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03-09-2005, 03:38 PM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| My Picky Eater My 3 1/2 month old, weighing approximately 2 1/2 lbs has become so picky with his food. When I first got him almost 6 weeks ago, the breeder had him on Pedigree Puppy and Pedigree Lamb/Rice canned (mixed with the dry). I wanted to switch from the Pedigree to a better brand. A friend brought over Science Diet, he seemed to like that at first then started turning his nose up at it. So I got Royal Canin for Puppies, he pigged out the first night, barely picks at it now, so I bought Eukanuba Lamb & Rice, HE WOULDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO IT, so we're back to the Royal Canin. I realize that I have brought this upon myself, but I've decided that I am not switching anymore, he will just have to like the Royal Canin. My question is, is there anything, besides mixing it with a little canned that would make the dry more appetizing. I've seen the Iams Savory Sauce, but have hesitated. I just want to give it a little flavor so he will eat the whole bowl like he used to when I first got him. |
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03-09-2005, 04:32 PM | #2 |
I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 37,147
| My pups a finicky eater too. I have been using the Iams gravy and pouring it iver his food and he eats better.
__________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427 |
03-09-2005, 05:34 PM | #3 |
Loved by Maddie & Libby Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: North Dakota
Posts: 10,732
| My dog is also a very finicky eater and seems to have to be coaxed to eat her food. Last night at the pet store I bought some of that Iams sauce...the chicken flavor...and put only about a half tablespoon in with her dry dog food (Eukanuba Lamb & Rice) and then stirred it to coat the dog food. At first she just licked all the sauce off, but then she did eat a little of the dry food. It can be frustrating when they don't eat like they should, so hopefully it's just a phase. Good luck in getting your little one to eat! |
03-09-2005, 05:34 PM | #4 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lynnwood
Posts: 154
| I'm pretty sure, I read this suggestion on this forum. Microwave the food to enhance the scent. I do a 1/4 cup at 10 seconds. The food doesn't get hot and it works. As a test, I held the bowl near a sleeping Bodhi. Boy, did those nostrils start twitching and he was up and eating in no time. |
03-10-2005, 07:04 AM | #5 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 123
| My Yorkie also eats Royal Canin puppy and pigged out the first couple of times but has since lost interest. With a little encouragement she'll eat it, sometimes I have to doctor it up with some banana or else yummy. A little warm water also enhances the flavour. However, when she is hungry enough she'll eat it dry. I'm thinking of trying adding fish oil or flaxseed oil, it's supposed to be great for their skin and coat and I've heard salmon oil also really enhances the flavour. Also, thinking of adding a little Cesar to it... Let me know if you try anything that works... |
03-10-2005, 11:40 AM | #6 |
Pita Power!! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Port St Lucie, FL
Posts: 982
| This is crazy, but sometimes if Pita's being fussy I'll offer her some of her Authority canned food on a spoon and that will get her started, I get a lot of grief from my family for spoon feeding her but it just gets her going! |
03-10-2005, 06:55 PM | #7 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upstate S.C.
Posts: 309
| I know how frustrating a picky eater can be.......especially when everyone seems to tell me how important it is for the little ones to EAT!!! I have posted this same question almost a dozen different ways....smaller kibble...using canned foods....episodes of hypoglycemia.....can't chew the food.... and on and on. One day 'chelsie1978' replied about her yorkie...over 1 year old and 2 pounds!!!! MY Lil Bit is 4 1/2 months and just at 2 pounds.....well, her advice was to treat Lil Bit like any other dog....if she gets hungry enough she will eat. Guess what happened?????? chelsie1978 was sooo right. I kept dry food out at all times.....2-3 times per day I would fix a little dish of dry food with a "tiny" little amount of canned food smushed and rubbed into it......usually she would turn up her nose and walk away...or try to get into the greyhounds bowl because that dog has had nearly every tooth pulled and can barely eat.....she always has better stuff in her bowl...but it is up off the ground and Lil Bit will NEVER be able to reach it! After 30 minutes, if she has eaten nothing or just a few bites I take that bowl up and leave the dry food out. Yes...when she gets hungry she wanders over and eats that dry food just fine .... I admit I had to hold my breath and not watch for EVERY moment she might seems 'sleepy' or uncoordinated thinking she was getting hypoglycemic! She is doing just fine.....and the little "booger" really CAN chew dry food!!!!! |
03-11-2005, 04:16 AM | #8 |
The Royal Mommy Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California
Posts: 2,010
| I was having this problem with both Sandy and Tia. I totally brought it on myself with Sandy. I was "scolded" by the vet because Sandy is at 14 pounds and should only be ten, and I'm pretty sure this is because I used to feed her wet food for dinner (which I also did with Tia 2x a day per my breeder's instructions...) So, I bought some Nutro Ultra Weight Control for Sandy and she wouldn't even sniff it dry. Tia was getting more and more finicky with her Royal Canin puppy and of course I started freaking out because neither of them were eating. Then I read this thread early yesterday morning and decided to try the microwave! Let me tell you! Total and complete difference. I'm adding a little bit of water and microwaving for 10 seconds and they both devour their food whenever I put it down. My husband and I couldn't believe the difference and were thrilled because we had just stocked up on dog food! So, thanks so much for the advice and for asking this question, it has REALLY helped me out so much!
__________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨ `·.¸¸.*Aimée, Sandy, and Tia*.¸¸.·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´ `'·.¸)`'·.¸) |
03-11-2005, 05:04 AM | #9 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 191
| It must be a Yorkie trait! Grace has become a picky eater too, and I'm sure part of that is my fault. I do give her little bites of cheese, which she LOVES, and sometimes bites of turkey or other deli meat. But like someone else said, I finally gave up and just let her eat when *she* wants to, and she hasn't had any hypoglycemic episodes or anything else so she must be eating when I'm not looking!
__________________ Julie |
03-11-2005, 08:09 AM | #10 |
Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Far
Posts: 208
| I had that problem with Adina for a while then I started to mix some Cesaers Dinner with her dry food and added a tablespoon of water to get it really mixed and she loves it I also add some cottage cheese to her dry food sometimes and she cleans the plate!!! |
03-11-2005, 08:36 AM | #11 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| Debi S I just want to thank you for saying what you said. We get so wrapped up in all we read about our babies and hypoglycemia, that when they don't eat, we freak out. Again, last night my little Beau turned his nose up at his dry and his wet/dry that I put out and I think he's starving so I feed him hard boiled eggs smushed up and a little bite of this and a little bite of that, next thing I know he is moping around, not playing looking wobbly, so again I panic, give him some karo syrup thinking his blood sugar is low. Well it turns out, he was sick to his stomach from all the snacking I let him do. He threw up and after that was his old self, playing and running around the house. So, this morning, I did his dry and his wet/dry, heated in the microwave for 8 seconds, put it down, he sniffed it and walked away. I said you are just gonna have to eat it little one. I caught him a little while later at his food bowl eating the dry. I guess he realized he wasn't getting anything else so he better like what he has. So the part about treating them just like any other dog does play a part. I know we tend to pamper them because they are small and all we read, but I think (well at least me) need to remember that they are a dog and we have to treat them as such and just use some common sense when raising them. Heck, I raised two kids to adulthood and I think this is harder than they ever were, LOL. |
03-11-2005, 08:40 AM | #12 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 191
| I've done the same thing, Debi. I can't tell you how many times I've taken up the food bowl, put something else in it, added something special, ANYTHING to get Gracie to eat it, and she turns her nose up and trots off! I finally figured out who was in control, and it wasn't ME! That little sh*t was training me to give her the good stuff!!!! So I finally put the Royal Canin down, said "Here you go, it's this or nothing!" and she hasn't gone hungry yet. I couldn't believe a little 2 lb'er was playing me like a fiddle!
__________________ Julie |
03-11-2005, 08:58 AM | #13 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 556
| adinasmommy I've heard of people giving their dogs cottage cheese or yogurt mixed with their food. I guess I'm just thinking about a thread yesterday that talked about not giving a dog milk. Would it be the same for the cottage cheese and yogurt, or am I wrong? |
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