# Very picky, won't eat raw!



## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

I need raw advice. My 15 month old GSD is the pickiest of eaters. Some background....his breeder started him on Holistic Select and we continued with it until he got a bit itchy and so we went grain free, Acana & TOTW and a few others, trying to find one he'd eat. Then he injured his mouth and had to eat canned for a week and that's when he really got picky. We would switch his foods daily to keep him interested. His winter itching was a problem so we decided to scrap all the cans/kibble and go raw. We started with Bravo beef and lamb to get away from suspect itch proteins. He hated beef and lamb. As a side note, he won't eat a steak or a lamb shank either. We then switched to the Bravo chicken blend, he will eat that but with plenty of begging and after not eating all day. He loves rabbit but rabbit doesn't love him, he get loose stools. His stool with chicken is perfect (when he does eat). I bought a chub of duck (which he loves in a can), he wouldn't even smell it. I gave him a raw chicken drumstick today and he practically ran. If he smells blood, he won't eat. He likes Trippett, smelly sardines, and nasty things in a can. He does not like fruit at all! He doesn't like yogurt. I'm at my wits ends. He's thin (60lbs) and super active which is why I worry when he doesn't eat. We've tried tough love and he doesn't seem to care if he starves. Is this the strangest GSD? He sees his breeder every week for Schutzhund and they tell me he looks fantastic but can't explain his crazy eating style. The other relatives/siblings are not this picky. I need help, can I feed raw and canned like Trippett, Evangers, and TOTW. I don't want to go back to kibble but I want him to eat. Also, he will eat beef if I cook it a little or a pork chop but is that bad....no bones of course. sorry for the length of this post, just trying to give all the details. Thank you!


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## RA'S Mom (Sep 12, 2010)

*Picky eater*

Have you tried adding enzymes to his food??
We tried this with our bad picky eater,my husband called him
a boa as he would only eat very sporatically and very little when he would. After trying tons of different foods,both wet and kibble as well as Raw, we were running out of ideas. Finally we were encouraged to try adding enzymes to his food (half a teaspoon)and he has not missed a meal in almost two weeks now! Maybe that might be something worth exploring??


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

I will try it immediately! never thought of it, thanks so much!


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## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

Sounds like we have the same dog... tried raw for about two months, it was touch and go. First night he loved it, and slowly that declined... won't touch raw now. I've tried enzymes, no luck there either. Hope this thread helps you and gives me some suggestions too! Right now he eats TOTW, with canned food & sardines... I think he'd live off of smelly canned fish. I've talked to most of the owners of his litter mates, no pickiness with their bunch...he weighs 75 lbs right now... my boy is pretty active so when he doesn't eat it really worries me.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

many dogs will eat scrambled eggs and cheese when they are not into anything else. It has protein and is nutritious. Put it on top of what you want them to eat. Sometimes searing the meat lightly to get the flavors out will encourage the dog to eat(even the premade raw can be cooked a bit to bring out the juices)


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

oh I have tried scrambled egg....no dice. It's so frustrating, I am going to give the enzymes a try...can't hurt. I'm not feeling alone now, hope this thread helps many.


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## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

mjrlepo said:


> oh I have tried scrambled egg....no dice. It's so frustrating, I am going to give the enzymes a try...can't hurt. I'm not feeling alone now, hope this thread helps many.



I've tried the scrambled eggs too... worked once or twice. :hammer: The other times he just stuck his nose up at it and walked away.


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

Sigurd and Hunter are brothers  
the way Hunter turns his nose up and throws those pointy ears back as if to say "you have got to be kidding with this"


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## Angela (Mar 22, 2011)

Wierd. Is he just used to canned style food IE all ground up? If that is the problem I'd grind up the raw meaty bones. It sounds like he is still sensitive from his mouth injury.


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

I've ground up beef and he did not eat it. I cut chicken up in cubes and he wouldn't eat it. He chews on raw bones that are pre packed and enjoys them on occasion as long as they are not bloody. The vet said his mouth is perfectly fine especially since he participates in bite work every week. I wish I could figure him out. Today I picked up a can of sardines to mix with his raw food and we'll see how he does. I also bought the enzymes, fingers crossed!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

How long have you let him go between meals? Do you put his food down for 15 minutes and then put it back up if he doesn't eat it? I would try that. If he's not sick then he'll eat when he's hungry and he'll figure out when meal times are. Have you tried home cooked meals?


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

I will let him go a day without a meal, then I just can't. Since his food is raw, I can only keep it 3 days before the quality is compromised. I give him 15 minutes everyday and then I pick it up, sometimes less. I do this 3 times a day and then I make a judgement call based on my thawed food. I can get him to eat it if I spruce it up with freeze dried food or chicken hearts or something smelly. I often think maybe he'd like to go back to kibble but he doesn't eat that either, he can go 2 days and not eat kibble. Is this something he'll outgrow? He's a very happy pup, he's not at all acting like he's hungry.


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## mjrlepo (Nov 8, 2010)

oh sorry, I didn't see the home cooked meal part. I could give it a try, I think I saw a section on this forum with recipes.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My boy loves raw chicken - but it has to be frozen. I don't think his hang up has much to do with taste, but with texture. I can give him a raw, thawed gizzard and he'll all but up-chuck. Freeze it and he can't get enough. Chicken feet is the only thing he'll eat thawed. It gags me to handle it, but he loves it.


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