for everyone who has a FINICKY EATER!
 

For all of you frustrated yorkie owners who have a stubborn little guy or girl who:
- will only eat from your hand
- refuses to eat for hours or days
- will only eat people food
- starves him/herself on purpose
- spits food out after taking a bite and walks away
- has no interest in food at all

I have the solution: I was reading so many posted messages on this site about stubborn yorkies who starved themselves and cannot believe how many of you are out there! My perfect, 5 pound yorkie Stormy with AKC champion lines would starve himself for days, his little belly growling. I spent 2 years trying every canned and dry dog food and every type of people food imaginable (he wouldn't even eat hamburgers or filet mignon!) I also tried putting it in a bowl, feeding him by hand, making it a seem like a treat and force feeding him. The only thing Stormy would eat consistantly was American cheese, until I found a solution completely by accident... in a last ditch effort to get him to eat, I grabbed some unusual looking dog food at a new pet store while on vacation, and it has worked now for a number finicky yorkies (including a traumatized 10 year old 4 pound yorkie who had starved himself for 3 weeks, he was so sad that his owner gave him up to go into a nursing home and lost so much weight until I fostered him before he went to his forever home...he was a little bone rack...but, within one week, Rexxy had gained a half a pound and his new mom said he eats 3 times a day now and has gained over a pound in one month!), so I am passing on my experience to all of you out there who have tried just about everything.

1) Purchase a "tube" of NATURAL BALANCE dog food rolls - ultra premium dog food.
Here is the website for more information: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/pro...s.html#Product
and the phone number: 800 829 4493 (if your dog has food allergies, make sure to check the ingredients first)
2) Cut a 1-1.5 inch "wheel" off of the roll (2 times a day) and chop it up into tiny, yorkie-bite-size pieces
3) Take your baby to a very quiet spot, his/her favorite cozy spot...a fluffy blanket, the carry bag, the window seat, where ever they feel most comfortable
4) Put that hand full of chopped food in front of your baby, ON the blanket, NOT in a dish, or in your hand, and sit down and read a paper near them, watch TV or do something that takes your attention off of them for 15 minutes to a half hour...they WILL eat it. (Rexxy needed to be left completely alone with no distractions to eat his food and I used to put Stormy's in his carry bag, clip him in and take him shopping, within 10 minutes, he'd be gulping it down! Of course, if you do this, make sure you have fresh water on hand because your pooch will be thirsty before you get home!)

Not only is this dog food yummy (I ate it to make sure, because if I don't like the taste, Stormy DEFINITELY wouldn't eat it...it tastes like sweet beef jerky!) it lasts for 12 months unopened and is easy to refrigerate after opening...just put it in a ziplock bag with the outer wrap still on the roll and stick it in the fridge! I never have to deal with messy wet food or plastic can covers either. It is one of the healthiest dog foods out there and my yorkies swear by it!

If you try it, I'd love to hear your success stories. After 2 years of panic, frustration, and wasted money, I want everyone to benefit from my knowledge.

Karen

What flavor, I know they have lamb, beef and turkey. Is it the consistency of the canned food. I bought the lamb canned of this brand, first day he gobbled it down, after that, he wouldn't touch it.

Do you feed this with dry as well, or just this roll? I haven't tried their dry.

Okay, Petco here I come (again).

Hi!

ONLY the ROLLED dog food, not canned!!! And you just feed it by itself, don't mix it with anything - it is so tasty and smells good too (I tried mixing it with dry and wet before and Stormy used to pick out the pieces of Natural Balance rolled food and leave the rest). Beef was Stormy's favorite! It is not the consistency of the wet food, it is dry and soft, but solid. Stormy did the same thing that your little guy did, he'd gobble up the new food flavor for one meal and then never go near it again. I know your frustration.

You can also order it online at petco.com!

Let me know how it goes.

Karen

So you are saying feed this only, no dry, no canned???

Yes, that is it - just the rolled food.

If you read the information on the Natural Balance website, it is one of the best dog foods on the market. It is a complete balanced diet, and full of the same ingredients as their dried and canned food.

"Scientifically formulated by veterinarians and animal nutritionists to provide high quality nutrition and optimize skin and coat condition. Rich in nutrients and energy, a 4 lb. Roll is equal to any 10 -13 oz Premium Dog Food Cans.
USDA inspected meats, no by-products, (an excellent source of protein), and dried kelp (an excellent natural source of vitamins, mineral and trace elements). The high quality animal fats (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, source of vitamin E, and ascorbic acid – vitamin C) helps your dog have a healthy skin and a shiny coat."

A big reason why most vets strongly recommend dried food is to promote good oral hygiene. I found that with the dried food, Stormy was swallowing it whole anyway, so it wasn't helping his oral hygiene. For good oral hygiene, I recommend petite size Greenies (I have found that most yorkies I know, including Stormy use the brush end to hold the Greenie while chewing, and don't eat it when they get done with the bone and stick of the Greenie, so I take the brush end and throw it away, this way they are not eating too much, but still enjoying the chewing and getting the blood flow in their gums for good oral health). Also, Booda Fresh N’ Brite Bones are fabulous, you can get them here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...001+22759+1031
and Booda Bimple Bones are great for your dogs teeth and have far less calories and protein than the Greenies but they are fully edible and good for their teeth and gums, you may want to let them chew on one of these a day instead of the Greenies. Most dogs go WILD for Greenies and they help fight tartar and plaque and make their breath so fresh. If you use Greenies, be sure not to give them more than one a day, as they are full of protein and can cause a little bit of weight gain if not regulated.

The other thing I do to keep my dog's teeth healthy is to use Premier Pet Dental Wipes with baking soda once a day. The tooth brush was too scary looking for Stormy, but with tooth wipes, you wrap them around your pointer finger or your thumb and rub the teeth and they love the minty flavor. Plus it is their mommy's finger, so it is not scary! Stormy would rip them up afterward just for fun!

Let me know if you have any more questions.

The roll is a complete food. It can be used alone or as a supplement to regular meals. I put mine in a food processor to chop it up really good. Once opened it needs refrigeration and gets kinda hard to chop up by hand. I bought a small chopper type processor for that.

I use a blender for the dry to make a mush for the pups with the natural balance sweet potato and fish dry, and warm water.

I do find some Yorkies don't like to eat from a dish. I don't know why, maybe they don't like their noses in there or something. I will put food on the floor or a flat bread plate for ones like that. Its easier than hand feeding.

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all you did about this food. I bet it will help so many finicky eaters out there.

I am familiar with this product as i too had a finicky eater as you described. She was Half-Pint (RIP), however she did not eat this food either. The breeder gave it to me the day I adopted her and I tried it during my "trials of foods".

In no way do I blame this food, nor am I trying to "crash your thread" as I do believe Half-Pint had many health problems besides a lack of appetite.

She ate one huge meal of boiled chicken and rice the day before she passed away.

However my other pet's gobbled up this rolled doggie food quicker than I could feed them more, so I know it's good stuff. :D

I would like to clarify an important point in my original email...it is the only dog food Stormy ate more than once, and he has eaten it consistantly for the past 2 years, every day, two times a day and actually barks uncontrollably and jumps up and down while I cut it up. BUT... it is so important that your finicky baby be completely free of distractions and as comfortable as can be when you feed them. Most yorkies are extremely intelligent and it takes more than just food to keep them interested, so if there are any other animals or people or sounds going on, they may walk away from the food. Which is why Stormy had to be in his carry bag or laying in a puffy blanket in bed. The other important thing to remember is that you must ignore them while they eat it because yorkies are smart enough to know that if they wont eat they will get your attention!

Thanks to schatzie's mom for bringing up an important point...there might be an extreme case where this food just doesn't work...your dog may have other health issues, digestive problems, etc. below the surface that could affect their appetite, but I have not yet come across a finicky yorkie who doesn't like it, and I have told at least 9 owners so far with 100% success. I see so many frail yorkies with stringy hair and I know by looking at them that they are stubborn and finicky when it comes to food.

I am passing the information on, because it was amazing to see the transformation in Stormy, and watch him actually enjoy eating healthy food...and after literally YEARS of worry and aggrevation, it was such a relief to know he was getting proper nutrition and loving it! He stopped having the runs, he stopped throwing up from upset stomach, he stopped shivering and being tired from lack of food and low blood sugar. His coat was thicker, softer and did not get matted like it used to, and he put on almost a pound, and it was all muscle weight and I didn't have to force feed him anymore. It is amazing what a proper diet can do for your yorkie's health. I am so happy I didn't give up searching for the right dog food for him, and wanted to save everyone the time and stress of going through what I did to find it!

I just had to comment. I stopped at Petco on the way home and bought 4 of the small rolls (2.75 oz). Brought them home, chopped/grated up just 1/2 of the 2.75 oz and put it on a saucer for Beau. HE LICKED THE PLATE CLEAN. He ate more tonight than he's probably eaten all week. I hope he loves it as well tomorrow as he did tonight. I think for the first time in a long time my baby got full. YIPPEE!!

My question is, how many oz's do I give him. 1/2 cup graded up in the morning and 1/2 cup at night? He's 4 months old and weighs 3.2 lbs.

I've seen those rolls at Petco every time I go and didn't try them as I thought here's one more thing he is not going to like but he LOVED IT!!!! Thank you for the suggestion.

YAY!!!I am so thrilled to hear that!!! Keep me posted, I'll be checking in to see how Beau is eating tomorrow, and I am SO GLAD you tried it!

In answer to your question, on the side of the package it says a 2.5 inch thick slice per day for dogs under 10 pounds, so I would give Beau no more than a 1 inch thick slice 2 times a day. Because our dogs are so small, it is preferrable to feed them 2 to 3 times per day so they don't suffer from low blood sugar. I usually feed mine the rolled food once when I get up and again around 5 (at dinner time) adding a couple treats or small bones here and there in the middle of the day and later in the evening.

Just for fun, try these treats... feed your dog between 5 and 10/day...Stormy loves them as training treats...I think you can get them at Petco too:
http://store.yahoo.com/pet-guys/-051233205560.html

Glad he is eating! Hope he continues to enjoy it. Shredding is a good way to feed it.

I measure by the inch. Is that oz or pounds you bought? I would feed a pup 3 times a day, 1/2" each time. If he doesn't eat it all next time cut it back a bit. If you got the sample size I would think he would eat a whole one of those 3 times a day.

I got the sample size which is 2.75 oz, not even a 1/2 a cup and I only fed him about 3/4 of that 2.75 ozs, I think I need to feed him a little more but with what I put down he seemed to be full and even walked away for a while and came back and finished it off.

Don't forget to put the unused portion (if there is any!) in the refrigerator and seal it up tight in a ziplock or plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.

THIS IS SO FUNNY! I was at Petco the day before yesterday and picked up these rolls as a last ditch effort, and yesterday, this post was posted! I agree. Archie eats these.

My little guy tried the lamb this morning, didn't seem to be that interested in this one, though he did eat quite a bit, but less than the beef he tried last night.

I have noticed a couple of things since dinner last night. He's drinking alot more water, like this food makes him thirstier and since he's drinking more water, he's peeing more AND he pooped 3 times this morning in an hour which is not normal for him. It wasn't diarhea.

Is the thirst, the peeing alot and the pooping more than usual because of this food?

it depends what you were feeding your dog before. It's all relative, I suppose.

Excellent info--I have been feeding our "big dogs" Natural Balance dry food..but getting ready to start feeding the new Yorkie boy.. I did not know what would be good..sounds like the answer to many peoples prayers..

Hi,

The lamb was not Stormy's favorite either, the beef is, and it seems to be everyone's favorite! It has more flavor and a stronger smell than the lamb or turkey, so I think that is why they like it. I only buy the turkey and beef now.

I am so glad to hear he is still eating!

The pooping and peeing are definitely because you not only drastically switched his diet all at once, but because he is eating more, and eating more fiber, he is now getting more nutrients (including fiber and sodium) so he is drinking more and peeing and pooping more. It is natural, and if he continues to eat this food on a regular basis, he will get into a normal routine again, you just jolted his system awake!

Thank you so much for this information! I bought some at lunch time and brought it back for Pita and she loves it!! She wants more! I won't give her too much at one time but I can't believe how she went for it.

Hopefully this will fill her up and keep her from wanting to eat goat and cow poo. :eek:

Thanks again! This forum is awesome!

I meant to ask what is everyone paying for the small roll? I just paid 4.89 at the one and only pet store in town that carries it.

His enthusiasm wasn't so great last night and this morning. I grated it up and I think it's because he doesn't like the way it looks or feels grated, so if I cute in small pieces and put the pieces on the floor instead of the saucer or bowl, he will take a piece here and there if I stand there and point to the pieces on the floor. I hope he doesn't start turning his nose up at this as well, it's exhausting trying to please his appetite.

I think the small rolls at the Petco by my house are about the 4.00 range as well. I'll find out tonight when I go buy a small roll instead of the sample rolls.

Don't forget that the more attention you give your dog while they eat, the less likely they are to eat it on their own. Don't point to the pieces he is not eating...it only turns it into a game that he wants you to continue playing!

Feed him the beef and chop it up into small pieces. I have never grated it for Stormy, that would be boring, and it is then almost the same consistency as the canned food, which he doesn't like.

Chop it into little pieces, find a place where there are NO distractions, put a handful on his blanky and pretend you are not paying attention, or in his carry bag and walk him around in it with the food. TOTALLY ignore him while the food is there. Read a book, flip through a catalog, write your "to do" list for the day, and DON'T look at him, no matter what. Give him 15 or 20 mintes with it with NO attention whatsoever, and he'll probably eat it. He wants your attention, the positive attention is so fun for him and he craves it, the negative attention (you pointing at the food or scolding him and telling him to eat it) only causes him to have a negative association with eating...

Each dog likes a different routine:

Rexxy (my 10 year old foster yorkie who had starved himself for 3 weeks before he came to live with me while we found him a permanent home) needed to be on a comforter on the couch - completely alone with the door closed - no other dogs or distractions for a half hour...when I came back 30 minutes later, the food was gone - and now, he scratches the comforter to tell me he's hungry - that is Rexxy's routine. And, his new mom in his forever home has said that in the month that she has had him, it works every time.

Stormy (my 4 year old yorkie from a wonderful breeder in Massachusetts) felt safe in his carry bag, so rather than feed him from a dish in the morning and at dinner, I would chop up a wheel, put it in the front of his carry bag, harness him in and either take him shopping or walk around the house with him in the carry bag on my arm. And he'd gobble it up because he knew when he was in the carry bag that it was time to relax and not play...there were no other distractions. Now when Stormy is hungry, he digs in his carry bag and sticks his head under the cushion to try to find his food!

Teddy (my 2 year old rescue yorkie) likes to eat his chopped up on a small plate (not a bowl) 2 times a day without fail and he licks the plate clean.

You know he likes the beef flavor, so only feed him that flavor - chop it up, don't grind it, and make sure you are not feeding him too much. He may not be eating it as much because he is not starving like he was the other night when you fed it to him the first time. So try feeding him smaller amounts 2 times a day and make sure it is around the same time each day so his digestion is on a routine and he has time to digest between meals so he feels hungry again when you are ready to feed him.

It may take you some time to find out his exact favorite way to eat the food, so try leaving him in a room with it, or even putting him in his crate (if you do that when you go out) or on his blanket in a gated off room and go for a walk or an errand for 20 mintes to a half an hour. If you are not there to interact with him, he may find the eating a fun thing to do while you are away.

He sounds just like my Stormy, and the more attention you give him during meal time, the more attention he will want, and the more of a game it becomes which will take his mind off of eating all together...because yorkies are so smart, they crave interaction and I really believe, for most of them, the interaction is more enjoyable than eating.

In answer to the question about price, they are under $5 for a small roll (not the tiny travel rolls, the next size up) And for a single yorkie, it should last you about a week if you feed them 1-1.5" chopped up 2 times a day. A small price to pay for my baby's health and bargain when I think about how much $0.99/can canned food I would throw away because Stormy would not eat it and it would not stay fresh in the 'frige after opening it even with the lid on!

You can find them online for less, but you are not guaranteed freshness. I like to buy it from a local store that puts the freshness date on the side so I know when they purchased it and how long it will be good...they are good for at least 10 months unopened in your cabinet or refrigerator from the time you purchase them.

I am so glad for you and Pita!

It is a great idea not to overload her with it right away, keep us posted with her eating!

How long will a roll last in a baggie in the refrigerator?

As long is it is covered tightly with no air getting in, it will last just as long as it would unopened...the longest I have had a roll in the 'frige after opening is 2 weeks and it is still so fresh...I keep the wrapper on and peel it back just as much as I need to cut off a wheel for feeding, AND I put it in a zip lock bag, this keeps it from drying out. If the edge of the roll (where I cut off the wheels) gets dry, I just cut off a slice to get to the part of the roll that is not dry!

There are also directions and info about freshness on their website
http://naturalbalanceinc.com/products/DFRolls.html

Okay, tonight I am going to cut up little pieces instead of grating it and I will put the little pieces on his blanket in his kennel like i do his dry sometimes and let him eat it off his blanket.

They are such little toots but I love him so much. I'm so pathetic, he consumes my thoughts. And of course, he's my baby, so it's all about him.

I know...I am obsessed myself. I can't wait to snuggle and give endless kisses and belly rubs! They are a lot of work, definitely harder than other dogs, but so worth every moment, aren't they?!

By the way, good luck tonight, let me know how it goes!

I buy the large rolls for 8.99 and they never get stale. That is because they only last me 2 days with my group. :D

2 days!!! How many do you have?!