I cant get my dogs to eat anything consistently...help

[cinnamonmon]

I have one yorkie, a maltese, and a yorkie mix. I have been feeding them Little Cesear wet food and mini kibbles and bits. Many days, they dont even touch the food...other times they eat a little container each. They munch a little on the dry food, but again not very much. Till I found this site I didnt know about the things you should and should not feed your little dogs. I feel very guilty for feeding them junk like the Cesears but I truly didnt know any better...and like I said, they dont eat very much anyways. My Yorkie is 6 lbs, the mix is 5 lbs and the Maltese is about 7 lbs so none of them are too small. I know I feed them too much junk too but they love it so much. So, how much should they eat a day, what foods do you recommend as healthy but also tasty for picky dogs, and what human foods are okay for them? They love the low fat cheese sticks...are they okay? Sorry for all the questions...I have been a dog owner for many years but just now realize I have been doing alot of things wrong.
Laura

[Candini]

Hey there. I have a 13 yr old senior Yorkie and now a 14 week old Yorkie. I hear what you are saying and for years fed my senior Alpo. I just switched to Nutro for Seniors. My puppy is on Purina Pro for puppies. Somedays, I hardly see them eat. Sometimes they only eat at night. But oh how they can beg for treats. The senior stays under our feet and table in the kitchen waiting on a morsal to drop. My senior weighs 3.5 lbs (lost weight over the years) and puppy is right at 3 lbs. I have nutrical ready and a tab here and there when Im concerned. Free food is always in the bowls.

I think small ones like this are just like that. Of course if its junk food they will gorge until they barf. My senior vomited yesterday (rare).

[cinnamonmon]

anyone ideas

[BLowry]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

anyone ideas

You have to remember that small dogs are going to fill up fast. So, if you are feeding them alot of treats they aren't going to eat their regular food. I have a very picky eater and a puppy that will eat anything! I recently swithced them over to Canidae All Stages. It is rated one of the best foods. Sadie, who is the picky one LOVES it! I also feed a tiny bit of canned Canidae with their kibbles and free feed all day. I would try switching to a better food...One made with human grade products. And, I wouldn't give so many treats..IMO..they are filling up on treats and not hungry enough to eat their food.

[chachi]

Mine are really picky eaters and they will eat Royal Canin. I also give them some Caesars in the Morning.

[browniesmom622]

brownie was the same when i was feeding him kibbles and bits soon as i switched him to nutro he was eating regularly
those are terrible foods i dont blame them for not wanting to eat
i would switch them to a better food

[mistyinca]

I have struggled with trying to get Chloe to eat consistently and here's what I have found. If you little eater is inconsistent, try feeding the same thing each meal. On days that I have put other things in Chloe's bowl, she is likely to not eat her regular meal the next time. It is like they are waiting for something better. Second, I put Chloe on a feeding schedule. This took a couple of weeks to really kick in right, and you have to find times that work for you. I found 8a, 1p, and 6p to work for us. I started leaving the food out for 1/2 hour at a time, then I gradually decreased the time it sets out to 10 minutes at a time. She finally realized that she better eat while the gettin's good. If you've decided that what you're feeding isn't the best nutritionally, read the reviews, and you'll find one that is good--you'll find lots of opinions out there, and it is overwhelming. I feed Royal Canin puppy 33 with a smidge of powdered freeze-dried liver sprinkled on it. This is what she really seems to like, but all dogs have different tastes. Start with what it says on the bag for your dog's size and age, divide it by the number of feedings you plan to do, and put the same food, same amount out at regular times. When the 30 minutes are up--no matter how much has not been eaten, pick up the bowl and have him/her wait until next meal; Chloe was really difficult for a while, and I found it helped to have the empty bowl sitting at her place until next meal time. When she would return to it to find it empty, it was kind of like a reminder to get it while the gettin's good.

It took us a good couple of weeks to get it to work really well, but now, I put the measured amount in her bowl at mealtime. She comes and almost always finishes her portion. I now give her 10 minutes to finish, but she's usually done in under 5.

[SONYSW]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

I have struggled with trying to get Chloe to eat consistently and here's what I have found. If you little eater is inconsistent, try feeding the same thing each meal. On days that I have put other things in Chloe's bowl, she is likely to not eat her regular meal the next time. It is like they are waiting for something better. Second, I put Chloe on a feeding schedule. This took a couple of weeks to really kick in right, and you have to find times that work for you. I found 8a, 1p, and 6p to work for us. I started leaving the food out for 1/2 hour at a time, then I gradually decreased the time it sets out to 10 minutes at a time. She finally realized that she better eat while the gettin's good. If you've decided that what you're feeding isn't the best nutritionally, read the reviews, and you'll find one that is good--you'll find lots of opinions out there, and it is overwhelming. I feed Royal Canin puppy 33 with a smidge of powdered freeze-dried liver sprinkled on it. This is what she really seems to like, but all dogs have different tastes. Start with what it says on the bag for your dog's size and age, divide it by the number of feedings you plan to do, and put the same food, same amount out at regular times. When the 30 minutes are up--no matter how much has not been eaten, pick up the bowl and have him/her wait until next meal; Chloe was really difficult for a while, and I found it helped to have the empty bowl sitting at her place until next meal time. When she would return to it to find it empty, it was kind of like a reminder to get it while the gettin's good.

It took us a good couple of weeks to get it to work really well, but now, I put the measured amount in her bowl at mealtime. She comes and almost always finishes her portion. I now give her 10 minutes to finish, but she's usually done in under 5.

Very good advice. Mine is the same until recently I try to feed her the same food. As long as she is eating in the morning, I am happy.

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[hillebrand]

really great advice.. you can't let these smart little guys win!...they'll hold out for something better if they think they might get it.

[Islandcanine]

Laura don't fret too badly. We all have to start somewhere and it is an ongoing learning process, learning how to properly feed our fur babies.

Kibbles and bits are more of a "junk Food' Than Caesars.
Have you read and researched the ingredients in the list on the bag (and can)?

Finicky eaters are not born they are made.
Start by cutting out all treats.
Do your dogs a favor for longevity and switch them onto a higher quality premium kibble.
Even Royal Canin is better than Caesars and Kibbles and Bits.

Make the switch a gradual one using the chart below:
New Food Transition (Based on Two Feedings Per Day)
DAY ONE
1st 1/4 New 3/4 Old
2nd 1/3 New 2/3 Old
DAY TWO
1st 1/2 New 1/2 Old
2nd 2/3 New 1/3 Old
DAY THREE
All New

A dog will eat if it is hungry.
Your dogs are not eating because you are feeding them junk food so their bellies are not hungry.
Cut out all junk, gradually introduce a higher quality kibble.
Depending on the weight of the dog(s), determine how much you will feed per day and break up the portions to two or three times a day.
On the back of the bag of dog food will say how much is recommended to feed per weight of dog.
An adult dog typically eats about 2-3% it's body weight.


My dog is 6.5 pounds. She eats Go Naturals, Salmon and Oatmeal Formula. I also cook for my dog and am in the process of switching to 100% home cooked and no more kibble. Right now she is getting 6 tablespoons of food per day. Three meals a day, last one just before bed time.

Try other methods of bonding than feeding, treats or otherwise.
Walks are great, a short game of tug, play fetch, go for a jog/walk/jog. Grooming is a great way to bond as well. Even just the belly rubs that they love so much.

Exercise then feed. Never feed without having the dogs out for a mingle in the yard at least but a good walk is best. This gives them time to burn calories, go potty and build an appetite.
Teach discipline before feeding and use the feeding as a reward.
When you get the dogs back home. Have them sit in the area of food prep and hold. This is teaching them some discipline. Don't let them wander about doing whatever they want while preparing their food before setting it down.
Always prepare to feed in that order. Exercise, discipline and reward.

Lastly, you could try free feeding, with a kibble only. Use the wet food as an enticer once in a while if you find that the dogs are not eating. I have read that some recommend a wet food for our toy dogs over a kibble but I am reluctant. I prefer to feed a wet High quality food, such as Blue Buffalo once in a while. The kibble is good to help keep the teeth clean too as well as exercises the jaws.

I would get a high quality kibble and start transitioning to the new food (use chart above). I would try just free feeding and let the dog decide when it wants to eat but do not give treats. Just let them have the one option and they will eat.
Don't fuss over them too much when it comes to feeding time.
If you find that they are not showing interest, mix in some wet food perhaps or moisten their kibble to switch it up a bit.

If you want to feed your dogs human food, Do Your Research First. Can't stress that enough. IE: Know your ratios and understand the relation between phosphorus and calcium, most important. Know that too many vegetables in ratio to animal protein can cause mineral deficiencies.

A Good site to read from to start what is a major learning curve would be Best Dog Food | Dry Dogfood | Cash Advance | Debt Consolidation | Insurance at Thedogfoodproject.com
I would suggest to start your reading from under Commercial Dry Foods Title on the left hand side. Learn about commercial food and reading the ingredients list.
Meanwhile, there is a wealth of information to be had, especially on the internet, making some information conflicting, some just down right bad info.
What I do is research and study, daily, weeks on end. I read, read and read and talk to as many people as I can. Holistic vets who specialize in nutrition, other pet owners and home cookers. I take what I learn, think about it for a day or so and make my own decisions. I do not make a move without thinking long and hard, checking and double checking everything. I am a bit of a fanatic but I only want the best of the best for my dog. No chemicals first and foremost. No fillers no junk. Only whole food and if I have to, a high quality premium kibble (which is hard to find a good one that suits my dog but I have)

Another good webiste for dog food related information (who do upsell their products but past that most information is superior) is
www. b-naturals.com
See Spot Live Longer - Great Nutrition Can Give Your Dog a Longer Life
as well as
Pet Nutrition and Animal Wellness on Mercola Healthy Pets
Suggested Reading is all of Dr. Becker's articles.
DogAware.com: Commercial Dog Foods
but anything under the diet tab would prove helpful for you!
BREED SPECIFIC DIETS vs ALL-BREED DOG FOOD
My Favorite website as this man talks straight. Pretty much everything he says is on track. (scroll down for his articles!)

This is only a short list but are a few that I frequent which I have found very helpful.

Lastly, find at least two or more of a good high quality premium commercial food should you want to stick with commercial food for your dogs. The reason you want to find several brands that works for your dogs is Rotation. Do not feed a bit from this brand and a bit from that brand, No!
Feed one entire bag then next bag of food, open another brand. Feed that until it is done and move to the next brand or back to the other brand (if you choose to stick with two). The reason is to give a variety of nutrients available in each bag because not all kibbles are created equal plus you will be eliminating the possibility of creating food allergies by feeding the same food over and over.
Food Rotation is of utmost importance, especially the animal proteins.
You will understand what I mean once you learn more as time goes by.

Congrats to you for stepping up and asking out for the health of your pets!

[Ringo1]

My Lucy is a picky eater and I guess I've been waay too successful at getting her to eat! Her vet told me this week that she is about 1 lb overweight ~ which is not good for such a little dog and with LP in both knees. She's always been super skinny so I was shocked at that news.

Here's what I did: I switched her to Blue Buffalo the whitefish version. She seems to really like it. Occasionally I sprinkle parmesean cheese on there; canned green beans; canned carrots; canned organic pumpkin (helps keep them regular); non-seasoned chicken broth; plain boiled chicken breast w/some broth; and Wellness 99% meat mixed in of an evening.

BUT, I'm going to quit trying so hard so she can lose that 1 lb.

[Islandcanine]

Re: My post above.. typo CORRECTION to "A Good site to read from to start what is a major learning curve would be" The Dog Food Project - How does your Dog Food Brand compare?

[Ringo1]

Umm. I just realized this thread is 3 years old and got re-opened yesterday by someone posting a foreclosure listing!!!

I hate it when I get sucked in like this.