My dog does not eat his food when I feed him at the beginning?

[TiiMoo]

I have a Chihuahua mixed with Fox Terrier. He is 3 years old in human years. In the past when I fed him the food, he would eat it right away and finish it quickly. I bought a slow feed bowl to him because he did not chew his food when he was small. I have been using this bowl more than half year, and it's slowing him down to eat well. Recently, he starts not to eat his food when I feed him right away. After I put his food on the floor, he went to smell it a while, and just left it there. So I just left the bowl, and sometimes he would start eating and finish it eventually. I think it's because he is very hungry. I'm worry that he changes his eating habit suddenly is having some health issues.

Thanks.

[Marty11]

I find small dogs are finicky. What food are you feeding? Dogs in general don't chew their kibble. I would use small kibble, add quality canned food and some water to hydrate it, feed more than once a day in smaller amounts.

[TiiMoo]

The food that I'm feeding his is the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. It contains two different type of food. And he is getting very picky when he starts not eat his food right away. He only choose to eat one of the type, and left the other type in the bowl or he just taste it, then left it on the floor. But he has been having this brand more than a year.

[Marty11]

My terrier went off the salmon for awhile. Try different flavour. Are there much grains in the food?

[TiiMoo]

That's weird. At the beginning when he did not like to eat his food. I'm worrying that he is having some issues. So I tried to feed him other brand of dry or wet food. And he finished like what he did in the past. I don't know if he is being picky or not.

Since his annual body checkup is up, and I'm going to bring him to the vet anyway. It's better to know is it something to him.

Thanks all.

[mona_b]

I wouldn't really call it finicky, I call it bored. Some dogs like eating the same food over and over again. And there are some dogs who don't. There is nothing wrong with the same brand, just change the flavours every so often.

As a human could you eat the same food everyday? Probably not.

I change my dogs food all the time. This prevents him from getting bored.