# Dog food toppers??? Need suggestions.



## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

So I have a very picky eater on my hands. I feed him high quality kibble - Orijen Regional Red - but he REFUSES to eat the kibble plain. He will go days without eating unless I put some kind of "topper" on it. 

I've tried Vita Gravy (he doesn't really care for it)
I've tried Benefuls stew topping things (I don't like the quality/non-natural ingredients)
I've tried a powder mix of dehydrated buffalo meat, spices, etc. (didn't like that AT ALL)
I'm currently using some type of "natural" stew stuff sold at Petsmart that has real meat, veggies, and potatos in it. But then I saw that it was made in Thailand..... 

So now I'm not sure WHAT to use.. I'm thinking about just buying natural canned tuna/chicken/salmon (canned in water of course, not oil) and just adding that to the kibble... But I wanted to see if anyone had any alternate suggestions on what I can use. 


Any recommendations on NATURAL/ORGANIC/HOLISTIC/HIGH QUALITY dog food toppers or gravy I can use? I really don't like the idea of using something like Benefuls or anything else that has a ton of additives and chemicals in it. Or anything that's NOT made in the USA. I just don't trust the stuff that comes from overseas.. 


Any suggestions????


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## Girth (Jan 27, 2011)

Yogurt, broth, canned sardines in water work well with my dogs. I mix in Tripett (canned green tripe) with their kibble that they go nuts over. Smells to high heaven but here is a list of what is in the can:

Tripett's "Original Formula" is made from Pure Green Beef Tripe. Green (Green simply means the tripe is pure and unbleached) Beef Tripe contains all the partially digested grasses in a cow's stomach and is rich in digestive enzymes, essential fatty acids and many other nutrients important to your dog's health. 100% All Natural. Contains a natural source of omega 3 and 6. No preservatives or artificial ingredients. 100% pure meat - no filler ingredients.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Tripe and scrambled eggs work well for us, as well as meat table scraps 

I also use Carmen's gelatin idea: take bones and a few chicken necks and feet ( I also use bones left over from our meals) and boil for hours, strain, then refrigerate. Scoop the fat off the top and use the gelatin as a topper. Nutritious and they love it.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

I had a foster dog who wouldn't eat his kibble. Scramled eggs worked great for him!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO said:


> I had a foster dog who wouldn't eat his kibble. Scramled eggs worked great for him!


Yeah! I save our breakfast leftovers and toss them in a baggie, then freeze. They defrost very nicely in the nuker.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Is your dog underweight?

Personally, as long as the dog is healthy and of a good weight, I don't coddle them at feeding time. You eat what you're given, and if you don't , I pick it up after 20 minutes and you don't get anything else until tomorrow.

Some dogs will go on a "hunger strike" for a few days, but I've never met a healthy dog that starved itself to death! I board dogs from time to time and have had a few that didn't want to eat for the first 2-3 days. Without exception, these dogs were overweight anyway, so I figured they had enough in reserve that they could afford to go a few days.  Without exception, they all decided to eat eventually.

So... I wouldn't worry about it! He'll eat when he's good and hungry!


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

Freestep said:


> Is your dog underweight?
> 
> Personally, as long as the dog is healthy and of a good weight, I don't coddle them at feeding time. You eat what you're given, and if you don't , I pick it up after 20 minutes and you don't get anything else until tomorrow.
> 
> ...


 
I'm a coddler :blush: I felt so bad for this foster because he came right from his owner's house, where he was born and lived for three years and was so depressed and wouldn't eat.


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Is your dog underweight?
> 
> Personally, as long as the dog is healthy and of a good weight, I don't coddle them at feeding time. You eat what you're given, and if you don't , I pick it up after 20 minutes and you don't get anything else until tomorrow.
> 
> ...


 

No, he's not underweight. And I've tried this approach, but I'm such a softie that I give in to his "hunger strike" ways and end up putting something on his food again so he'll eat. I guess I'm a pushover like that and I let the guilt take over.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Girth said:


> Yogurt, broth, canned sardines in water work well with my dogs. I mix in Tripett (canned green tripe) with their kibble that they go nuts over. Smells to high heaven but here is a list of what is in the can:
> 
> Tripett's "Original Formula" is made from Pure Green Beef Tripe. Green (Green simply means the tripe is pure and unbleached) Beef Tripe contains all the partially digested grasses in a cow's stomach and is rich in digestive enzymes, essential fatty acids and many other nutrients important to your dog's health. 100% All Natural. Contains a natural source of omega 3 and 6. No preservatives or artificial ingredients. 100% pure meat - no filler ingredients.


My sister uses Tripett for her yorkie, he's 12 years old and toothless so he can't handle kibble

Highly recommend it, though I have to agree on the smell  You'll never forget it, that's for sure


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## KennyFrench (Jun 13, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Personally, as long as the dog is healthy and of a good weight, I don't coddle them at feeding time. You eat what you're given, and if you don't , I pick it up after 20 minutes and you don't get anything else until tomorrow.
> 
> Some dogs will go on a "hunger strike" for a few days, but I've never met a healthy dog that starved itself to death!


When we first adopted Bella, I stressed that she didn't seem to want to eat anything we put in front of her. Of course, I knew she was probably stressed about being in a new place and all that, but I still worried. My wife boiled a couple chicken breasts and rice and Bella loved it. Or so we thought. After a few days of that, she got bored. 

Now, I feed her Wellness Core Grain Free and I "cut" it will one of the Wellness canned stews. Although, I was mixing the kibble with Science Diet canned stew, but decided to switch to Wellness. To keep her from getting bored, I rotate between beef, chicken and turkey. I feed her twice a day and I give her 5 to 7 minutes and then pickup her food. She'll sometimes go a day or two without eating.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

vickip9 said:


> No, he's not underweight. And I've tried this approach, but I'm such a softie that I give in to his "hunger strike" ways and end up putting something on his food again so he'll eat. I guess I'm a pushover like that and I let the guilt take over.


Basically, what you are doing is creating a picky eater.

Your dog is smart, and knows that if he holds out long enough, you'll eventually break out the good stuff!


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## barnyard (Jun 21, 2012)

I do a small amount of topper, more as a treat for my dogs, as well as when I was transitioning them from TOTW. They love coconut oil (just a spoonful), yogurt, and Merrick canned dog food. The cats also seem to love the Merrick - the younger one tries to stick her head in the dog food bowl and eat along with the dogs. I shoo her away, but fortunately, both dogs don't mind the cats.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I have known dogs who have been severely underweight because they truly did not like plain kibble. My cousin's dog actually ended up malnourished b/c he hated plain kibble and they didn't want to "spoil" him by putting anything on his food. He literally wasn't eating enough food for months! I finally added some of Rafi's canned food to his food and he gobbled up his food and they haven't looked back (he gets canned food in every meal now). 

I happily use all kinds of toppers for my dogs, whether they like plain kibble or not (actually Rafi is raw fed but I have fed kibble in the past) because variety is good and fresh food is always better than kibble. 

Some toppers I like:

raw eggs (1 per day) or lightly scrambled eggs
low-fat natural cottage cheese
fresh tripe or canned Tripett (they LOVE this stuff!)
grain free canned food (I like the ones that are mostly meat but there are lots of good brands out there)
canned salmon, sardines or skipjack
fresh raw or cooked chicken, fish, turkey, beef or buffalo
non-fat organic yogurt
canned organic pumpkin (great pre-biotic)
low-fat organic kefir (great source of probiotics)


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Are you feeding the regional red because of a chicken allergy? 

If not, buy some chicken breast and use that as a topper. You can also brown some low fat beef or just feed it raw if you want.


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

Everything bowwowmeow wrote I use! Sardines in oil or water, you can also boil and mash carrots, beans etc., yogurt, cottage cheese, reg human gravey, olive oil, salmon oil, ground beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. livers or hearts, raw or cooked eggs with shell. Depending on if you are grain free or not boiled rice and chicken. Canned pumpkin. Most fruits and veggies you can mix in. Maybe heating up some peanut butter and drizzling that on. 

But like said take it up after 20 mins and not feed until next feeding. If you added a topping put the bowl in the fridge and put it down again. Experiment and find what you dog likes.

The dog might not like the dog food you are feeding and might need to find another brand it could bother their stomach or not agree with them.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

Natural Balance has a nice food roll ( for dogs) that worked wonders for one of my GSDs when she got a bad virus and wouldn't eat. I had to force feed her baby food until I found this product.


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## vickip9 (Mar 28, 2012)

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!! I'm definitely going to try some of these things! I'll be making a trip to Whole Foods this weekend to get some canned salmon, chicken, etc. And I'm thinking about ordering the tripe (despite the claimed horrible smell)  

I may also try transitioning him to different kibble in case it IS the actual kibble that he doesn't like or isn't agreeing with him.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I've been informed by two of my dogs that this stuff is delicious: : Intro

Just a squirt and a quick stir.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i use organic yogurt, canned fish in water no salt added,
cooked boneless and skinless chicken breast, sock eye
salmon oil, can food (dog food), fresh fish, pork, 4oz raw meat ball,
pressure cooked whole chicken (breaks down to mush), ground
flax seed, blueberries, apples, pears, table scraps (depending).
you can blend something in the blender. make a few quarts.
use a quart and freeze the remainder.

maybe your dog doesn't like the kibble you're feeding.
you might have to switch kibble a few times before
you find one that your dog likes.


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## Woofers (Jul 22, 2012)

Nupro
Yogurt
Canned food 
Cottage cheese
Applesauce
Low sodium or homemade broth


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## kam214 (Mar 3, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Is your dog underweight?
> 
> Personally, as long as the dog is healthy and of a good weight, I don't coddle them at feeding time. You eat what you're given, and if you don't , I pick it up after 20 minutes and you don't get anything else until tomorrow.
> 
> ...


I agree 100%...I try to stay strong with tough love on my dogs.

I've never had a picky eater but I know my girl goes NUTS for a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt mixed in her food as a treat sometimes. I know it's already been suggested, but I would try it. Super simple and most dogs love it.


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## kam214 (Mar 3, 2012)

vickip9 said:


> No, he's not underweight. And I've tried this approach, but I'm such a softie that I give in to his "hunger strike" ways and end up putting something on his food again so he'll eat. I guess I'm a pushover like that and I let the guilt take over.


I know it's hard...is your boy picky about stuff in general? Even treats, etc? Maybe he has tummy troubles that cause him to not feel good.

Or, he just knowS he will get reallllyyyy yummy stuff if he looks super sad with those woeful brown eyes


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## m1953 (May 7, 2012)

Either a couple table spoons canned pumpkin
Led
Left over steak or chicken. 

Egg yolk sometimes. 

Nala is a very picky eater as well as very active and can't afford not to eat at such a young age .


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## Leemcmullan (Feb 27, 2015)

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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> i use organic yogurt, canned fish in water no salt added,
> cooked boneless and skinless chicken breast, sock eye
> salmon oil, can food (dog food), fresh fish, pork, 4oz raw meat ball,
> pressure cooked whole chicken (breaks down to mush), ground
> ...


Worth considering. When I first got Newlie, he didn't act like he cared one way or another about eating. He would sniff the bowl, sometimes take a bite or two, then walk away and his food would still be sitting there the next morning. The dog food he was on was grain free, but he also seemed very itchy. Somebody suggested that alot of dog food contains chicken and he might be reacting to the chicken. 

Anyway, I switched to Earthborne Great Plains Feast which is grain free and supposedly has no chicken, it is bison meat. I can't say it did anything for his itching, but it sure perked up his appetite. He always acts like he can't wait to eat now!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

vickip9 said:


> Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!! I'm definitely going to try some of these things! I'll be making a trip to Whole Foods this weekend to get some canned salmon, chicken, etc. And I'm thinking about ordering the tripe (despite the claimed horrible smell)
> 
> I may also try transitioning him to different kibble in case it IS the actual kibble that he doesn't like or isn't agreeing with him.


Careful with the canned Salmon it's usually high in sodium.

Rocky loves it, but someone on here mentioned the sodium so I looked at the can and yeah, it's up there...everything in moderation as it were.


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