for everyone who has a FINICKY EATER!

[CC's]

7 sweeties.

But they don't get the rolls everyday. They get NB sweet potato and fish most of the time. The rolls spoil them something awful so its only a dinner special a few nights a week.

I guess I am the short order cook around here.

[kbartolomei]

WoW! I wish I had time for that many...that must be a full time job for you!

[YorkieLover9]

I dont' even have the energy for the one yorkie I have, much less 7. All I can say is YOU GO!!!!

[lickthestar]

Sorry guys, bad news. Archie liked the rolls, but he poo'd 3 times in like 6 hours. And it's not because this food is a better quality than his old food--he was getting the best food out there (Neura 95%; see whole dog journal). It's good, but I think that it's too rich for him. i might just keep this as a snack for him. Also, I checked with the vet about the finicky eating and she told me to just feed him and leave him alone and he will realize that that is all he is going to get. Yorkies don't starve themselves and I know that the less I stress about the food, the more likely he will feel anxious about it too.

[kbartolomei]

Poor Archie,

I agree with your vet (please read my long-winded response #21 on page 2 about yorkies and their need for attention).

However, the rolled food has very little water in it, it is very rich and much more concentrated than canned food, and unlike canned food, they can eat less and get the same amount of nutrients. Which means, if you are feeding him the same amount of food you fed him from a can, you may be feeding him too much. You might also try feeding it to him WITH dried food if he likes that...these guys have such a delicate digestive system and because you just switched his food, it may have caused his system to react that way...pooping a lot more than normal. But over time, he should get used to it. My vet always suggests easing them out of the old food by slowly adding the new food into the old food and increasing the amount of new food every day until you finally are feeding them only the new food.

In my Stormy's case, he wasn't eating much of anything, so easing him out of eating nothing was not possible. So I immediately switched to all rolled food and he pooped a lot the first week but his body got used to it and after a while he was back to pooping 2 times a day (once after each meal).

If your Archie is not throwing up or having diarrhia, he may just not be used to the food in his system yet. Was it a solid poop? He has only been eating it for 2 days, so he might need some time for his system to adjust. Did he like his other food? Was he eating enough of it? Could it also be that he is eating more of this food than what you used to feed him because he likes it more? All these things will affect the way his system reacts to the new food.

[taje]

Pita didn't gulp up the food as fast today but I don't think she's as hungry as she was yesterday!

This is disgusting but last nite I could smell her fart and that's never happened, do you think she'll adjust to the food and it won't be like that?

It's not a room clearing smell but a definite passing of gas! LOL

[kbartolomei]

I laughed when I read your message about Pita...

All dogs have a little gas here and there...isn't that the joy of a healthy digestive tract?! Actually, I have never heard of a dog that doesn't pass gas once every few days, some dogs have it more than others, just like people, I guess! they even have dog anti-gas tablets to help...the packaging actually says "to reduce canine flatulence. More pleasant for dog and owner" which also made me laugh!

I think once her system gets used to the food, it will probably happen less.

Now when you use the age-old excuse:
"It wasn't me, it was the dog..."
You won't be lying!

[lickthestar]

Archie's poop was solid. And he kinda stopped eating it and went back to his regular kibble. Like I mentioned, my vet said that he is a picky eater, but to not give him treats unless I put it in his bowl. And she also said that he won't starve himself. Archie is a very active dog--he goes out a lot and plays with other dogs, etc., so he tends to eat after a lot of activity. Usually, he calms down around 11 PM, and he eats after that..I can hear him crunching his food while I'm in bed.

I am just concerned if he goes to the bathroom too much because that means that he's not absorbing the nutrients.

[taje]

Pita's still eating the food, altho i think she likes it better not refrigerated but she still eats it! Thank goodness! The stinkiness is gone as far asi I can tell from her gas.

She is drinking a lot more. But that's a good thing, she hardly ever drank before.

[YorkieLover9]

When it's cold from the fridge, I cut off a slice, put it on a saucer, heat it up for 7 - 8 seconds in the microwave, makes it easier to cut it into pieces when it's warm and then your baby doesn't have to eat it cold.

[envrobear]

Lil Bear loves the roll stuff, well the Turkey so far only. We like it cause she has a liver shunt and needs low protein stuff, and she is a picky eater. My dad is always on the hunt for new food for "princess." I haven't noticed a difference in her poop smell or going more...though with chasing moose around I haven't been picking up lil bears poop haveing too much fun potty training moose.

My mom did mention one time lil bears poop loose and smelly but she said she had heated the stuff up first, I'm thinking the warmth made her tummy cranky, so we aren't heating it anymore.

Lil bear low protein hard food is still out for her all the time so we don't give her the suggested amount since she can graze on her hard food.

[My Angel]

I have a very finicky yorkie. His name is Tiny. Very lovable and sweet. We have tried everything. He likes chicken, but at times he will not eat that. I'm afraid that he is not getting the proper nutrition that he needs. I found a local store that carries Natural Balance, and I am going to purchase some today. Wish me luck.

[lickthestar]

honestly, i found that the more i fussed about archie eating or not eating, the less he actually ate. once i just started putting the food down and walking away, and did that consistently, he ate everything. don't worry...your dog WILL eat. dogs will not starve themselves and if you freak out a lot about the food or try to get them to eat when they don't want to, they will pick up the negative energy around the food and they will make a negative association with food.

also, i found that if i left a lot of food out for archie, i was more likely to freak out because he'd eat only a little bit and i thought he wasn't eating at all because there would be food left over. so now, i feed him less in the morning when he doesn't eat that much, and a little more in the evening.

as long as your dog is going to the bathroom properly, you know he is eating.

[diesel's mommy]

I recently switched Diesel's food from Eukanuba to Natural Balance. I bought the beef rolls and the Duck and Potatoes because Diesel has allergies. He loves them both. I have to grind the hard food a little because the pieces are a little bigger than he is used to, but he couldn't wait to eat his dinner. I must say that Petco gave me a sample of the roll when I first go Diesel and he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Now he loves it! I hope everyone else has success with this food.

Reagan

[Stitches29]

Thank You Karen for such a great ending story. I too have a very picky eater. Maggie is only 10 weeks old, and I am her Short Order Cook. Today she prefers Gerber Chicken and Gravy for breakfast, and for lunch she decided that she wanted her Iams's Puppy food (ground up fine) and top it with goat's milk. I never know from day to day what is on her menu. My fridg has more Maggie labeled tupperware dishes in it, than human leftovers. I will for sure try that Special Tube of Natural Dog Food. I have already spent a fortune of food, so what can I lose.