# Feeding a picky eater and a garbage gut



## sgts_wife22 (Feb 19, 2010)

We're having problems feeding our two very different german shepherd puppies. Our older boy is 13 months old. He weighs about 85 lbs. and is long-legged and lean. He's a very picky eater.
Our puppy is 5 months old today, is short and stocky and weighs 60 lbs. He'll eat anything he can get his paws on.
Their current feeding regimen is kibble in the morning (with plain yogurt on it for the older one, since he won't eat in the AM without it), a chicken leg quarter (sometimes a 1/2 lb. of beef instead) and kibble for supper.
The older boy gets offered 6 cups of kibble a day. We've cut back to five ups for the younger one. I always feel bad because the younger one acts like he's starving even after cleaning his bowl.
Their kibble is Diamond Brand Naturals for large breed puppies. Please don't suggest that I look for a "better" food. We live in a very rural area, with few resources for food. We have to drive an hour to buy their food as it is. 
We'd like to put some weight on the older boy and it's become obvious that the younger pup is going to have to be cut back even more, since it's getting hard to feel his ribs.
We're thinking of switching to the naturals extreme athlete. Since it has more calories we're hoping the older one will put on weight and the younger one will be more satisfied with what he gets. We've also considered giving the older one some nutri-cal daily. The younger dog is (as far as we can tell) allergic to corn and wheat. He also can't tolerate yogurt. 
Both dogs are parasite-free and are brothers (same sire, dams are sisters). I posted about this problem on another forum I belong to (not dog related) but am still unsure.
TIA


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## MikeB06 (Mar 12, 2006)

I would highly recommend adding PROZYME digestive aide supplement to each dogs meals. It will certainly help keeping weight on and you may be able to cut back on the food amount. Products

If your driving an hour to buy food can you get CANIDAE? Most all feed stores carry it. It is higher quality of meat than the Diamond and higher calorie. At your dog's ages you don't need the large breed formula the adult would be just fine. I have used the Diamond Naturals for a while and it works well too. Do you shop at Costco? If so, the Kirkland Chicken/Rice adult formula is the same formula and made by Diamond for much less money.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

sorry, but there is always a way to get access to other foods, even if having to order them online. after all, what would happen if they couldnt tolerate what you are feeding them now? 6 cups a day is an awful lot of food, but ive often seen this with lower calorie kibbles.

the extreme athlete is loaded with fat at 25% and still has lower calorie content than foods like the Canidae mike was suggesting.

id be surprised if there werent any other choices within an hour of you, but again, there are tons of folks here who simply order online. sure its not the preference, but if local sources are limited there is not much choice.


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## sgts_wife22 (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. We drive to a feed store that happens to carry the Diamond Naturals. There's supposedly another feed store (also an hour away, but in a different direction) that carries the Chicken Soup for the dog lover's soul. Seems everyone knows where that feed store is, but nobody knows the name of it or how to get there. 
Ordering online is not an option. The added cost of shipping would mean that we couldn't afford better food for them. I have looked at all the options, as I said.
I will check out the prozyme products. Thanks.


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## jillian (Mar 5, 2010)

Does your dog just look at his food and not eat? If this is the case I myself would put his bowl down if he walks away... take the bowl and wait until dinner, give it to him again if he walks away wait until morning. Keep repeating. He will eat it and learn to like whatever is given to him. 

My female used to be like this and then I got another dog just like yours who always thought they were starving. She went 3 days at a time without eating a thing. But now she eats every time I feed. This took a little while and you feel bad but they should not be fussy eaters. Seems like your dog may have been spoiled somewhere along the line

Always be sure there is no illness causing this behavior before using this method.


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## sgts_wife22 (Feb 19, 2010)

jillian said:


> Does your dog just look at his food and not eat? If this is the case I myself would put his bowl down if he walks away... take the bowl and wait until dinner, give it to him again if he walks away wait until morning. Keep repeating. He will eat it and learn to like whatever is given to him.
> 
> My female used to be like this and then I got another dog just like yours who always thought they were starving. She went 3 days at a time without eating a thing. But now she eats every time I feed. This took a little while and you feel bad but they should not be fussy eaters. Seems like your dog may have been spoiled somewhere along the line
> 
> Always be sure there is no illness causing this behavior before using this method.


 Yeah, that's pretty much how he is. He'll look at it, walk away and then we say "Jax, go eat!" and he'll either nibble or not eat at all. We leave the food down for 15 minutes and then take it up and make him wait until the next meal. Jax was with another (uncaring) owner during the important 8 to 13 weeks time, so he came with a little baggage. He's very VERY active though, so keeping weight on him is a challenge.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

sgts_wife22 said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. We drive to a feed store that happens to carry the Diamond Naturals. There's supposedly another feed store (also an hour away, but in a different direction) that carries the Chicken Soup for the dog lover's soul. Seems everyone knows where that feed store is, but nobody knows the name of it or how to get there. .


pretty much every manufacturers website has a store locator on it, and they are generally fairly reliable.


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## lanaw13 (Jan 8, 2011)

@sgts_wife, try this website for free shipping.... 

Discount pet meds, pet medications and pet medicines - PetCareRx pet pharmacy


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

at 13 months I have seen the majority of my males as being long lean lanky,,call them "the uglies"..I have not encountered picky eaters tho

Honestly, unless he's looking emaciated, I wouldn't want to fatten him up..It's healthier keeping them on the lean side and as he matures he will fill out more

If he's picky, try adding just a tad of canned food mixedwith a little water..If you don't want to go that route..Canned sardines, canned mackeral,,SALMON, is great to add to any dog's food. My 72# kamikaze energizer bunny, gets 2 cups of food twice a day, plus some raw thrown in.. Some dogs are ALWAYS chow hounds, it doesn't mean they are starving or 'have' to eat more. 

And hey I like Diamond tho I have no access to it at the moment


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## westallkennel (Feb 3, 2011)

Like people dogs are just the same some are fat some skinny. At the age your dog is and the activity he is at I would not worry. Sable my old lady of my pack stayed very thin and a picky eater until she turned 4 then she started eating everything in sight. now at 11 I have to watch her weight.


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