# Picky Puppy



## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

Hi guys I'm looking for some advice, my 14 week old puppy started on diamond puppy and didnt seem to care about it, she was then changed to prescription science diet while having giardia and now has been back to diamond but on naturals large breed puppy. She doesnt want to eat it, Ive been trying the whole pick it up if they don't eat thing for days but still can only get her to eat maybe 2 cups when she needs 3-4. Shes also been very itchy and the vet says that she does not have fleas. Should I change her food? Shes 23lbs at 14 weeks (14 wks yesterday 9/16) Im worried that she may not be gaining any weight as she has been at this for 2 weeks now. If i do change food what should I change to? My vet recommends science diet, royal canin, or purina pro and ive checked the ingredients in them all and they look like crap. What are you feeding? We cannot do a raw diet.


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

Just wanted to add, we try to feed her at 8 am, and she usually refuses and we end up leaving it down since we are both working :/ If she gets hungry i want it to be there, but then on the first visit in she still hasnt ate. Usually the first cup is about 3/4th gone by the time i get home at 330 when ive been trying to give some more then, if she doesnt eat then i take it up, and try again around 5 and so on..


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

All of my dogs HATE Diamond foods and so do my cats and refuse to eat any of their foods. A lot of people have good success with Purina Pro Plan.


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> All of my dogs HATE Diamond foods and so do my cats and refuse to eat any of their foods. A lot of people have good success with Purina Pro Plan.


See i thought about switching but the main ingredient is chicken which is great but here are the next few- brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat

Rice, corn, wheat, by products :/


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Where are you located and what other food brands are available in your location?


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Paradokx said:


> See i thought about switching but the main ingredient is chicken which is great but here are the next few- brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat
> 
> Rice, corn, wheat, by products :/


You can start feeding higher quality foods but IME, dogs don't seem to want to eat them. What good is a food if a dog won't eat it? At the prices they want for some of the better quality foods, you will be paying just as much or less if you would feed your dog raw and he will be the better for it.


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

tc68 said:


> Where are you located and what other food brands are available in your location?


Pennsylvania. Im sure there are many brands available here.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Paradokx said:


> Pennsylvania. Im sure there are many brands available here.


Oh yeah...plenty. A lot of people here feed Fromm's. Quite a few, including myself, uses Victor. If you can, email/msg any company, explain the situation, and they'll send you a bunch of trial packages. Ask for a bunch. 1 pack isn't enough to make a decision. If they don't, you can at the very least, purchase the smallest bags out there and find one that your pup likes. I got lucky with my pup...he likes anything and everything. He'll eat anything I give him. His sister is the opposite. Her owners had to go through a bunch until they found one that she liked (Origen). Unfortunately for them, it's a very expensive brand.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

I would much rather pay a higher price for good food for myself and my dogs. 

The better dog food is generally higher in usable calories so I can feed them less and their poops are much smaller. The cheaper foods go right through them and create much more waste and I have to feed them a lot more of it. So I'm not sure it's really any cheaper in the long run.

Go for the good stuff. It will be much better for your dog and you won't be cleaning up those huge piles all over your yard.

We have done both and that was our experience. But since we don't eat processed food ourselves, we don't want our dogs to eat that either. So we feed raw.


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

Pawsed said:


> I would much rather pay a higher price for good food for myself and my dogs.
> 
> The better dog food is generally higher in usable calories so I can feed them less and their poops are much smaller. The cheaper foods go right through them and create much more waste and I have to feed them a lot more of it. So I'm not sure it's really any cheaper in the long run.
> 
> ...


Aright... What is the "good stuff" ?


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

tc68 said:


> Oh yeah...plenty. A lot of people here feed Fromm's. Quite a few, including myself, uses Victor. If you can, email/msg any company, explain the situation, and they'll send you a bunch of trial packages. Ask for a bunch. 1 pack isn't enough to make a decision. If they don't, you can at the very least, purchase the smallest bags out there and find one that your pup likes. I got lucky with my pup...he likes anything and everything. He'll eat anything I give him. His sister is the opposite. Her owners had to go through a bunch until they found one that she liked (Origen). Unfortunately for them, it's a very expensive brand.


Alright thanks so much. I'll email them both! Ive seen victor in store but not fromm. What product of victor do you suggest for a pup?


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

We fed Victor before we switched to raw, so I can recommend that brand. Sorry, I don't remember which one. It's been a while now. I apologize for not being more help.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I like Victor. You can order it right in from Chewy. 

You say you can't do RAW? Price? Storage? Ick factor? Depending on where you are in PA, I know of two different people that sell good commercial raw at a decent price. A case should last you a month.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Paradokx said:


> Alright thanks so much. I'll email them both! Ive seen victor in store but not fromm. What product of victor do you suggest for a pup?


For about the first year of his life, I fed him Victor Nutra Pro. That was the one the breeder had the pups on. I didn't change to something else because it worked for him. In fact, I was worried that he was growing too fast on that food. So at about a year old, I got him off of "puppy" food and changed it to Victor Professional. In the beginning, I thought about switching him to Fromms because everyone was swearing by it, but I figured why change something that was working and the pup liked.

Like Jax said, try Chewy.com. They deliver right to your door in 2 days. Free shipping over 49 bucks. Save you money on gas going to and from the store. And you don't have to carry the bag of food, except from the front door to your dog food container.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

As this topic comes up often on the forum I'll throw this out as a general FYI:

Ask the store what their return policy is on pet food. You'd be surprised the number that don't advertise it but as long as you have your receipt some will take back open bags if your pet doesn't like the food. One of two things happens: They return it to the manufacturer for credit or they donate it to local pet pantries or shelters. 

They do prefer you buy the smaller bags for testing foods. 

I personally went through this a few years ago and at my wits end trying to find a food my picky eater with allergies (now mostly raw fed) dog would eat. I made a comment about the expense of trying new foods she wouldn't eat and that I had 3 bags of food I needed to donate that were almost full to a store employee. That's when he told me if I kept my receipt they would take it back. I was a very happy camper after that. I went through another three or four brands before we found something. My wallet was much happier with the return policy.

Never hurts to ask. Good luck finding that just right food.


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## Paradokx (Jul 22, 2019)

Jax08 said:


> I like Victor. You can order it right in from Chewy.
> 
> You say you can't do RAW? Price? Storage? Ick factor? Depending on where you are in PA, I know of two different people that sell good commercial raw at a decent price. A case should last you a month.


Mostly because Im uneducated about it.. Feel like it'll cost way more a month and I dont think i can afford that, could you point me to the two people who sell it? How much is a case? How do you do it? just plop it in their bowl? Is it okay for puppies?


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