New Member

Posts: 2
From:Ireland
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 08-26-2003 04:52 AM         

---

I have and adult westie whose causing me alot of trouble. Sallie is very picky with food. she drives me crazy at feeding times as she refuses to eat whatever i offer her, i tried dry food, semi moist, canned food, i even tried putting in little pieces of sausage or salami in for extra taste. But nothing seems to work. If anyone has tha same problem and seems to have found a solution, please help me. I'm completely out of options.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 08-26-2003 08:07 AM         

---

Rayanne, I had the same problem with my dog, this went on for 4 years, I tried many dog foods and even putting can food in with it. This ritual every morning and night, she would take a few bites, wander way, take a few bites. would have to stand there until she finished or not and half the time ended up throwing the food out. About 6 months ago, I put her on purina pro plan and she loves it. I think it is just finding the food they like. each time I would buy a small bag of whatever I was trying, the food before pro plan she would tolerate on a somewhat basis, but then it got real bad.
Honeybear

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 08-26-2003 08:45 AM         

---

Do you feed her at certain times of the day and then take the food away ?..or do you free feed(leaving her food down and available to her all day)?
My Poodle is on a special prescription diet, he only eats a small amount anyhow...I am amazed at how little he actually eats. I leave his down for him all the time, I use a custard cup and he eats about half of that a day! His weight is perfect the vet says. I just started him on Canine Caviar(I am using the senior formula), he loves it. I found it offers the same stuff he needs in his prescription food. He has always just eaten a few kibbles at a time and then walks away...but he gets excited and wiggles around when I get his food now, which hasn't been the case since he had to go on a prescription diet. You cannot get Canine Caviar at the grocery, you would need to go to a place like a grooming shop or specialty shop, the kind of place that carries Innova or other better quality foods.
If she has been given a clean bill of health by your vet and she is just being picky, try either only feeding her at two times a day, setting her food down for 30 minutes at a time and then picking it up, or try free feeding. I'm not sure what you are doing now. Finding a platable food is not always easy...but remember that she is NOT going to starve herself, she will eat. Every dog is different so she may not like the Canine Caviar either...but my dog found it alot more tasty, the good thing about buying a the higher quality foods is that they almost always have free samples. Find a shop that carries a bunch of these kinds of foods, tell them what the problem is and ask for a sample of everything they have, then do a taste test with your "Oh So Picky One", see what she likes. I had fun doing that with my dogs. One last thing...maybe stop feeding her treats or table scraps(for a while anyways), she may prefer those and think if she waits long enough she will get those.

A link to Canine Caviar site http://www.caninecaviar.com/

Another food all three of my dogs absolutely go nutty for is Natural Balance. It just tastes good to them. I don't feed this daily, but I do buy a small bag and use it for treats, and they also sell "sausage" style rolls....my dogs would paint the house for me for some of that!
When you go to a specialty shop...grab whatever publications you see that are free, newspapers etc, they often have coupons for the foods I am talking about AND they have calendars of doggie events happening in your area, these events are a great place to go and try out different foods on your dog free...the vendors will send you home with samples and all kinds of stuff. It's a great place to hear bits of advice from a wide range of people and have a blast with your dog. Like taking your kids ot the county fair.
Sorry the post is so long...smiles, Maisey

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 08-26-2003 09:15 AM         

---

maisey you are right when they get hungry they will eat, they wont starve themselves (unless there is something the matter) I have pick up the food if she wasnt going to eat. (my other chow hound would have it gone in a minute) - and that she would eat when she was really hungry. It is just finding the right food and what they like. I dont like feeding her pro-plan but she loves it. My other dog is on innova and I dont want to try to switch her at this time
Honeybear.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 08-26-2003 10:31 AM         

---

OHH Honeybear..I meant those questions to Rayanne, I remember reading why you feed what you feed...you gotta do what works! I am just so thrilled to have found this food for my Poodle Darby, it's been so hard trying to find something other than the SD prescription for him, this one is soooo much better and he actually likes it! I was just thinking the palatability may appeal to her dog better since it does for my Darb. My two big dogs try to steal his food too...and sometimes they succeed. Most of the time he takes great pleasure in gaurding it.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 1179
From:,Calif. U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 08-26-2003 05:54 PM         

---

Hey Maisey, We serve Innova here and its the same thing here. My poo gets about an 1/8 cup morning and night. With some veggies also. But she is a little piggy. If I give her more she will eat. I put her on what she is eating now 9 months ago and she has lost a little over 4 lbs. She is now 11lbs. Vet says she is perfect now. She is 11 1/4 inches tall. She gets a cookie or two mid afternoon also. With her now being on prednisone for her arthitis she wants to eat all day. So I have to be careful and not let her draw me in with her eyes.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)