# I must sound like a broken record, but my puppy WILL NOT eat! Help please.



## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Fritz is 14 weeks old, such a picky eater, at 12 weeks he was 27.6 lbs, today, not that much more! I have read so many posts here, tried mixing in all suggestions, parmesan cheese, yoghurt, dog canned food mixed in, cat food (major stinky), even canned salmon, boiled mashed eggs, prime rib cut up fine.. and, found out he doesn't like chicken. We have been up for an hour, he won't go near his food. I have grated up Liversnaps on top, crushed his Charlie Bears on top, tried so much. Sniffs, walks away. He does 
eat from a glass pyrex bowl now, but does best off the floor. He is on Royal Canin Maxx, I try to feed apx 3 cups per day, and am lucky to get it in him by 11:00 pm at night. He does get Charlie Bears and Liversnaps as treats in between, both for training and potty. 

I tell myself, be patient, puppies will not starve themselves, but he would rather play than eat.
I really want kibble foods for the long run, so please, 
what else can I do? This is the most important time in his life, growing..developing.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I wouldn't try to bribe him to eat with all kinds of different toppings. You're just teaching how how to be picky. If he doesn't eat after a few minutes, I pick up the bowl. If he's a healthy puppy, he'll eat when he's hungry. He won't let himself die of starvation because he'd rather play.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Does the food contain chicken? If so, switch. 

If not, try cutting down to 2.75 or 2.5 cups a day. He may not want to eat that much. Picky eaters are sometimes overfed dogs.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Thanks, will read bag, check ingridents; will cut down food; will not top dress.. Will not fret, will do everything suggested!


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

There is much better quality kibbles out there than Royal Canine, try switching brands. I have a super picky poodle who would go 2-3 days between eating, I had her on Authority but when I switched to Fromm 2.5 years ago she's missed 2-3 meals in that entire time frame. I use their Four Star line and rotate through their grain free flavours every bag so every month they're eating something 'new'

Fromm, Acana, Wellness, Kirkland (found at Costco) are all kibbles I've tried or seen used with great success.

As for toppers - I do top my dog's kibble but each topper is there for a reason. Tripett (canned tripe), coconut oil, and raw egg are given daily and the kibble is mixed with warm water. Occasional toppers include salmon oil, plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese, green beans. Quality kibbles don't *need* toppers but I like to mix it up a bit and why not add on things that add vitamins, minerals, etc


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Shade said:


> There is much better quality kibbles out there than Royal Canine, try switching brands. I have a super picky poodle who would go 2-3 days between eating, I had her on Authority but when I switched to Fromm 2.5 years ago she's missed 2-3 meals in that entire time frame. I use their Four Star line and rotate through their grain free flavours every bag so every month they're eating something 'new'
> 
> Fromm, Acana, Wellness, Kirkland (found at Costco)
> 
> ...


Thanks, tell me 'raw egg' on top (he likes boiled eggs mushed) then warm water mixed in? And, Fromm, I read a lot of people on here like it, prefer it. I was going to feed Blue Wilderness, but my vet said Royal Canin was better as Blue had too much protein.

Thanks, Deb


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Debanneball said:


> Thanks, tell me 'raw egg' on top (he likes boiled eggs mushed) then warm water mixed in? And, Fromm, I read a lot of people on here like it, prefer it. I was going to feed Blue Wilderness, but my vet said Royal Canin was better as Blue had too much protein.
> 
> Thanks, Deb


Yep, they like both cooked and raw egg. Both are healthy, raw is just more convenient as I'm not up to cooking eggs just for them every dinner 

I've had great results from Fromm, it's not cheap ($90.99 to $93.99 a bag) and it's one bag a month but I feel it's worth the money.

Personally I don't believe a high protein diet is harmful in most cases (outside of kidney issues obviously). In the end, it's what your dog thrives on that makes the best diet. 

If we take the RC GSD puppy formula:

Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, brown rice, oat groats, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, sodium silico aluminate, vegetable oil, pea fiber, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, monocalcium phosphate, psyllium seed husk, L-lysine, salt, fructooligosaccharides, sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, hydrolyzed yeast, DL-methionine, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

It's stated as being 28% protein minimum. But meat isn't even the first ingredient! In fact outside of chicken by-product meal (I don't count chicken fat or fish oil) there's no meat at all.


On the other hand - if we go with Fromm's Large Breed Puppy formula:

Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb, Potatoes, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Whole Egg, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Chicken Cartilage, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics. 

It's listed at 26% protein minimum and five meats are listed. Less protein but it's coming from much better sources that can be named.

Or Wellness Large Breed Puppy:

Deboned Chicken, Whitefish, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Peas, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Salmon Meal, Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Tomatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Carrots, Apples, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Salt, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Beta-Carotene, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin, Folic Acid], Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Choline Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Taurine, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract.

Again, 26% minimum protein but four named meats

Or Blue Wilderness as you've already mentioned:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Tapioca Starch, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Potatoes, Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Potato Starch, Alfalfa Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Blackberries, Pomegranate, Spinach, Pumpkin, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Turmeric, L-Lysine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product. 



37% minimum protein but four named meats. Certainly the highest in the bunch but if it works for your dog then I wouldn't have a problem feeding it.


In the end, if the food works then stick with it  I've spent a ton of time researching diets and the like and feel I made the best decision for me and my dogs. I've talked it over with my vet who both supports quality kibble or raw diets and he agrees that protein is just one factor of dog's diets and there's no proven facts either way

A good article if you'd like to read:

Focusing on Protein in the Diet | petMD

Delgado ate Fromm's LBP until he turned one then I switched him to their four star line which ranges from 28% to 30% min protein and it didn't affect him at all. In fact he's actually improved on the four star line, whether it's from the higher protein or taking away grains I don't know but it works for me 

In the end, this is all just my opinion and you're welcome to take it or leave it. I like a good discussion and I've learned a lot from the forum on various matters including diet


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Shade, thanks again. I read the article, very interesting. I tried to find Fromm foods (I live in Marmora, small town), but will be in Toronto one day next week, Global foods says they sell it...that sounds like the best one out there! Thanks again!


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

It can be hard to find for us Canucks, I buy mine from Global Pet Foods as well, thankfully there's one nearby  There's a buy 12 bags, get 1 free program for Fromm - make sure to sign up!


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Will do!


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