Help! That Ain't Workin'

[GIDGETSMOM]

OK I NEED EVERYONE'S HELP...GIDGET HAS BEEN ON CANIDAE SINCE THE DAY SHE ARRIVED. SHE HAS NEVER REALLY CARED FOR IT, BUT NOW IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT THAT SHE SIMPLY WON'T EAT BUT A FEW BITES A DAY. I'VE TRIED MIXING IN THE GRAVY, AND EVEN PUMPKIN AND SHE COULDN'T CARE LESS. ALL SHE DOES IS COVER IT UP WITH THE BLANKET IN HER CRATE.

I'VE LOOKED AT WELLNESS, BRIGHTLIFE, EVOLVE, DRS. FOSTER & SMITH AND SEVERAL OTHER BRANDS. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A BAD MOM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A FORTUNE ON FOOD. I DO HOWEVER WANT A FOOD THAT'S GOOD FOR HER AND ONE THAT DOESN'T CONTAIN CORN, WHEAT OR SOY. I'D LOVE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT BOTH HER AND MY 12 YR OLD SCHNAUZER COULD EAT (THAT WAY I WOULD ONLY HAVE TO BUY ONE FOOD FOR BOTH DOGS).

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT'S BEEN WORKING GREAT FOR THEM? I KNOW CARIN'S ARE PRONE TO ALLERGIES SO THAT'S WHY I WANT SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY GOOD FOR HER. I STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF HER CANIDAE LEFT AND WANT TO ORDER SOMETHING ELSE IN TIME TO MIX IT SO SHE WON'T GET TUMMY UPSET.

PLEASE HELP!

[bradl]

Mind the CAPS LOCK key, please. Thanks.

[Guest sandy's mom]

I've been doing some research on this. I've read lots of labels...and I also wanted to avoid corn and wheat. Check out Nutro lamb and rice formula. The first ingredient is "lamb meal" which is much different (and better) than lamb. It has a good protein %, and the fat % and fibre content are in line. This is not an expensive food, but it's also not a cheap food...mid-range in price and available at most good pet stores...though not at the grocery or discount stores.

I use a dry food, which you may or may not like...but Nutro also has canned food, I believe. Their web site is www.nutroproducts.com and nutritional info is on their site.

[Bekah]

Liddy is a picky eater as well. She currently eats Nutro with a little bit of the new Iams sauce (the chicken flavored one) mixed in, but she doesn't really eat on a regular basis...meaning not at the exact same time every day. I'll mix her dinner around 5:30 and she usually eats it around 6 or so. She doesn't like to eat when she's home alone and she likes to have company while she eats, so I usually sit in the kitchen while she eats.

[jlr79]

I'm so glad you asked about this because I was just getting ready to post almost the same question. Abby is driving me crazy!!! She currently is on Eukanuba because that is what her breeder had her on. Her vet recommended it also, but I really wanted something without the by-products and corn in it. I started mixing in the Wellness, and she acted like she loved it for the first three days (she would eat every bit of the Wellness that I mixed in and leave the Eukanuba. I thought I had found the answer, but she then put the brakes on and just kind of picks at that also. She will finally eat it, and still leaves the mixed in Eukanuba!! I'll take any suggestions also!!!!

Jan

[Scully'sMom]

Scully eats Nutro Overweight Formula - 1/4 cup mixed with Nutro Canned (usually lamb and rice or there's one with pasta). She absolutely loves it. I get it at PetSmart and I believe the cans are $.75 each. I can't remember off-hand what the large bag of dry is. Hope that helps!

[kayharley]

I've been wondering if maybe it's not the food but the frame of mind our Cairns have that is causing this "I don't want to eat" syndrome.

I changed from Canidae to Wellness because I thought my crew was getting tired of eating the same old food....not the case.

I thought Elliott, the puppy would be better with a specific "puppy" food and not an all stage food like the Canidae. Nope, it didn't make any difference.....both Elliott and Madison just didn't want to eat breakfast! They may pick but that was it. And even at dinnertime when I used to bring out the food supply and they'd start going crazy, now I have to call/coax/entice them to eat. (of course this does not pertain to Winnie...she'll eat at the drop of a hat)

I figure it this way....if the food is available and they're hungry, they'll eat.

It's so easy to get caught up in the "mommy" mode that I even hand fed their food if they didn't want to eat!

[Milopup]

Ummmm, I admit it - I sometimes handfeed Bosco and when he doesn't want to drink water, I feed it to him out of my hand. Yes, I know - this is probably why he is alpha, eh?

He seems to have gotten tired of eating at mealtimes, though loves snacks. Maybe it is a change in weather??

[Kramersmom]

Sounds very familar. My first Cairn Missy never missed a meal she never was a fuss pot like Kramer. I was going literally crazy when my husband said to me, you are making him that way and making your own self crazy. He said put the food down and leave it, when he is hungry he will eat. I went threw foods like crazy

tried Canidae, Innova, wellness and he would take a few bites and walk away.

He doesn't eat first thing in the morning, he likes to play first then he will eat about an hour later around 8-9 am. Dinner usually 8pm he is good and hungry.

He likes the eukanuba for small breed. He is eating that wonderfully. I guess the foods that are the best for them they dislike. I went from a human grade to now Eukanuba but he is eating it. Wellness, he did like for a week then stopped, at least Eukanuba he eats it good. I just put it down, if he walks away, he walks away where as before, I pulled out different foods, I think he thought if he snubbed his food mom will give me something else. So, now its Eukanuba or nothing and I think he knows that now.

[Stacey & Max]

I have tried every healthy food that you can think of. I also didn't want soy, meat by-products, corn or wheat for Maxwell, so I went from healthy dog store to healthy dog store, and currently have full five-pound bags of: Canidae, NutraMax, Natural Balance, Iams, and Performatrim Ultra. This is 25 pounds of food (and about $60.00 worth) that a 15 pound dog won't eat! I don't even mention the dozens of cans of stuff that I had to throw away untouched. The ONLY thing that he will eat (besides home cooked chicken) is Purina Beneful, which they were giving away as samples at Costco, and he LOVES it. Go know. It is like $4.00 in the supermarket. I put it down - and it's gone. Then he carries the bowl around looking for a re-fill. Definitely not the way I would have gone, and I'm not recommending it - but there it is.

[Kramersmom]

Stacey,

I had to chuckle at your post. I told Kramers Dr that if I put kibbles & bits in front of him I bet he would gobble it up. I don't know what the true answer is but hey it can't be all that bad for them. Growing up as a child we had a poodle that lived to be 18 and he was eating gaines burgers which you don't hear of anymore.

If they eat it then stick to it.

[Eliz222]

My two are such piglets, or I should say Finch is the piglet! She starts asking for dinner starting about 2pm and doesn't stop until she is fed! Scout was not much of an eater and would sometimes skip a day or two of eating. I didn't worry too much because she was a good weight, seemed happy, had lots of energy, and just seemed to be doing ok. Now that "piglet" has joined our family, Scout wolfs down her food as soon as it is put in front of her!

[Eliz222]

I forgot to say that my two eat Canidae. Scout was eating Eukanuba puppy formula when we adopted her and Finch was eating Bil Jac. They both seem to love Canidae!

[pjoes_girl]

When i first got my pup, he was ferocious when i put my hand near him when he ate, so I let him know i was boss and now i can put my hand right in the dish, but here's what happened . He wouldn't eat, like he was afraid he wasn't allowed, so i had to take a few pieces out and hand feed him a few times and put a few pieces on the floor. After a few times, he waszn't worried anymore.. don't know if that has anything to do with it. I've changed food quite a few times and he eats all of the, *dry>

[Tribo64]

I agree with those of you out there who say, "If it's there and they're hungry, they'll eat."

[Chewybacca]

I also have a picky eater, they are on Wellness and Chewy gobbles it up but my girl Roxy won't eat out of her bowl!! she will sit and stare at it for hours. So I have given in and it just gets dumped in her crate. She will usually gobble it done within a half hour, I now go by the rule if it isn't gone in 45 (which really seems like a long time for a dog to eat!) I pick it up and she has to wait till her next meal. Because if they are hungry they should eat!