Lucy isn't really eating help

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by JolieJean

thanks everyone. she is definitely a picky eater.. i can see this is going to be the major issue with her already. not that i mind i adjusting to her needs, i just get nervous.. how can someone go a whole day without eating?? i cant even go 4 hours lol. i know i will have to be changing what im doing again soon because she doesnt really like the wet and dry together.. she just likes it better then just the dry... ughhh.. but @ 107barney i am so lucky that lucy has a wonderful breeder, she is right there every time i need help. shes amazing.
but onto the food note again.. i think im going to look up some cool homemade dog recipes as well.. thanks again!

Alice was the SAME way ugh lol. I started a thread too because I was at my wits end . I tried a few different foods, then I found a kibble and canned combo. that she eat really really well for about 4 days then turned her nose up at it. Well, I stuck with that food because I KNEW she liked it darn it lol. I have to sit on the kitchen floor with her for some meals and put small amounts of the food on the floor at a time but then she eats it great, other times (rarely)she'll eat it out of the bowl as long as I'm standing there. I wish I could just leave it down, but my other 2 dogs will have it gone the moment I turn my back lol. Alot of people recommended using paper plates so I'm going to try that too (what the heck is it about the bowl???) and hopefully I won't have to sit on my kitchen floor for 5 minutes twice a day lol. If I spread a few pieces out on the floor, that's the best way to get her to eat them fine, I just don't understand why? She also will walk around to the other side of the food before she takes it like she's afraid of it or something?? You're definatly not alone here lol.

[Furbaby Friend]

Originally Posted by JolieJean

thanks everyone. she is definitely a picky eater.. i can see this is going to be the major issue with her already. not that i mind i adjusting to her needs, i just get nervous.. how can someone go a whole day without eating?? i cant even go 4 hours lol. i know i will have to be changing what im doing again soon because she doesnt really like the wet and dry together.. she just likes it better then just the dry... ughhh.. but @ 107barney i am so lucky that lucy has a wonderful breeder, she is right there every time i need help. shes amazing.
but onto the food note again.. i think im going to look up some cool homemade dog recipes as well.. thanks again!

It is great that you found a way to get her to eat something! I am lucky. My Rylie is not picky, but I feel your pain because my cat, Suki, is.

I did just want to caution you though on that last part. Be careful to just use the home-cooking as a supplement to her normal kibble/wet food diet. The reason I say this is because dog foods are specially balanced to give dogs all their nutritional needs. If you do not know how to properly balance a home-cooked diet, your pup will miss out on necessary nutrition.

However, if you are interested in learning to home-cook for your pup, I recommend finding a canine nutritionist, talking to your vet, and doing some research. There are a lot of YTers who also have their dogs on a home-cooked diet.

I am not sure if you were looking to home-cook her entire diet or not, but I just wanted to point it out in case you were.

[JolieJean]

thanks! i will definitly look into that. i was just going to look into it as a treat (i dont have the cooking patience to cook everyday lol) maybe mix it with her dry food. but for now im gonna stick to what im doing now because shes eating lol. i dont want to mess with a good thing! LOL

[FlDebra]

I'm late to the party but wanted to throw in my opinion. Be careful not to CREATE a picky eater. That is right -- I think too many puppy owners create picky eaters by trying so many different things when the puppy is just not in a big eating mode. Puppies are like human kids -- they are not always going to be hungry and when other things are in upheaval, their eating habits may change too.

I have NEVER heard of a puppy that actually starved itself to death. Lots of owners THINK this is happening, but they will ALL eat before they starve. But if you try to cater to every whim, keep adding all sorts of good tasting JUNK to their food, you will create eating problems for your pup.

Stick with the food the breeder had them on. It is okay if they don't eat a lot for a few days. If you think blood sugar drop might be a problem, just watch VERY carefully, and use a little Nutrical rubbed on the gums if they seem to need it. If you want to add a little wet food (Same brand) along with kibble, no problem, but I would not put Karo syrup on their food! A little parm. cheese won't hurt, but is really not necessary, especially when you are not changing food. Your little one is just not as interested in eating as all of the other new things around. So, skip the gravies and all the other junk additives. Ensure there is fresh kibble out 24/7 and that the puppy is reminded occasionally of where it is. Also, be sure fresh water is offered often. More important to make sure they are drinking enough water than worrying about the actual food intake. They will eat when they get hungry enough. So make it the good stuff and don't cave too easily to adding things that are not good for them. You can easily create a feeding nightmare with these wiley little ones. They train us pretty quickly if we let them.

[JolieJean]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

I'm late to the party but wanted to throw in my opinion. Be careful not to CREATE a picky eater. That is right -- I think too many puppy owners create picky eaters by trying so many different things when the puppy is just not in a big eating mode. Puppies are like human kids -- they are not always going to be hungry and when other things are in upheaval, their eating habits may change too.

i am really glad you wrote this (considering i have a 4 year old daughter) this was definitly a thought of mine.. i dont want to get her in the habbit of being picky! adding a little water to the kibble and a tab bit of wet food to it is really doing the trick.. i definitly think im going to stick with it because if shes eating it now then she likes it.. again relieved someone said this lol..