[Ayat S]

My 6 month pom was fed what I think was a Royal Canine before I bought her. After doing tons of research and finding out what brands are easily accessible, I settled on Acana brand which seems to be pretty good for the most part. The problem is that the puppy just wont eat her new food. I tried the 20% new, 80% old trick but she just picks the old food and eats, or even if by mistake she picks the new ones, just throws it out! I have to say she is a VERY picky eater and loses interest in her food while eating, going away and seemingly forgetting to continue. I know she is not full since when I call her back she will continue eating.

I really want to get her used to Acana since I have not heard good things about the Royale Canine, but I do not know how exactly. The old food I got from the breeder is running out and soon it will be gone. Should I just resort to sort of starving her until she gives in and eats the new food?

[anonymous]

The only kibble I like at this time are Fromm Adult Classic or Fromm Small Breed Adult Gold

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-small-breed-adult-gold-food-for-dogs

PS: Royal Canine is a good food, lots of misinformation on the internet.
Just add a tablespoon of soft food like boiled chopped chicken meat or canned food.
Also, add a little water, 1/4 cup to meals.

Small breeds love Purina Mighty Dog and it comes in small cans.

If she does not eat within 10 minutes pick up the dish, cover and store in the fridg offer at the next meal time. Offer her a meal twice a day like at 7a and 4p.

Do not leave food down. She will eat when she’s hungry. It’s okay if she skips a meal or two as long as she is drinking water. If she eats no solid food times 24 hours take her to the vet.

My dogs won’t eat Acana or Orijen either, they are too rich. Both my dogs vomited after eating Orijen.

Go here and search nutrition http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Ayat S]

Oh, I was going from the reviews on this very website about Royal Canine…! Unfortunately I do not have easy access to Fromm where I live. Are there other brands that might work? I have seen Canagan, barking heads, River wood, Golden Eagle and some more.

[anonymous]

I would stay with Royal Canine as a base. It is a good food and the dog likes it.

Purina Pro Plan Focus for Sensitive Skin And Stomach is good

Blue Buffalo is another good food

You want to stay with large companies that have been around for a long time as they are more likely to employ a veterinary nutritionist and do feeding trials.

Stay away from small companies, new companies and boutique foods.

Don’t put a lot of weight on “dog food reviews” this website is run by a dentist (for humans) there are no veterinary healthcare professionals affiliated with the site, same with a lot of other dog forums.

Have you seen a vet yet? It is best to find a vet that you like and trust, go for routine checkups and discuss diet concerns with him.

[CockalierMom]

“The problem is that the puppy just wont eat her new food. I tried the 20% new, 80% old trick but she just picks the old food and eats, or even if by mistake she picks the new ones, just throws it out! ”

Listen to your puppy. When a dog does not want to eat a food they are telling you that something in it does not agree with them. Stay on the food that agrees with her and then if you are intent on changing foods, look for something with similar ingredients, fat content, fiber content and protein percentage.

[Ayat S]

Well, scouring the net, Royal Canine does not seem to have a good reputation in general, so I thought maybe another brand would be better.
As for the vet, no we have not been to the vet since we got the dog 5 days ago and it was already checked with the vet before being transfered to us. I guess we can go and talk to one soon about the food situation.

The thing is she is insanely picky about eating, maybe we feed her too much stuff besides her main meals…Even her main food she barely touches. My wife says she ate well the first day she was with us so I am thinking maybe the other stuff we feed her (fruits, yogurt and chicken here and there) is making her too full to eat her main meals.

[Sanne]

There is nothing wrong with Royal Canin. Everything has bad reviews online. I do not see why you would want to feed Acana anymore than RC. Acana is full of protein from peas/lentils/chickpeas/beans/etc. It also has quite a few cases of DCM linked to it, no for sure information yet but why take the risk with a food that has had that many incidences?

Add ins like fruit and meat should be no more than 25% of a dog’s daily calories. If you really insist on switching foods maybe see if Farmina is available where you live? I live in Europe and it is a very popular food here and I think it is sold world wide. They will usually send out samples too if you ask, then you can see if your pup will eat it before committing to a bag.

[anonymous]

Quote “Well, scouring the net, Royal Canine does not seem to have a good reputation in general”

Stop scouring the net! Too much bogus information. Listen to a veterinary healthcare professional that has examined the dog. What worked for someone else’s dog won’t necessarily work for yours.

Five days! Give the dog a break, they need at least a month to transition. She is probably grieving her previous home.
Some dogs stop eating when they are kenneled, never mind being sent to a new home.
A small breed at 6 months is almost an adult.
In fact, I hope she has been fixed. The vets those shelters use do the bare minimum due to budget constraints.
Usually just vaccinations and a quick look over…not a thorough exam.
Make sure her teeth are okay, small breeds have lousy teeth, if there is pain that would explain her reluctance to eat.
This is a good time to find a vet near home and have a meet and greet. Discuss flea/tick prevention, heartworm meds, etc.

[anonymous]

PS: Do not change the dog’s diet for at least a month, then gradual.

Let the dog get settled in her new home first.

Otherwise, you can expect diarrhea.

Wait a minute, are you listening to homeopathic vets? Be careful, some of them are dangerous quacks.
Homeopathic views differ greatly from traditional veterinary views so you will get all kinds of conflicting information.

[joanne l]

I know you want the best for her, but I would stay away from Acana due to DCM, Acana seems to be one of the brands high on the list for this problem. I know breeders that feed Purina for years on end with no problems. So if your pup is doing fine on Royal Canine then leave it. Your pup is telling you she doesn’t want Acana. Sometimes you need to listen to what your dog is saying. Best Wishes.

[Ayat S]

Well, I bought her from a breeder who seems to be knowing what she is doing. The dog has been checked by a vet and has a health card and everything. I could take her to the vet right now if it is really needed. But so far there does not seem to be anything specifically wrong with her.
And no, I am not listening to homeopathic vets or anything :D. Since this is my first time having a dog, I started reading up on stuff on the net, and since there were so many brands of dog food, I thought I do a overview of what is out there. I did not even know there were brands that were supposedly even harmful to the dog in the long run. Here are the brands I have easily access from two shops in my hometown:
Acana, Barking Heads, British Care, British Premium, Canagan, Carnilove, Edgard and cooper, Eukanaba, Golden Eagle, Hills , Lilys Kitchen, Nutrima, Nutro, Orijen, Piccolo, Planet Pet, Profine, Sams field, True instict, Wonderboo, Pronature holistic, Riverwood, Ziwipeak, 1st choice, Primadog, Welldog, Champion, Platinum, Proplan, Booster, probooster.

Again since I saw RC on a few brands to be avoided, I thought about changing the brand. I guess we can stay on it if that is what she wants…Also, since you said small breeds at 6 months are practically adults, should I buy normal adult food or stick to puppy until she is 1 years old?

[anonymous]

A lot of dog owners don’t bother with puppy food and go to adult food at 5-6 months.
Especially for small breeds. Large breeds are a different story.

I’d stick with the Royal Canine or ProPlan.

[Sanne]

I often stay with puppy food for my small ones. Mine tend to be VERY active as puppies and need quite a bit of calories for their body size. Small breeds need more calories per kg of weight than large dogs too. I have found it is easier to find higher calorie puppy food than adult food. Often if the food is not high enough in kcals, little dogs won’t eat enough because the portions are too large. Just depends on how your pup eats though and her calorie needs.

If you want to switch her food I would wait at least a few more weeks. You should not change a puppies food right when you get them. Switching houses is stressful and switching the food they are used to can just add to the stress. Platinum, Ziwipeak, and Carnilove are the only ones on your list that I am really familiar with. All of which are decent foods. Best food is the one your dog is willing to eat though and has good stool, coat and energy on.

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