At my wits end and running out of food options
 

Follow up to my Lola is driving me nuts thread.

I've tried quite a few wet foods, at best she'll eat it for a few days then snub it.
I've tried tons of dry, won't touch them.
I've tried eat it or starve, she eats just enough to stay alive but is too thin and lethargic.
I'm trying homecooking, she'll eat the meat but not the carbs.

She ate sweet potatos for a few days, the past few she wouldn't touch it. She completely snubs pasta, rice, and oatmeal.

Is balanceit carnivore really bad for them? I'm also thinking of ordering a sample of honest kitchen veggie mix.
I'm not willing to try raw or freeze dried.

I'm at my complete end between the pressure I'm putting on myself and the freaking out my family is doing I can't handle it.
They want me to feed her table scraps and mighty dog NO NO NO!!!

I've thought of taking her to the vet but I doubt he can do anything.
Her teeth and everything are fine.

I don't have tons of money, I can't keep throwing food out and I don't want to pay for a custom recipe from a nutritionist and have her not eat it.

Ok so I am not an expert, but this is what worked for us. I use Weruva canned. Mostly the chicken flavor. Then I mix this with Natures Variety kibble and freeze dried raw bits. Mix this with the canned Weruva. Sometimes I will add in a bit of cooked egg to this mixture. Sometimes it makes a different to heat it up a little. Lexi is sometimes picky, but this combination of food is and has been working for us. I also use a product called Real Meat Pet Food. It is like a chewy kibble. I buy all of these items at a speciality pet food store. A yorkie doesn't eat a lot, so it may be more expensive than Petsmart foods, but it may be worth it to give it a try. Maybe ordering online would be an option.

^^I agree with Margie about trying the Weruva if you haven't already. The human-style ones are packed with real meat (if that's what your pup likes the most and is picking out from the homecooked) and don't have very many veggies and no huge pieces...also check out TikiDog which is also high protein and lower on veggies...sorry if I'm repeating things you've already tried. But those brands both look like human food (shredded chicken, big flakes of fish etc.) and might work.

I don't think the BalanceIT Carnivore Blend is bad but it just seems to lack variety to me (I guess the supplement "balances" everything but it just seems weird to me to feed just straight up meat or eggs or whatever)...The carnivore recipes I've seen all seem like it's just the supplement and the main protein you select...so I personally prefer to use other recipes with the regular supplement to incorporate and variety of nutrients/vitamins from whole food sources. But that's just a personal preference and doesn't mean that it's not going to work for other people or worth checking out. I'm sorry you're having a difficult time with finding something that works :(

I tried feeding Toki the Honest Kitchen mix before and while she ate it, it seemed so low in protein and had a heavy plant/herby/smell as I recall. I really like the company and it's a high quality food but just didn't work for us. I think mimimomo feeds it or rotates with it so maybe she can offer some feedback on the varieties that her pups enjoy a lot.

I really feel for you b/c my 3 YO Milo was a very picky eater at first. I adopted him 10 months ago; changed him from what they had him on---Natural Balance---& tried several different foods after that which he did not care for at all----mostly in the Blue Buffalo line. When I talked with my vet about it, he said I was worrying too much; that when he got hungry enough he would eat---to just "free feed" him which just means to leave him out some food at all times. He is now on Blue Buffalo, Grain Free, Small Breed Red Meat formula & seems to really like it & it is rated 5 stars by dogfoodadvisor.com. Good Luck!

My dads JRT mix is THE PICKIEST EATER EVER. She could have a plate full of steak (yes, human STEAK) and still snub her nose to it.

She loves Weruva. It's just pricey and I got sick of my dad and stepmom not buying it, so she only gets it on special occasions, or when I have it for Jackson. But it's the only times I ever see her immediately go to her plate and eat.

Thanks everyone.
I was feeding her weruva but she stopped eatting it. I was going to try tiki dog but it's almost $5 a can and I'd have to drive 1/2 hour to get it, so if she didn't like it I'd be stuck.

Thanks for telling me about the honest kitchen stuff, it might still be worth trying though.

I have tried free feeding her, but she won't eat it if she doesn't want it. It has effected her weight and energy level.

Jackson looked at THK like "WTF?" It's a very odd consistency IMO... I am actually shocked that dogs like it? lol, it's so... parsley smelling. Or something. I dunno.

There comes a point tho where she's just got to learn to eat. There is only so much you can do. How much exercise does she get?

I find after a long walk, my dads dogs eat a LOT better because they're worked up an appetite.

That was my feeling with THK. Lexi didn't even try it. She smelled it and just walked away. I put fresh out for two days after and she did the same thing. I agreed it does smell like parsley.

She doesn't get as much exercise as she should. I don't have a safe place to walk her and my yard needs major work. I also have a lot of pain and fatigue issues.

My house is fairly big and I play with her a lot, I also take her to pet stores a few times a week to walk around.
When she doesn't eat much for a few days she's not very interested in playing.
Even if I have her out for hours and she did a good bit of walking it doesn't make her easier to feed.

Yeah, THK takes some getting used to & you need to play around w/the water to make it a certain consistency that they will like. It's great when it's cold out bc you add warm water to it. It is a plant based food, so if Lola likes her meat protein, it might not be too palatable for her...unless you add more meat. The Embark (turkey) & Zeal (fish) has more protein coming from meat. Yes, Zeal smells fishy, but my guys loved it, the smellier the better! So if you can get samples of that, maybe it's worth a try. If you have a specialty boutique or feed store that carries THK, some stores have the 1oz samples to try for free, just ask them.
One thing I didn't like, dehydrated fruits like bananas came in big chunks. I had to break it into smaller pcs. It (fruits) pretty much comes out the same going in! I don't feed them THK anymore, but when they get old & lose all their teeth, we might go back to it.:D

I ordered samples from THK's website.

I got Adult Dog Sample Pack, Puppy Sample Pack, Preference-4oz, Thrive-4oz, and Verve-1oz for $8.04 shipped.
I signed up for emails and got $5 off.

*edit*
Lola does like most vegetables, I'm mostly having trouble getting her to eat the carbs.

I hope Lola will like THK! There's nothing wrong w/variety...my guys have an extensive menu. I rotate proteins too, but they eat Primal for 1 meal everyday. For other meals, they get air dried ziwipeak (have you tried that?), or canned food (we have lots of different kinds) & sometimes kibble too.

Has she had blood work done, such as BATS and such to check out her liver function? A malfunctioning liver can cause a dog to lose its appetite. My Tibbe wouldn't eat, would lose weight and was lethargic but always has normal liver studies until YT member Ellie May(Crystal, who is studying to get her veterinarian's license) as well as other members here told me that normal liver studies don't always mean the dog has normal liver function and Bile Acids testing should be done to try to see if her liver was working adequately.

The BAT was done, was found to be high and nuclear imaging and abdominal sono were done and he did not have a liver shunt but it was decided he had MVD(microvascular dysplasia) and that was causing his occasional anorexia, occasional vomiting and lethargy. He would eat normally for a while and then get anorexic and sleep all the time. Once the toxins were out of his system from his not eating and he felt better, he would regain his appetite, eat normally for a while, play, sleep and behave normally and then go back to anorexia and lethargy and occasionally spitting up yellow bile.

Does your girl ever spit up bile or have tummy or digestive troubles?

Variety is fine, but she takes it to an art form. Ziwipeak is raw, so no I haven't tried it.

I'll ask about her liver when I take her to the vet, but I don't think that's the problem. She seems to handle everything very well, food changes and shots. Every time she's gotten a shot it didn't phase her the slightest bit, the vet said it would make her tired and it didn't at all.

She's only had stomach problems once, when I gave her some HB egg as a puppy. She's never spit up bile either.

I don't think she isn't hungry. When I fix her food she stands against my leg and lets out the occasional cry, tries to get my mom's dinner, never lets us forget treat time, and gulps her food down if she wants it.
She's been gulping down the meat and eggs, she just won't eat the carbs.

I'm no expert either, but this is what has worked for us. Coco is a picky eater and I've tried more raw, wet and dry food combinations that I can count. The thing that worked for us is crushing and sprinkling "Stella & Chewy's" Chewy's Chicken Dinner freeze dried patties on her Orijens dry puppy food. It's all natural, made with raw, cage free chicken with no added hormones or antibiotics, has fruits and veggies and no grains, glutens, artificial preservatives, sugar, salt or coloring. It's like magic - she absolutely loves it and is eating far more kibble than she used to. Give it a try - I'm interested in knowing if it works for you too!

Thanks for the suggestion but Stella and Chewy's is raw.

My punk would probably eat around the kibble or say forget it, like she has with every other topper.

THK is is dehydrated raw...but many raw feeders say it's not raw bc it's cooked/dehydrated @ a high temp (fm their faq's: around 140 to 1665F for meats & below 104F for most other ingredients) I wonder if they mean 165F, not 1665F?! So technically, it's not raw food.

Ziwipeak is air dried, so hard core raw feeders don't consider it real raw food, along w/Primal (some formulas), Nature's Variety & Stella & Chewy's bc they go through a process called HPP to kill all the bacteria, salmonella, ecoli, all the yucky stuff.

I understand the frustration of having 1 dog & all the unused food. @ least for me, if 1 won't eat something, another will & Momo eats anything!
I also did BAT's testing for all my guys, just for my peace of mind. My vet said it was unnecessary, but did it anyway. Momo's was the only one that was of concern. My vet spoke w/a specialist & the specialist advised to do the BATs test again 6 months later IF he has any symptoms. I opted not to bc he's a widdle piggie & my vet assured me that he's fine!

I feel for you, it's so worrying when they don't eat properly and it is no comfort at all when a well meaning friend says "they'll eat when they're hungry"!

Dolly will eat pasta when it's been cooked with chicken and has absorbed the chicken flavour from the water. Is that something you could try with rice too?

Last night we had a real breakthrough, she had ignored and refused all food and water all day and at 11.30pm I was really worried. So I caved in and offered her a favourite treat which has dried chicken fillet wound around each end of a chewy stick like a dumbbell. She leapt on it, chomped away and as soon as she'd finished she went for a big drink then ate her meal and some extra kibble and biscuits!

Too early to say but maybe she needs to kick start her appetite like this. Anyway, I will try again at lunchtime.....:)

I find this to be true with Lexi also. I can give her her breakfast and she will sniff it, but walk away. (Unless of course daddy has made it for her - she gobbles that right up, even though it's the same exact thing!) but if I give her a little bit of cooked egg, she will most times go back and eat what is in her bowl. Just a little to get her appetite going?

Picky eater here too
 

I do this too and it worked for a whole bag then she got sniffy again , so I switched to Pioneer Naturals grain free, and mixed it in and switch FLAVORS of Stella's and Chewy to the duck and shred that on top of moistened kibble. She likes it warmed too, sometimes I top with green beans or steamed carrot too.
I just think she likes variety! I have to get her interested too so I let her have a bite of topper first. She doesn't want to eat till late morning and bedtime!
You might want to try a glass dish or one that isn't too big or deep too..
She seemed a little intimidated by that at first too.
Sheesh....

Toppers and kick starting her appetite don't work.
Lola will pick out what she wants or say forget this and walk away (if it's mixed).

I've been giving her a plate of a protein, carb, and some veggies. She almost always eats all of the protein, completely snubs the carbs, and usually eats the veggies. I have to keep them separated, if I mix them she won't go near it.

My grandmom's like "well I wouldn't want to eat plain rice either!".
My response *glare* "It wouldn't be plain if she let me mix it together, AND I added broth!!"

My current plan is to try the honest kitchen stuff, at least the one I add meat to, and if she won't eat it I'll order balance it carnivore.

Great, it would have been nice if they made it clearer or specifically called it raw or under cooked.
It's odd that they "taste test it" themselves if it's raw...

It's worth trying, thanks.

Yeah, good point! I looked through their site again & see no wording of 'raw' anywhere. Maybe they changed it bc when I was feeding it, I could've sworn I read 'dehydrated raw'.
Will be anxiously awaiting how Chef Lola likes the THK.:D

Have you tried cooking some turkey or chicken with no seasoning. stay away from too much fruits and veg and I wouldn't be feeding oatmeal rice and pasta, that's all grains and indigestible to dogs, putting a strain on the digestive tract.
May I ask why you are against raw or dehydrated, because if your dog won't eat what you are currently providing to her, it may be a wise choice. If you want to feed her veg I suggest you puree them and mix them up with some boiled plain chopped up chicken and the water from the boiled chicken

THK stuff came today, I'll try it soon.

She's been eatting chicken or turkey with no seasoning.

I tried feeding her the oatmeal, rice, and pasta because the balanceit recipes call for them.

I can try pureeing the veggies, but I don't think she'll eat them that way. She probably won't eat them mixed together either.

I'm against raw because I have medical problems that make me more susceptible to getting sick from the bacteria.

I went through the same thing with my Yoshi. He's still stubborn & feeding him is still a battle...just not as bad as when I first got him 3 years ago. I think that's because my attitude about feeding him has changed somewhat. Sometimes he eats. Sometimes he doesn't. But he knows when meal time is & where I leave his kibble during the day. Now that I have 2 other pups, I really don't have the time to give into his quirks like I did when he was an "only child". But he's always offered high-quality food at mealtime. And if he's eaten it once, I figure he likes it enough to eat it again. Eventually. I do feed him raw twice a day. That's really the only thing he'll eat on a consistent basis. He won't even eat cooked chicken consistently...like Lola. He also gets a small plate of kibble to nibble on throughout the day - and share with his 2 sisters. Although he very rarely touches that.

Would dehydrated raw be an option for you? You don't add water. It's served out of the bag. It would seem to me that bacteria wouldn't transfer as easily with this option. But you probably know more about that than I do. If it might work, there's a food that Yoshi will eat that is air-dried raw meat. It's hard, but not crumbly like kibble. It's more like a jerky. Somewhat chewy. It's called Real Meat Pet Food. You can order a 3-pack trial package directly from them here: Introduction Dog Food Trial 3 Pack This food saved my life (and my pocketbook) a few years ago when I had already tried every single other product out there. Yoshi's favorite is the beef.

Also, last week I emailed Nature's Logic (Nature's Logic) to request some samples. They just came today & Yoshi just gobbled up both the chicken & the rabbit I offered him. I was seriously impressed.

The only other kibble/kibble-type foods that he'll eat are Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Small Bites (Performatrin) & Vital Essentials Beef Nibblets (Vital Essentials Beef Entree Nibblets Freeze-Dried Dog Food). The beef nibblets are freeze-dried raw in the shape of bite sized nuggets...but I cut them in half with scissors because they're made for larger mouths. Vital Essentials suggests adding water to rehydrate them. But I serve them dry like kibble. Not sure if the Vital Essentials will work for you, but I figured I'd throw it out there.

Anyway, I know how frustrated you are. Been there. Good luck!!

People think if a dog his hungry they will eat it no matter what but this could harm your dog. Your dog needs to eat and have a set time every day. Starving a dog for a day or 2 until she eats will be damaging to her health. I used to feed my dogs boiled chicken, sweet potatoe, rice and broccoli and they loved it. The only problem was getting the time to cook. Now my dogs on Royal canine as he has a fatty liver. Try mixing dog food with home cooked food for a week so she gets used to the dog food

Please do not mix kibble and home cooked food together. Kibble takes up to 24 to process in the dogs system and homemade about half the time. This can cause very bad stomach upset and sometimes bloat.

Where in the world did you hear this??

I mix chicken, ground beef, etc, with Jackson's food often. It's not any different than mixing canned food with kibble.

I've heard about raw processing differently, but I still don't think it's a bad thing to feed both in one day. But I've never heard of feeding people food and dog food causing issues in my life.

Lola licked some of the water off the THK stuff but that was it. I'm kinda glad she didn't like it, the alfalfa smell made me sick.

She's been eating a sample of solid gold wee bit fairly well, we'll see if that continues.
Solid Gold Just A Wee Bit Adult Small Breed (Bison) Dry Dog Food | PetFoodDirect

I'm sorry you have a difficult yorkie too.
No, I'm not willing to do dehydrated raw, it's just not worth the risk to me.

I agree going days without eating on a regular basis isn't good, but once in awhile won't hurt (but isn't ideal).
Feeding just chicken, sweet potato, rice and broccoli isn't a balanced diet, over time it would be harmful to the dog. Lola wouldn't eat the potato or rice anyway.
Mixing food doesn't work with her, she either eats what she wants or says forget this and walks away.