a day plus whatever dry kibble he eats during the day, plus the honey (more sugar). That is too much food for a puppy his size, so of course he isn't going to eat it all. Also at 7 months old he may not want to eat 3 times a day anymore. Mine stopped eating lunch around 5 months old and less then 3lbs. Never had to give her nutracal.

I think you are driving yourself crazy here. Take a step back and look at what you are feeding him. It is not good food by any means. Both foods are full of by-products and other questionable ingredients. they could also be the source of his itchiness. If i were you I'd just stop what you were doing and start from scratch. First find a quality dog food for your puppy. Some of the quality foods are for "all life stages" and some have staged food. Wellness has a puppy food, and a small breed food, and can be purchased at petco. Natural Balance, also at petco, has limited ingredient foods for allergies which also might be a good option. Other foods such as taste of the wild, Orijen, Nature's Variety are "ALS" and are usually found in smaller specialty pet shops.

Pick a food and stick with it for a while. If he's itching because of a food allergy you may not see results for over a month. It can take up to 3 months for all the crap from the old food to leave his system. Most of the mentioned foods also have a wet food so if you want to feed both wet and dry make sure you are portioning them correctly. You can usually go by the feeding guidelines on the bag, but sometimes you have to feed less or more depending on your particular dog.

Also if you really think he needs the nutrical just put it in his mouth. put some on your finger, then open his mouth with your other hand and run your finger along the roof of his mouth to get the nutrical in there.

Another note about nutrical (or honey) - too much of this can make them not want to eat because of all the sugar in it. these supplements are only to be given as needed. If your puppy hasn't shown any signs of hypoglycemia then i wouldn't bother giving it to him. it can also cause diarrhea.