My B's Pick & Choose Which Kibbles to Eat Out of Their Food! Grrrr!

[BDawg]

It seems no matter what brand of dog food I try, my dogs always pick out which kibbles they like best and then end of leaving a bowl full of "the yucky kibbles". It's that or they actually will take it out of the bowl and leave it on the living room carpet where it eventually finds itself inside the vacuum cleaner. I hate spending money on dog food when they only eat half of it! Ugh! Does anyone else's B's do this?? Right now we're on Blue Buffalo and they leave all the dark little kibbles................

[MaxBooBooBear]

Max was a very picky eater. But the dry food I used with him for years because of his IBD was all one type, and he liked it. But even when he liked his food--he would only pick up one kibble at a time, chew it thoroughly, and then swallow. Then he would pick up the next little piece, dhew it thoroughtly, swallow, and so on.... He did that from the time he was a pup. But whenever I had to feed him anything like chicken and rice--he would pick the chicken out and leave the rice. Before I had him on the prescription food, he would actually pick up a kibble and spit it out if he didn't like it. Well--I guess he was actually dropping it--but it seemed like he was going "phewey!!" My german shepherd mix inhaled anything I gave her--she barely chewed. My two Bs now don't quite inhale without chewing, but they get through all their food pretty quickly (mostly dry kibble with a little bit of canned and warm water) and don't seem to be picky at all.

[BaMica]

:D my Mica is a bit fussy. She has gone from science diet to eukanuba or iams to now working into eva innova - since I read this is good on this forum. She also likes the raw meat diet (little silver doller sized 1/2 high meat discs in venison/turkey,chicken/and yet to try other variety) which will be one meat disc per meal since they are a little pricey, along with some pedigree packets variety (about a tablespoon) - and sometimes that dog gravy, too - all mixed together. I will put a few teaspoons of yogurt on top in the morning sometimes, and than sometimes I also add cooked rice. It tends to vary every meal - no set formulae. I mean, I really prepare her meal and work to get her to eat. But she does wait patiently while I prepare it, most of the time, too. If she doesn't immediately eat - (sometimes) I pick the food up, put a celaphane (spelling?) wrap on top of the dog dish and than try feed it at the end of the day. Usually she does this. She has gone as long as a full day without eating so far. She can be picky. Like today she ate only the eva innova kibbles in the morning. She didn't want anything to do with the other moist food until evening. Sometimes I eat something along with her eating time, too - I don't know if this has to do with pack animal communication but may be so - since she follows me everywhere in the place where I live. She will also share a ball or a bone cooked and fished out from a soup and flavored with her favorite ****er spaniel friend, at her place. But the ****er is a good dog. She likes treats. All kinds of variety there. So I can never be sure that if I set this food down, this is the always what she will eat source of flavor. Sometimes I try to think that if I were a wild dog, since she appears to be just shy of a wild creature - what would be the yummy wild treat to eat this morning for breakfast? That seems to do the trick for hunger variety. But than, she is a wonderful little B - a creature all unto herself. :D

BaMicas mom

[lvoss]

By catering to her, you are most likely only exasperating the problem. The recommendation I got when my male was being picky was to put the food down for 10-15 minutes, if it is not finished pick it up and then at dinner offer food for only 10-15 minutes. If they miss a meal or two that is okay, they may even choose to not eat for a day but if they are hungry they will eat, without all the special ingredients and fuss. Since not eating is one of the first clues to when a dog is not feeling well, catering to a picky eater makes that difficult to determine.

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

By catering to her, you are most likely only exasperating the problem. The recommendation I got when my male was being picky was to put the food down for 10-15 minutes, if it is not finished pick it up and then at dinner offer food for only 10-15 minutes. If they miss a meal or two that is okay, they may even choose to not eat for a day but if they are hungry they will eat, without all the special ingredients and fuss. Since not eating is one of the first clues to when a dog is not feeling well, catering to a picky eater makes that difficult to determine.

I am going to print your response out and show it to my husband! I just explained the same thing to him, Zahra has started not eating when her food is put down, he takes her upstairs and puts it into her cage with her locked inside. I don't want her to do that, she needs to eat when it is placed in front of her and if she doesn't do so in a certain time frame then it is going back into the food container. He tells me I am being mean, I tell him that I am not being pushed over by her. She has always been a slow eater, she eats a piece and then wanders away and comes back. As long as she is eating that is fine.

Zahra did not care for Blue Buffalo and when she did eat it she had very running poo :eek: ! I switched her to Eagle Pack Holistic but changed to Innova EVO over time and now when I tried to mix in the Eagle Pack she refused to eat it. Fussy little creatures, aren't they?!

[tanza]

I am going to print your response out and show it to my husband! I just explained the same thing to him, Zahra has started not eating when her food is put down, he takes her upstairs and puts it into her cage with her locked inside. I don't want her to do that, she needs to eat when it is placed in front of her and if she doesn't do so in a certain time frame then it is going back into the food container. He tells me I am being mean, I tell him that I am not being pushed over by her. She has always been a slow eater, she eats a piece and then wanders away and comes back. As long as she is eating that is fine.

Zahra did not care for Blue Buffalo and when she did eat it she had very running poo :eek: ! I switched her to Eagle Pack Holistic but changed to Innova EVO over time and now when I tried to mix in the Eagle Pack she refused to eat it. Fussy little creatures, aren't they?!

Again, as Lisa said, if you don't baby them, they will develop health eating habits... however there is nothing wrong with putting her in a crate to eat.. honestly, it is not necessary for them to carry the food around the house. By letting her wander away and come back and find the food is not building good eating habits. All mine eat in their kennels... of course with more then one it of course is necessary... but it is no different the kids... you don't (or you shouldn't) let them eat part of their dinner, wander around and then come back...

[JazzysMom]

Jazz is becoming increasingly fussy and not liking the kibble at all.
She seldom finishes her meals anymore, and really won't eat at all until Gypsy and Keoki have finished their food and start circling her feeding area, looking hopeful. Then she'll get all growly and eat {most of} her food.

This morning I put 1/2 TBSP of olive oil on her kibble, and she ate most of it. I put the other two outside though, so they wouldn't be intriqued by the smell.
She's a real PIA at meal times.

[Duke]

Wierd - As I mentioned in another post, Duke wouldn't eat his kibble either. At first I thought it was a game he made up so he would wait until Daisy was done with her food and when she would begin invading Dukes bowl, he'd jump in and growl at her as if to show her who the real boss is. Then it progressed to him not doing that either and she'd start eating his food. (She's a little piggy for food.) So I wouldn't have to babysit Duke's bowl, I started mixing in a little wet food in Dukes to get him to eat it when I fed him. (Just a little in Daisy's too since Daisy can smell Dukes food too.) I suppose dogs like change in foods as we do. I think I'll switch brands a few times a year. They both eat Canidae - one type of kibble in the bag.

[youngandtired]

Yea, these B's are pickey eaters. Sahara is pickey, but she loves the Merrick's dry and wet. I give her dry with little warm water, mix in some can Merrick's (heated just a bit in microwave) and she eats it up. She has been on Merrick's the longest and I am very happy with it. The vet says she is the perfect size and her coat is gorgeous, what else could I ask for. I did cut down on her treats, if she eats alot of treats she will not eat well at her meals.

[nala121498]

Nala has been doing that for years...UGH! I feel your pain!

[tanza]

My male was the only one that was a picky eater and that was for the first 3 yrs of his like.... I never caved or ever did anything different then the rest... if he didn't eat, he didn't eat.... pure and simple... and this was pretty tough since I was trying to show him also.... however when the brain finally turned on... unless he is sick, he have never missed a meal... and all the rest of mine have good healthly eating habits... Picky eaters are made... not born that way... honestly.... and they will not starve themselves....

[JazzysMom]

Picky eaters are made... not born that way... honestly.... and they will not starve themselves....

Well, that may be true, but I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to find foods that are palatable to the dogs either.

Jazz liked the puppy chow, but had a tendency to gain weight so fast on a very small amount of food so we switched her to a light food. We are on our second brand of light food, and she just doesn't like it. I imagine, as with light people foods, it just doesn't taste great. {I know she's wondering why Keoki is eating that good stuff}
I plan to hunt around to find a food she likes to eat, and I don't have a problem doing that. I'm not going to make her eat food she doesn't like just because I can.

I know if all that was available to me was dry old whole wheat bran muffins, I'd eventually eat enough to stay alive. I won't starve myself either. But I'd prefer to eat something that has some degree of good taste to it. ;)

[jys1011]

Topaz is just as picky so when she's in a "mood" I'll throw in a table spoon of wet food & just mix it all up so she can't really pick through it & all of the kibble is nicely coated :D I also have to do this when I have to give her meds. It's the only way she'll eat it.

[tanza]

Hiding pills is always a challenge...

[nomrbddgs]

Well, that may be true, but I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to find foods that are palatable to the dogs either.

Jazz liked the puppy chow, but had a tendency to gain weight so fast on a very small amount of food so we switched her to a light food. We are on our second brand of light food, and she just doesn't like it. I imagine, as with light people foods, it just doesn't taste great. {I know she's wondering why Keoki is eating that good stuff}
I plan to hunt around to find a food she likes to eat, and I don't have a problem doing that. I'm not going to make her eat food she doesn't like just because I can. ;)

I don't know that you would have to use 'lite' food. A higher end product-even adult food-is better that a lower end food. You will naturally need to use less, but it may be better for her in the long run. Shadow tends to gain weight-he only gets about 2/3-1 cup a day total. But since it;s higher end, he looks good, has a good coat and health and poops less. And he'll eat it, too! Damisi eats adult food-higher end as well-and her coat is fabulous. She's good healthwise, and is better looking than some of the other pups from her litter.

[JazzysMom]

Jazzy was getting 1/2 cup of food a day and barely maintaining a good weight. I don't feel that is sufficient to maintain good nutrition--she may be getting the calories she needs to get by each day, but not, IMO, the vitamins and minerals she'll need.

Jazz eats Nutro Natural Choice Lite at this time. She is only getting 1 cup a day, and maintaining her weight.
She is a good-looking dog, has a great coat and poops three times a day generally, so none of those have ever been issues for me. That much was the same even on the puppy food. She is a good looking dog, and healthy. And I want to make sure she gets the nutrition she needs to stay that way for another 13 yrs or so.

[nomrbddgs]

Boy, that is a small amount! Her thyroid is good, I imagine??

[JazzysMom]

Yeah, I had that tested when she went in for her spay.

[nomrbddgs]

Dang!!! That really sucks that she can't eat a lot! I mean, I wouldn't want to eat cardboard either!!

[JazzysMom]

Okay, so tonight I mixed a little Pedigree Lean Lamb and Rice canned food in w/Jazzy Nutro kibble and she ate it all up. It was 1/2 cup kibble with maybe 1/4 cup canned. Ahh, I think I may have solved my "problem".
If I do this twice a day, and if she doesn't start gaining weight on it, I'll feel much better about her eating habit.

{Had to put Keoki outside while she ate because he was VERY put out that she got the canned stuff, LOL}

[tanza]

My girls only eat 1 cup a day?.... mixed with some veggies or some other stuff, but not very much of it..., have ever since they were just past puppy stage.....

[JazzysMom]

Well, when I say Jazzy "eats" a cup a day, it's really that she is "given" a cup a day. She only eats about half of her food.

With the canned mixed in, she is eating her entire meal and so will be eating maybe 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups a day. I don't mix veggies and stuff in her food; those are given as occasional snacks. So probably, Jazzy gets about as much food in her meals as your girls do. I'm comfortable with something in the area of 1 - 1/2 cups of food, but not less than that.

[Quercus]

<<I'm comfortable with something in the area of 1 - 1/2 cups of food, but not less than that.>>

Why? If her body is telling her she doesn't want to eat more, and clearly she is a healthy weight...why not, let her self adjust? Maybe I am missing something here?

My dogs all eat just about a cup per day. Sometimes I will up it a little for the skinny minnies, and drop it for Blondie ;)

I have noticed that Querk needs to eat MUCH less since his neuter...he used to eat about 1.5 c...now 1 c seems to be a little too much. It seemed to drop his metabolism almost instantly.

[JazzysMom]

The issue w/Jazz was that when she was eating puppy chow she was only eating 1/2 cup a day and barely maintaining weight {she gains weight easily}.
That was just not enough food, so we switched to a light food, and were putting 1 cup out a day for her, but she doesn't like it and so would not eat it. It was really an issue of self-regulating for sufficient intake, but a LACK of intake!
She'd pick a bit and leave the rest. I started adding a bit of lean canned food so that she will eat. She's currently eating about 1 cup of kibble w/2 large TBSP of canned food mixed in -- she gets 1/2 cup + 1 heaping TBSP twice a day.
If she starts putting on weight {she's currently a nice 21 lbs}, then I'll cut a bit back on the kibble.

I'm good w/that.

[Quercus]

<<That was just not enough food, so we switched to a light food, and were putting 1 cup out a day for her, but she doesn't like it and so would not eat it. It was really an issue of self-regulating for sufficient intake, but a LACK of intake! >>

So you mean, it wasn't enough food in volume to make her not feel hungry, still? 'Cause clearly it was enough food in calories because she would start to gain. But I totally get it if she was so hungry from lack of volume that she needed more.

Maybe that is why she is so crabby ;) She hates dieting....I feel her pain!

[nomrbddgs]

I have noticed that Querk needs to eat MUCH less since his neuter...he used to eat about 1.5 c...now 1 c seems to be a little too much. It seemed to drop his metabolism almost instantly.

Shadow was like that as well, plus he has a neuter coat now-in the winter he looks like a Shiba Inu and now his coat has turned from black to brown/black with a dark black stripe right down the middle of his back!

[tanza]

Shadow was like that as well, plus he has a neuter coat now-in the winter he looks like a Shiba Inu and now his coat has turned from black to brown/black with a dark black stripe right down the middle of his back!

Has he not shed that "neuter" coat as you call it? I know that it is pretty common within a 1 to 2yrs after spay/neuter that they will get a really, really heavy coat and then blow it.... and I have found with mine that one they have done that heavy coat and blowing it... they go back to their regular coat...

[nomrbddgs]

Hasn't blown it yet. I'm going to give him a bath this w/e to see if I can get rid of some of it. Mind you-he's been staying in the air conditioned house til recently. Ever since I started taking him to the Chiropractor he's been playing inside the house and starting to go outside more to play-this will probably help him blow the coat.

[JazzysMom]

Maybe that is why she is so crabby ;) She hates dieting....I feel her pain!

LOL, you may be right. She's been so down and crabby for weeks.
After two days of getting the canned mixed w/her kibble, and actually EATING a cup of food a day, she is FEISTY today!

She was playing w/me like she hasn't played for months -- down on the floor, doing that "play stance", running, jumping, flipping over, wrestling. I haven't seen this in a long time, and I've missed it!

I also noticed that she hasn't been snarking at Keoki when he walks up while I'm petting her. She's like my old Jazzy today. I hope it's because she's finally feeling full and happy and I hope it sticks!!

[tanza]

LOL, you may be right. She's been so down and crabby for weeks.
After two days of getting the canned mixed w/her kibble, and actually EATING a cup of food a day, she is FEISTY today!

She was playing w/me like she hasn't played for months -- down on the floor, doing that "play stance", running, jumping, flipping over, wrestling. I haven't seen this in a long time, and I've missed it!

I also noticed that she hasn't been snarking at Keoki when he walks up while I'm petting her. She's like my old Jazzy today. I hope it's because she's finally feeling full and happy and I hope it sticks!!

Wasn't she in season not to long ago? And now just recently spayed? Hormones during and after being in season can really make these girls strange and it can change from year to year... and now that she is spayed, she is losing all those hormones...

[JazzysMom]

Well. . . it has been months since she was remotely playful with me, and getting crabbier all the time with the other dogs; long before her last season and the spay. It's hard to timeline it, but I do think it relates to the fact that she was just not eating.
Not to say that the spaying didn't have any effect, but that most of her behavior change had taken place over a long period of months.

[tanza]

Well. . . it has been months since she was remotely playful with me, and getting crabbier all the time with the other dogs; long before her last season and the spay. It's hard to timeline it, but I do think it relates to the fact that she was just not eating.
Not to say that the spaying didn't have any effect, but that most of her behavior change had taken place over a long period of months.

Well regardless... good that she is feeling better and more playful...

[lissthor]

I sometimes think different runs of kibble must taste different. Or the company changes an ingredient source and it doesn't taste right to them. Our cats and dogs were all eating California Natural for quite a while, and really seemed to like it. But about 6 months ago when we brought new bags home no one would touch it. The cats outright refused to eat it, the dog ate it grudgingly.

Since we figured they might know something we didn't, we switched brands. The dogs are getting Timberwolf venison and rice kibbles and seem happy to see the bag come through the door again. The cats are now on prescription food for kidney issues.

[mrbhayn]

Mine was a bit picky at first. Didn't like this or that. She does like to eat an occasion green olive W/the pimento pit, though! As for kibbles, I tried her with some of the Kibbles and Bits brushing bites brand and she loves the stuff. Not picky with that at all! I gave her some of the reg Kibbles, and she was picky there. She tried iams dry once when I first got her that my sister swore by, and didn't take to that at all.

[Vanessa]

It took us a year to figure out why our dog would be picky with his food. We used California Nautral, Wellness, etc. Eventually we realized that our little guy was allergic to gluten. Finally we checked out Evo and our little guy is eatin it right up with no problems. He is filling out and looking more like a 1 year old boy :) Fingers crossed he will stick to this brand :p

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

Vanessa,

I use Evo and they love it, I switched to Evo from Eagle Pack Holistic because of Zahra and her Mange problem I was trying to help her skin. Have you tried their wet food? We have wet food Sunday at our house, we mix a can of wet in with the dry to give them a special treat.

[wizard]

I started out feeding EL D science diet (what did I know at the time) but when I switched to better kibble and would mix a little of the old with the new, he would pick out the good stuff and leave the yucky. Picky yes but at least he knew which was good. :)

[My_Moselle]

Has anyone ever tried Flint River Ranch Dog Food? Here is there website:
http://www.frrco.com/indexFlash.cfm

My little one just eat to survive. As much as I enjoy her, she plays, plays, plays, eat, go's potty, then instead of eating, she just "snacks" at her meals. I give her 3 meals a day. When I got her from the breeder, I was told that she was on Eukanuba and she had switched her to Purina Pro Plan Puppy. Well she hasn't had a good meal the 3 weeks I've had her. I did start adding carrots only for dinner. She decided that she'll "snack" on her dog food all day and eat the carrots at night. Then I stopped that. So I figured maybe she was "teething" and started to wet her dry dog food so It would be easier for her to eat. That didn't work either. So now I'm looking into this "Flint River Ranch" Dog food. I'm hoping she'll like it. She is on the skinny side. I also cut down her treats as well.

[WBL]

Flint River is not a bad food, IMO much better than Purina.

When you do the switch try to do it over about 2 weeks, helps the system change over easier.

[Vanessa]

Vanessa,

I use Evo and they love it, I switched to Evo from Eagle Pack Holistic because of Zahra and her Mange problem I was trying to help her skin. Have you tried their wet food? We have wet food Sunday at our house, we mix a can of wet in with the dry to give them a special treat.

Oah Yeah! Chance loves their wet food. We will sometimes mix a can with his dry food. I've never seen a bowl licked so clean :D

[BDawg]

So... we are switching the kids over to Orijen. I mixed in a little bit with the EVO we had left... and Miles picked out all EVO bits and spit them into the living room!!

[renaultf1]

BDawg...which Orijen are you switching them to...Adult or 6 Fresh Fish?

[Tayda_Lenny]

Tayda has always been a picky eater, and I used to put her food down for 15 minutes and then pick up what she didn't eat and she didn't get another chance to eat until next feeding time.

Now, with this Fanconi stuff - I HAVE to get food/vitamins into her - so now I feel like I'm at her mercy with her picky-ness. I started w/ giving her the Innova senior - which she would not touch. Then I mixed in Wellness Senior with the Innova senior. She would pick out the Wellness and leave the Innova. I'm adding other things (natural yogurt for probiotics, wet food for long chain amino acids, pumpkin for fiber). But, she just keeps getting pickier and pickier. Now, we are at half/half Wellness/Innova, spoonful pumpkin, spoonful natural yogurt, spoonful wet food, a little low sodium beef broth and MICROWAVED for 10 seconds. Really, I mean, really...

Lenny is a great help by scarfing down his food and then standing over her and pressuring her to eat...

[BDawg]

Oh... the things we do for our babies!! :)