For all those picky eaters...help me choose Tucker's Food

[Odie in London]

Originally Posted by neceedee

I have never heard of RAW...

NV raw? perhaps you have heard of that it is really popular

[YorkieSue]

I dare not get carried away here cause I have listed topics near and dear to me and could go on forever about these topics since in the past year I HAD two very sick dogs who are now thriving due to a wonderful, healthy, non kibble approach to feeding them. Did I mention using probiotics and digestive enzymes (but only certain ones please..plant based and watch buying them commercially!!!).

First of all, why is your pup on kibble? Kibble is so hard to digest so perhaps your picky eater knows more than you do about what is good for him??? LOL. I'm teasing you but really, I would never, knowing what I do now about dry food, feed my dog kibble as a meal. It sits UNDIGESTED in the tummy for 12-16 hours and can cause the stomach to distend unless you add a lot of water. Kibble is not natural for dogs and once I learned about the pitfalls of most of the kibble out there, I stopped feeding all but Life Abundance by Healthy Pet Net. This is a holistic food and a cut above the rest of the kibbles out there--even fussy dogs usually love it. And, it's safe, formulated lovingly by a vet that just happens to be one who went to school with my vet (just found this out) and is six weeks fresh from packaging to doorstep. (Link at bottom)

Having said that, I now feed a combo (separate meals) of Nature's variety medallions and Life Abundance. I add probiotics and enzymes and even my severe IBD Yorkie has thrived (finally) in the past seven months. He is a rescue that came to me very, very sick at both ends. I adore my traditional vet but the things she recommended just were NOT WORKING WITH HIM and the constant antibiotics were distressing to me. His poor immune system!!!!

Buddy was so picky, so sick at both ends (blood and mucous CONSTANTLY in stool) that I was totally panicked. I contacted a highly recommended vet who is the originator of Life Abundance and also contacted a nutritionist. Naturally the nutritionist DID NOT LIKE the idea of dry food at all, AT ALL, but I wasn't too concerned about this. Sometimes the purists, just in the mindset they have, can be disturbing. Anyway, I was so impressed with what both of these ladies said that I became a REP for both companies. In all honesty though, I do not feed my IBD guy with the kibble...I keep him strictly to Nature's variety and make certain he gets as many probiotics as he can tolerate and of course, I put blue green algae digestive enzyme powder in ANYTHING HE EATS. Link is at bottom of this.

NOW, do I feed totally raw??? NOT ON YOUR LIFE even though I know this is best. Call me what you will, but RAW makes me nervous esp when buying any food commercially. I also could mishandle the medallions and CAUSE him to be sick. I will not risk this so I lightly steam my medallions for Buddy and add his supplements and two or three times a week a little organic sweet potato or squash. At first I thought this would be so time consuming but it's not at all...not once I estab. a routine.

I have two other dogs, one of which (my new shih-tzu rescue) has his own problems in a different way. This pup, because I saw no other way, is on prescription food and if this works then I will slowly graduate him to a single protein food and nothing else. This is another story in it's own right.

I have been too long winded. The bottom line is that if your dog is that picky, he is telling you something important. Try taking him off kibble and putting him on what dogs LOVE, meat. What to use? YOur choice as I do not want to come off as an expert, cause I am not!! But if you don't like the Nature's Variety then ---gasp---try Wellness or Nature's Balance (single protein foods that dogs usually love) or even Evanger's if you can find it. Instinct also makes single protein foods. But remember you will need or rather, should use, probiotics and enzymes too esp. if your little one has a lousy appetite.

Please feel free to write to me at DazzlinDaawg@aol.com if you have questions about what I did with MY DOGS...again, I am not a vet nor a nutritionist but in this past year I have learned MUCH and with consistency and patience you might find that your pups appetite improves. But hand feeding him is, IMHO, giving him the wrong message. He could be holding out because he WANTS you to feed him. Please rethink this, ok?? Just a suggestion........

Here are two links for you to peruse and if you have questions, you can email me at my personal address which I will give you again when I sign off:

HPNIntro

www.SimplexityHealth.com/SusanBehlmar

I hope this info helps you somewhat. Feel free to write me at:
DazzlinDaawg@aol.com

Bye now, YorkieSue

[pookiebear]

Raw is what's happenin'. Pookie was finicky as you know what...until I started feeding raw. Before it was a few bites and would walk away. Now I chop up one NV raw medallion and mix it with the Innova small bites, and he scarfs it up. Too fast, really.

[Yorkiedaze]

You can also go one better and just the preperation at home with real food. This way you know EXACTLY what they are eating and it's so easy to do.

[JessicaRenee]

I really appreciate all the suggestions! I requested samples from several of the premium companies listed in the sticky. So far we've tried:

*Artemis -- wouldn't even try a bite
*Life's Abundance - ate one bite and won't touch it again
*Holistic Select -wouldn't try it
*Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul - will eat some of this (more than any of the others), but not nearly enough

I've been supplementing with some chicken or ground beef to try to get him to put on some weight. Maybe that's making him not want to eat the dog food, but I swear he is so skinny and I'm too scared he's not getting enough food to just wait it out for him to finally eat. I did that for a few days and he really didn't eat all that much.

I'm going to try to make the trip to Lexington (1 hour away) to pick him up some of the different flavors of NV Raw next weekend.

Is there something safe that I can feed him to help him put on some weight until then? He doesn't act hungry, but he is too thin.

[Go4HelloKitty]

I also had a picky eater here. Mochi came home with Beneful. I don't like the ingredient so I changed her to Wellness puppy. She ate for 2 days and got tired of it. So I changed to other brand and she got tired of it again. I changed more than 5 brands in a few weeks. She started skipping meals and she lost .25 lbs in 3 weeks (She was only 2.25 lbs when I first got her, she was 5 months old).

I searched the forums here and talked to YTers, and they suggested me to try homecooking. So I tried the Chicken stew recipe, and guess what? She ate everything and asked for more! She neven skipped a meal since then. So may be home cook will help?!

Good Luck!

[Buddha68]

Gretel is 15 mo old and I still cannot figure out how to please her. I have tried freeze dried, the cheapest grossest Ol Roy brands, the most expensive Eukanuba, etc.....she turns her nose up at everything including snacks. She does seem to like some of the kitten foods but that is not good for her andshe usually throws it up anyway.
\The only thing she has consistently eaten is boiled chicken. It is really no more expensive to feed her this because she is so little. For snacks tomatos, a little cheese, peanut butter are good.

[YorkieSue]

I LOVE Go4helloKitty's response to you. It was on target and helpful. I also found that Wellness puppy food was a big hit with all of my pups but if yours only eats foods for a day or two then that is not good. Also, continually switching foods with any puppy is absolutely verbotin...you should never do this, your really shouldn't Their tummies are so sensitive. Believe me, I understand your frustration and reasons for trying everything under the sun but it's still not a great idea.

I cannot help but wonder if your pup is having digestion problems and this is why he simply is picky?? Of course, I have no way of knowing. Maybe something is hurting him, or he has gas, or he is simply not assimilating properly. Perhaps he needs a probiotic or enzyme to help him. Do some reading and see if you think this suggestion has any merit. If you think it does, then please contact me and I will put you on the road to a very, very simple supplement program for your little one that can simply be added to his food.

There is nothing wrong with home cooking but again a suggestion?? Buy ONLY ORGANIC meats (LATER ON VEGGIES if he starts to eat) and see if this improves his appetite. Steam them lightly, be careful with handling and save the broth from steaming. Mine ADORE the broth that is created when I lightly steam their organic chicken breast!!! I use over all of their food. But RIGHT NOW I STRONGLE BELIEVE that just getting ANY CALORIES INTO HIM IS VERY NECESSARY. All bets are off as far as spoiling. Feed him what he WILL EAT and forget nutrition for the moment. First he needs calories and strength, Ok? If this means REAL FOOD vs commercial foods then so be it. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET HIM TO EAT AND DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SPOILING HIM...first things first. YorkieSue

[JessicaRenee]

I tried homecooking for a week a few months ago and he was not that interested. The very first time I made him chicken and rice(when he had an upset tummy several months ago) he licked the bowl clean and begged for more. So I figured that would be a good place to start and maybe add some veggies, but after a day he didn't want it anymore. I tried ground beef with carrots and brocolli and could have cared less about it. Maybe there is some sort of seasoning that I'm not aware of that would make it more appealing to him? I don't mind homecooking if he'll eat it!

[Go4HelloKitty]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

I tried homecooking for a week a few months ago and he was not that interested. The very first time I made him chicken and rice(when he had an upset tummy several months ago) he licked the bowl clean and begged for more. So I figured that would be a good place to start and maybe add some veggies, but after a day he didn't want it anymore. I tried ground beef with carrots and brocolli and could have cared less about it. Maybe there is some sort of seasoning that I'm not aware of that would make it more appealing to him? I don't mind homecooking if he'll eat it!

You know what! The chicken stew recipe I use, I actually tried a bit on my own. It smells really good and it actaully tastes really good, too! I used a lot of different veggies (eg. carrots, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes) and one kind of meat (eg. chicken breast). You don't need to add any seasoning, the veggies itself and the chicken bones (beware of bone fragments, though) can already made the stew good enough.

There are lots of good recipes from the thread "Home Made Yorkie Recipes" in the "Yorkie Healthy & Diet" forum.

I have been using the "Stew" recipe for over 4 months and I am still using the same recipe; apparently, Mochi still loves her stew soooooo much that I don't have to discover a new recipe for her. I just cut out the onion, herbs just to be on the safe side. I also give her bonemeal for calcium and phophorus and multi vitamins every day to complete her diet.

Again, good luck in finding your baby's favorite food.

[Go4HelloKitty]

I would like to add that sometimes blending the food will help.

Besides the stew I give to Mochi, I also boil broccoli and carrot for her meal. Most of the time she won't eat. I then cut them into smaller pieces and then mix them into the stew, she eats them all! So try blending the food into the blender for a few seconds, that might help.

[cesar49]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

Just wondering if any of you have extremely picky eaters and if so, what food did you have luck with getting your doggie to eat?

Tucker is really really picky and just to get him to eat I have to take him outside and let him watch the birds while I hand feed him his kibble....even then he doesn't eat enough, but it's better than nothing.

Any suggestions?

blue buffalo.....its great

[cesar49]

dry food from petsmart... get it wet and pour off the water to release the gravy juices... with sweet potatoe my dogs love it... and charlee bear snacks... i was using royal canin for v3 years.. iut is good also.. dont buy anything from the grocery store... go to a pet store.. supplement with protein like eggs/ try cottage cheese with fruit.. and nutracal...

[YorkieSue]

I don't remember reading that you had had your pup checked out by a vet. No one is discussing this. If you haven't don't this, DO IT. what you are describing is really unhealthy as no pup should be losing weight or be that thin. There may be an underlying digestive problem and this is why, AFTER HE EATS one meal enthusiastically, he doesn't want or CAN'T eat again when it's time to eat. Before you try anyone's suggestions get your pup thoroughly checked out and include a BAT since this is always a good idea with Yorkies.

By the way, all the commercial food that is being recommended? I wouldn't go that route unless it is a last resort. YorkieDaze is correct...REAL FOOD (which commercial food is not) is the way to go. Of course, you supplement unless you live in the wild and the dog can kill it's own prey<G>.

For now, forget all the advice and food suggestions and get your pup THOROUGHLY CHECKED out. If he is THAT picky, that is cause for concern.

[neceedee]

Where can I get probiotic or enzyme ? and what is the receipe for the stew?