Bored of food?

[SarahLynn123]

Belle has never been a big eater, but Ive noticed when she is on type of food she seems to get bored of it after a while. She was doing well at first on Nutro Max then after a while would hardly eat. We switched her to the same brand that Shadow is on, and at first she loved it, now once again she will turn her nose up to it. My Mother gave me some samples of another Nutro type food and gave her a little as a treat and mixed some in her regular food and she loves it! Should I keep her on one food forever or keep switching every few months so she will eat. (She will eat once every couple days now and it bothers me alot)

Thanks
Sarah

[Prin]

My Jemma was the same way until we switched to Wolf King. She still isn't tiring of it and ravages it every morning. Maybe you just have to find the right food...

[d_stanley]

hey sarahlynn
I have siberian huskies (did have 4 but one is still missing) and they need a high protein, high fat diet and there are only 3 brands here that meet my dogs requirements. So I always buy the biggest bag so I only have to buy food once a month but my dogs get bored of there food easily. Each month I switch their brand of food to give them variety.
I also buy chicken (legs with backs attached) and boil it up then run it through the meat grinder, bones and all and mix it up with their food so I use less dog food. I also buy tuna and salmon when on sale and mix that with there food to.
Or you can mix some gravy or sauces with their food and they think they are getting a real treat.
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crazy bout huskies

[Lissa]

My old dog was the same (shephard/husky X). She got bored with her food whether it was wet or dry. She liked it when we would mix in the cheaper dog foods but she still turned her nose up most of the time. She was only fed once a day. She improved a bit when we started feeding her twice a day but remained "finicky" - often refusing to eat the last 1/2 of her dinner. Anyway, when she got sick we started her on the raw food diet and she never turned her nose up to food again.

I like what d_stanley suggested about grinding up the chicken but I think that's why my dog was so picky because she knew that there was something better out there (ie: human food)! But if it keeps your Belle eating her food then it might be worth it!?

Melissa

[SarahLynn123]

s_stanley- Ive never heard of grinding the bone! I will start adding some other stuff to her food. I usually give her some leftovers as a treat (piece of chicken and such) That should get her eating a bit more. Do you buy the same brand just different flavors or keep switching between these 3 brands?

prin- I do need to find a food that she really likes and I can add some goodies for a nice change. Once Shadow is off her special diet I can start the hunt and testing. Hopefully no more then 2 more months. Where do you buy your food from? Ive been looking at wellness and Innova but cant find wolfking anywhere!

Thanks!

[Prin]

Where are you?

[BeagleMum]

I was always told that dogs don’t get bored of food and they will never starve themselves. I find that Spencer eats more every 2nd day. The other days he will pick at his food but usually won’t eat it all. Dogs will only turn up their noses at food if you give them the option to do so. If you add something to their food, then they will always expect it. They may do it for a day or so but they will eat when they really get hungry.

I am not saying that I never add things to Spencer’s food because I do but I know that I will have to pay the price in the end. I think that switching brands too often is hard on the dog’s system. Our trainer told us not to switch like that.

[SarahLynn123]

Originally Posted by Lissa

My old dog was the same (shephard/husky X). She got bored with her food whether it was wet or dry. She liked it when we would mix in the cheaper dog foods but she still turned her nose up most of the time. She was only fed once a day. She improved a bit when we started feeding her twice a day but remained "finicky" - often refusing to eat the last 1/2 of her dinner. Anyway, when she got sick we started her on the raw food diet and she never turned her nose up to food again.

I like what d_stanley suggested about grinding up the chicken but I think that's why my dog was so picky because she knew that there was something better out there (ie: human food)! But if it keeps your Belle eating her food then it might be worth it!?

Melissa

They are both fed 3 times a day (Medical reasons for Shadow) and Belle will usually eat every second morning less then half of the daily recommended for her size. Sometimes Belle will only touch her food every third day. I dont think thats very healthy. Maybe she is looking for something better, she sniffs it then gives me a dirty look and leaves. Im thinking I should stop being stubborn and just add healthy human stuff so she doesn't get sick. (She is really skinny as is and cant afford to loose an ounce)

After her spay she didn't eat for a week and the vet said to get her puppy food, maybe she is holding out for either puppy food or human food because it worked last time!

I would love to beable to feed her a raw diet and Im sure she would love it aswell, but I will be going back to school in the fall so I worry that I wont beable to afford to keep her on it.

Thanks, It never occured to me that she may be holding out for something better!

[SarahLynn123]

Originally Posted by Prin

Where are you?

I am in Calgary!

[SarahLynn123]

Originally Posted by Grover4

I was always told that dogs don’t get bored of food and they will never starve themselves. I find that Spencer eats more every 2nd day. The other days he will pick at his food but usually won’t eat it all. Dogs will only turn up their noses at food if you give them the option to do so. If you add something to their food, then they will always expect it. They may do it for a day or so but they will eat when they really get hungry.

I am not saying that I never add things to Spencer’s food because I do but I know that I will have to pay the price in the end. I think that switching brands too often is hard on the dog’s system. Our trainer told us not to switch like that.

I heard that they wont starve themselves aswell. Im such a worry wart and I hate it so much when she wont eat!!! I haven't added anything in a long time, I dont know how much longer I can remain stubborn for!!!!

[Prin]

This is the western distributer: www.optimaldog.com Just go to the "Store Locator". Or you can go to the store locator on solid gold's website (a lot outdated). In case anybody from the East is looking too, their site is www.jollypet.com

[SarahLynn123]

Originally Posted by Prin

This is the western distributer: www.optimaldog.com Just go to the "Store Locator". Or you can go to the store locator on solid gold's website (a lot outdated). In case anybody from the East is looking too, their site is www.jollypet.com

Thanks! Not to far from home!!

[Prin]

I forgot to mention that Jemma was on Wellness before (right when we got her) and she wouldn't eat her morning portion till 2 in the afternoon. We separate our doggies when they eat so there is no pressure, and she WOLFS down the wolf king. That's why I say it's boredom. A doggy won't get bored with a food he LOVES.

[kandy]

Because our last newf pup got human food all the time, she got to where she wouldn't eat if there wasn't something human in her food. I would try to fool her with a few bites of rice, or leftover veggies or something but if she didn't think it was enough, she wouldn't eat it. I don't think it had anything to do with her being bored with her food, I think she knew that I would break down and give her something else and most of the time, I did. I've always heard that a dog won't starve themselves, but I'm too distressed if they are not eating to let them go for very long.

[d_stanley]

I just switch between the 3 brands that are high performance. I would like to try the wolf king, i'm looking for a store near me right now, even if I have to drive to Detroit (which is only 1 mile from me) i will or if there is a store somewhere from here to toronto i can get my husband to pick some up since he works out of town every weekend.
As for the ground up chicken (bones and all) I picked up that trick from husky breeders who breed for dogsledding purposes. It gives them that extra kick.
I know my dogs won't starve themselves, they can be stubborn but most of the time I just give them dry food in the morning and mix up their nighttime food.
______________________
crazy bout huskies

[mafiaprincess]

I was afraid at first of my pup starving itself, but dogs are opportunists. Unlike cats they will eventually eat even if they dislike the food.

By mixing in gravy, babyfood, tablescraps or anything else to convince your dog to eat you are making a picky eater who may hold out longer waiting for something better.

Switching to a higher quality food also solved my pups picky habits too. There are days when she doesn't immediatly eat, but she never holds out to skip a meal anymore.

[chocolatecoffee]

Hi SarahLynn123!

I was reading your post about dog food and I'm in Calgary too. I buy my dog food at Fairplay (2604 Kensington Road NW). It's a bit awkward getting into the parking lot, but it's a good store. They have Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken, and another Solid Gold food (I can't remember which one right now, sorry), but I'm not sure if they have the Wolf King in stock but I'm sure they'll order it for you. I was going to order the Just A Wee Bit and they said they could order it for me and have it to me in four days, I ended up going with the Innova Evo instead, which they always have in stock, and i love it! They also have samples there which I would suggest getting and see which one your dog likes better. Unfortunately they don't have any Solid Gold samples, but they have Wellness Super5mix Chicken, California Natural Lamb Meal and Rice, California Natural Chicken Meal and Rice, Innova, Innova EVO, and Nutro Ultra. Also, I had heard such good things about Solid Gold that I bought a Hund-n-Flocken bag to try, but neither of my dogs would touch it so that didn't work out well, I guess every dog is different but it was a bit of a disappointment. They let me return the open bag for a full refund though, so that was great.

I would go with whatever your dogs like the best, but I love the EVO. I couldn't say a bad word about it, it has helped their coats so much, the stools are smaller and firmer, less gas, it's great. I especially love the small kibbles, I was stuck cutting one of my dog's kibbles in half because she just didn't like to eat big kibbles . One word of caution though, which you probably already know, be careful when you're switching, especially if you decide to try the EVO. It gave one of my girls explosive diarrhea and we had to introduce it very slowly. Then again, she had been on Science Diet before so it was quite an adjustment for her stomach .

Also, I've never been to either of these places but apparently The Barking Lot (in Midlake by the Taco Bell) and PetPlanet (there are various locations in the city, http://www.petplanet.ca/where/index.html) are great also. I'm not sure if they carry Wolf King, but I've also heard that The Barking Lot helps out local rescues, so that's always a plus.

Oh, and another thing! I've heard that switching your dog's food every few months is good for it, just in case one food doesn't have all the nutrients your dog needs, but there are mixed opinions about this. I don't think it's such a big deal with the premium foods and I'm not sure if I'm going to, I still have to decide, but it's an idea if Belle gets tired of her food.

Anyways, good luck!

[SarahLynn123]

Thanks! I will pick up some samples, thats a great idea.

[lisa-lisa]

Hi,
I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts to this thread based on conversations with my vet. I have a pair of puppies who were also really picky eaters and tended to let days go by between eating. I was really worried about them and changed their food constantly, trying to find something they liked and would eat consistently. Everything I gave them, they would eat ravenously for a day or two and then suddenly stop eating again.

When I talked about this with my veterinarian, she told me that it was really hard on their digestive tracts to be changing foods all the time. She said that I was encouraging their finicky eating habits by changing foods all the time, teaching them to keep holding out for something better.

She recommended Innova Puppy food as a really good, healthy food that would meet ALL their dietary needs. I free feed my puppies (because they are Italian Greyhounds and have tiny little tummies...) with dry Innova and twice a day I give them Innova with warm water poured over the top, which they seem to think is a treat.

When I stopped switching my puppies' food all the time, they went through another period of refusing to eat for a couple of days. But I stayed firm. And since I decided to stick with one GOOD food, they've been a million times better about eating!

[nymph]

My pup Diego started to pick his food, and we just ignored him. I was getting a little bit worried, but my husband was firm. After almost 2 days of not really eating, he wolfed down his food this morning.

So I think your dog would become a picky eater only if you allow him/her to be.

[Prin]

We were talking about Innova on the thread called "Protein". There is a bit of controversy there...