# PICKY PICKY DOG WONT EAT HIS FOOD!!! Help!



## Brigettes boy Hunter (Mar 16, 2011)

My wonderful MGSD has become so darned picky! I have tried so many super expensive foods from the "healthy pet food shop", big sausage sized tubes of fancy stuff you chop up to add to the kibble, a couple of spoons of fancy wet food (salmon/vennison/buffalo etc....) and have even tried putting some macaroni & cheese (he loves the stuff) in his kibble and he wont touch it! He will however eat regular people food if given a chance as long as there is no kibble in it!!!
We tried mixing more of the canned stuff (very expensive) in but he would have explosive butt- so we wont put enough for him to enjoy (I guess?). I am at my witts end and dont know what more to do for him.... He is in good health, however he is getting thinner from not eating enough.
I have found home-made food receipes but they seem kind of silly (spinach, broccoli and pork chops????!!!) and very time consuming (not to mention expensive... he would be eating better than us.). Any suggestions from other picky dog owners?????
Thank you and God Bless! :angel:


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Unless you feel like cooking for him then try tough love with him. MOST dogs wont stave themselves. But it'll be up to you to not give in too quickly. Twice a day (morning and night) put a bowl of food down with NOTHING added. Just a plain bowl of kibble. After 15min, pick it up until the second meal. Only offer it in the morning and at night, no other time. If he doesn't eat, he doesn't eat. NO treats whatsoever. Not even dog treats and especially no table foods. The only food he should get is plain kibble. After 3 days he should be hungry enough to eat. If he doesn't eat, go to the vet for a check up. Look in his mouth too, over 80% of dogs over the age of 3 have dental disease from lack of proper dental care. Maybe people food is softer and kibble hurts to eat?


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## CPH (Sep 8, 2010)

Agree completely with the above post. I have a very very picky eater as well and was catering to him as you were until it just started driving me insane. We know are using the above stated tough love process and slowly slowly seem to be getting through to him. He is starting to eat more kibble, not as much as he should be but were getting there! 

Good luck and don't give in!


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## rebelsgirl (May 19, 2005)

My Zoe wouldn't eat her food for awhile. She'd turn the bowl over and spill it out but not eat it unless I'd hand feed her and sometimes not even then. We bought some powdered supplement and sprinkled it over her dry food. She finally started eating it. We feed TOTW. I forget what the powder was, we bought it from our training facility.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

I agree with the tough love. It is hard and everyone in the family will have to stick with it. Food goes down in bowl, time it for 15 minutes, then it gets picked up. Down again in the evening. He might skip one day of meals, but I bet he will be eating by the second morning. 
But like ChancetheGSD said, if he is healthy and not eating because he is picky and knows you will give him goodies in his food, he will not starve himself and will eat.
BUT, you or family members can't give in and slip goodies in his food, or give him cookies or treats because he looks sad or you think he will starve. Be tough and he will learn to eat what is put in front of him and eat quickly.


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## stacey_eight (Sep 20, 2010)

Zeke got picky for awhile. We did tough love and only allow him 15 minutes, and he would eat *most* of his food. I read a thread on this board about wetting and letting the kibble soak PLUS started adding salmon oil and now he eats *all* of his food.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

What are you feeding?

Have you tried other kibble?

And pardon my ignorance, but what is a "M"GSD?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

maybe he doesn't like what
you're feeding him.


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## Whitedog404 (Mar 25, 2010)

Tough love is great, but canned sardines packed in water added to the mix has worked for me in the past. Most dogs love "stinky" food.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm dealing with the same issue. I have 3 bags of food with only a little gone...thinking it was the brand she didn't like. I've tried Blue Buffalo LBP, Solid Gold Wolf Cub, and now am trying Wellness LBP. I feel horrible constantly switching her...but have come to the conclusion that no matter what I try...she isn't going to like it! SO....I just started adding a tablespoon of "doggie crack" (wet cat food) in with her kibble...and she just gobbles it down!! Hoping it will stay that way and she won't get bored with that, also!!


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

jprice103 said:


> SO....I just started adding a tablespoon of "doggie crack" (wet cat food) in with her kibble...and she just gobbles it down!! Hoping it will stay that way and she won't get bored with that, also!!


I've done the cat food as well, just a tiny amount though. It get's him going and he will then eat all the kibble.
I don't do it all the time but on occasion. I have a picky eater as well. Tried more than 6 different foods and many caused loose messy stools (yes, I transitioned, and gave them plenty of time), but nothing worked.

So now I add some 99% fat free ground turkey, cooked on a George Foreman grill. 
Or, since I'm trying to get some weight off, I add green beans, which he loves.
Tough love is always the best option, but it didn't work for me and I tried. He was eating the bare minimum and occasionally was vomiting yellow bile due to an empty belly. So tough love was not an option for me.
As long as the added food isn't overwhelming the kibble, I think it's okay.
What I add is only a tiny portion. It's enough to stimulate him to eat.
I made the mistake of not getting the 99% fat free turkey and it's likely why he gained a few extra pounds. So watch what you give. 
Veggies are great, the green beans are his favorite.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

standard reply -- the dog may have a digestive problem like a dyspepsia so eating is an unpleasant experience. The dog may have had a viral infection, some gut inflammation . There are such things as appetite initiators.
I would make sure he got a really good probiotic digestive enzyme.
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

carmspack said:


> standard reply -- the dog may have a digestive problem like a dyspepsia so eating is an unpleasant experience. The dog may have had a viral infection, some gut inflammation . There are such things as appetite initiators.
> I would make sure he got a really good probiotic digestive enzyme.
> Carmen
> Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


 
Any recommendations on a good probiotic digestive enzyme? I looked them up and there are so many different ones!


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## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

ChancetheGSD said:


> Unless you feel like cooking for him then try tough love with him. MOST dogs wont stave themselves. But it'll be up to you to not give in too quickly. Twice a day (morning and night) put a bowl of food down with NOTHING added. Just a plain bowl of kibble. After 15min, pick it up until the second meal. Only offer it in the morning and at night, no other time.


I am going to do this with my dog Karma. She has thus far basically refused Kibble but the 100% RAW thing is too hard here.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Brigettes boy Hunter said:


> ... He is in good health, however he is getting thinner from not eating enough.


I would question whether he is actually in good health. If he's getting skinnier, I'm willing to bet that he is having digestive problems, even if you aren't noticing the other outward signs.


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