LisaS Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 My 5 1/2 month toy poodle is underweight and I am looking at ideas to entice her to eat!! She won't eat if we are at home (probably too much else to do) unless you hand feed her (bad habit I am told to get into). The vet suggested chicken necks and dry puppy food. She is sick of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Is she teething? Sore gums can discourage eating for a while. If you want to put weight on her, some lamb (diced) is always good. Try sardines too! However, kibble will give her the balance of nutrients she needs unless you opt for a full raw diet. Do you leave food down for her all day or only give her food at meal times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Woofs Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 My dog has just turned 12 months and hasn't been a big eater since I brought her home at 8 weeks. I've tried to not give in but she often went for 3 days without eating, and then would only eat the smallest amount. Missy only wanted to play and not eat so over the past 3 months before I feed her I take all her toys away and after I put her food down I don't make any eye contact and ignore her until she has finished all her food. Then made a big fuss and played. When I started this it was with 1/4 cup of kibble, now she gobbles 1 1/2 cups morning and night because she knows I won't play with her until she's eaten it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Woofs Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 forgot to add that I also mix 1 tablespoon of natural yogurt in her meal and some sardines and I've found she really loves this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Have you spoken to the breeder?? Have you had her vet checked(ie bad tonsils) Have all her baby teeth falling out You say she wont when your home unless you hand feed,She has you well trained Do you leave food down all day when not there Is the diet what the breeder suggested or have you changed it What exactly do you feed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaS Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 Is she teething? Sore gums can discourage eating for a while. If you want to put weight on her, some lamb (diced) is always good. Try sardines too! However, kibble will give her the balance of nutrients she needs unless you opt for a full raw diet. Do you leave food down for her all day or only give her food at meal times? Thanks for the tips. I had been giving her 2 meals and was told to go to 1 meal a day - now I have gone back to 2 meals and today I left dry food for her as she didn't eat anything for brekky. I've tried sardines she wouldn't touch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffi Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Is she teething? Sore gums can discourage eating for a while. If you want to put weight on her, some lamb (diced) is always good. Try sardines too! However, kibble will give her the balance of nutrients she needs unless you opt for a full raw diet. Do you leave food down for her all day or only give her food at meal times? Thanks for the tips. I had been giving her 2 meals and was told to go to 1 meal a day - now I have gone back to 2 meals and today I left dry food for her as she didn't eat anything for brekky. I've tried sardines she wouldn't touch them. If you don't want to have a fussy eater don't leave the food out at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 If she's definitely underweight, even 3 small meals wouldn't be bad. Working dog forumla kibbles have more calories in them and full fat mince (especially lamb) could help. I'd not be leaving food down - for a start it makes it difficult to know how much and when she's eating. If she likes dairy products, cottage cheese and full fat milk can be good. My guys enjoy some milk for breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 (edited) Hi After a vet check to ensure all gums/teeth/throat etc are healthy... Don't leave food down all day offer things like mince, chicken wings, pieces of lamb flap. Moisten her kibble with warm water...this will soften it a bit, and release scents . Offer her food.. put it down, and walk away. Pick it up after 10-15 minutes. NO treats, etc until next mealtime. Do not hand feed. Make sure she is getting enough exercise to work up an appetite . Edited February 18, 2009 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpie_Pup Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 If you don't want to have a fussy eater don't leave the food out at all times. I agree. It sounds like you are pandering to her a little. If she is to eat morning and night, then feed her at these times. Leave her meal out for 5-10 mins then remove it. She will have to learn to eat at those times or go without. I think by nature they would not be big eaters anyway? Decide what she is to eat and keep it at that. She is learning that the more she fusses, the more you will fuss over her. Obviously, if she goes days without eating then you have a problem that needs the attention of a vet or dog behaviourist. Agree with everything Persephone has said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrai Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 agree with poodlefan 3 small meals, make each one different in away so she's not getting used to same stuff over and over. If I have a fussy eater normally I mix Kitten/cat food with mince, its amazing to watch them eat it so quickly. Sardines can be a bit off-putting for somedogs, not all of mine will eat them. Cat Crackers are my secret to fussy eaters all my dogs them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJane Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Sorry to bump an old thread. I am currently experiencing a similar problem. My 14 wks old Staffy is getting very fussy with the dry food. I never had problem feeding her pure dry food, she is on Hill's diet now. In fact, I was always worried that she ate too fast! Now, she would only eat 1 or 2 mouthfuls and walks away. Same thing, she would eat if I hand feed her, but I don't want to do that because I dont want to make it a habit. Then I thought, maybe her teeth are sore because it is about time she gets her new teeth? So I mixed some roasted pumkin to her dry food and she finished everything! So, I came to a conclusion that she is just being fussy? I do give her chicken necks every evening, together with some dry food and maybe a spoonful of natural yogurt. But now, I am not sure if i should give her anything other than her dry food. I am now leaving her food for her for only 15-20 mins, if she doesn't eat them, i will throw them away in the bin right in front of her (is that bad??). I usually put her in the laundry (with baby's gate) when I have to go to work, and to make going to the laundry rewarding (she is now ok with being left alone in the laundry, wouldn't whine or destroy anything), i sprinkle a handful of her dry food on her bed, she would have a ball searching for every bit of the biscuit and clean them up. Again, that makes me think her teeth are not entirely sore? I really do not mind feeding her things other than dry food, because I will kill myself if i have to eat the same biscuits everyday for the next 10-15 years. But my partner and I travel pretty regularly, especially in the next 12 months, so we want to train the dog to live on dry food. In case we have to let our friends house sit, we do not have to trouble the friends to prepare food for the dog. She just finished puppy school, and the trainers told us to keep up with the training. I have to use treats to train her, but now being so fussy with her dry food, I am not sure if I should continue with the training. Though, I really wish I can keep up her training because she is getting better. Will really appreciate some advice now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Have you tried a different brand of dry food? My dogs wouldn't touch Hills Science unless I mixed something in it. But after I changed their food, they can barely wait to get their Artemis dry food (they drool if they have to wait too long :rolleyes: ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 IMHO, at that age, a toy breed should have 3 or 4 small meals per day. Their stomachs can't hold enough for 24 hours. Check her teeth, and have her tonsils checked, these two things are often the cause of inappetance. You might also find that the dry food is too difficult for her to chew - jaws on toy breed pups are not over strong, and the physical strain of trying to chew dry food is too much, so they stop eating. Ditto chicken wings. Try her with a little mince, warmed in the microwave. Scramble an egg in the microwave, with a little milk, and offer that. Also try one of those tiny tins of Dine or whatever it is called - small tin, big price - all different flavours. What was the breeder feeding her? You can try putting her food down and staying with her, and see what happens or you can try putting her food down, and leaving the room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Just wanted to add that I still handfeed my dogs every once in a while (love to do it) :rolleyes: That doesn't stop them from gobbling down their food when they are fed in a bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Have you tried a different brand of dry food? My dogs wouldn't touch Hills Science unless I mixed something in it. But after I changed their food, they can barely wait to get their Artemis dry food (they drool if they have to wait too long ) Yep I agree, Hills has a pretty large grain content and isn't the most appetising of dried foods - maybe try something like Royal Canin, Eagle Pack, Artemis etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJane Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I have some Super Coat and some Advanced biscuits, she is just not interested in them. I mix some yogurt to the biscuits then she would eat them, she gobbles every other thing like chicken neck, raw bone, chunkers but when it comes to biscuits, she really takes her time now, she will spend a good 15-20 minutes to finish her biscuits. She will have a few mouthfuls, walks off and play then go back to eat again. She doesn't play with her toys, she just wander around the house then goes back to her bowl to have a few mouthfuls. This goes one till she finishes the whole bowl of biscuits... This is starting to annoy me... argh............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildatHeart Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I came home from work the other night and it had been raining and had filled up my dog's bowl with water and the biscuits were all soft and swollen. She then ate it all later on the evening. I was surpirsed because it takes her all day to eat two cups of biscuits. So the next morning i soaked the RC and then gave it to her. She ate it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanya Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Hello, i had a simular problem with my 13month old boy. A friend of mine told me to get some protexin for the pups and said try it with our boy. Protexin is a mutlistrain probiotic water soluble powder which is an aide in treament and control of diarrhoea, an aid in intestinal disfunction,but it also improves appetite which leads to weight gain. I just add a pinch to each meal and Ody loves his food now and looks really good. The puppies are also have a healthy appetite. I got mine from Rural West in Perth..... I have seen the difference so might be worth a try.. Just to add, you have to feed it for at least a couple of weeks to see a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbc Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I can HIGHLY reccomend the product aperteaser made by a DOLer..Lynne Phillips. My pregnant bitch would not eat but with a sprinkle of this product she started devouring everything in her bowl. Used it again to mask the taste/smell of Fenugreek powder with brilliant results. Sent some to a friend whos bitch wouldnt eat after whelping...she has now odered 3 bags of it. Try searching foor the thread Tasty Treats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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