[Jenn F]

I have 3 labs, 2 eat just fine but the 3rd is the pickiest eater I have ever seen. We adopted her in March & her foster sent along wellness. She ate it ok, but very slowly till we ran out & mixed it with blue buffalo. so we transitioned her to blue buffalo what we feed our male. She ate it ok for awhile & then she decided she didn’t want it one day. So then we started feeding her eukanuba, which we feed our other female & she ate it. I think she ate it because the kibble was bigger & not as hard. I know eukanuba isn’t the greatest & want to put her on something healthier. So, I bought a small bag of castor & pollux & she isn’t too fond of it, I think the kibble is too hard. And yes, we have tried adding H2O to the food & she still doesn’t like it. The only way she will eat it is if we add wet eukanuba to it. Any advice on a healthy food that doesn’t have small/hard kibble??? I have never had a dog be so picky about food, especially a lab!!! We are at our wits end with trying to get her to eat, meal times have become challenging with her!!!!! Thanks in advance

Jenn

[InkedMarie]

I personally believe in tough love as long as a dog is healthy: put food down, they get 15 min to eat. After that time, it gets picked up & saved for the next meal. I’ve never had a dog go more than a day or so before they eat. Oh and nothing between meals.

[Jenn F]

We have been trying that method too & the only thing between meals is maybe a treat (small milk bone), if that. My other female is diabetic, so we try not to feed treats & or just a treat a day to keep her glucose level steady. Another prob is I think she may be a “grazer” & in this house that doesn’t work, you eat it when its put down, not an here & their, but her foster never said she had probs with her eating. I would think with the 2 others watching her she would wanna eat it instead of leaving it, that’s usually how it works….not with her!!! I may try to add H2O to her dinner & let it sit to soften it & see if that helps at all, but I doubt it. I have never in my life had a dog this picky, its ridiculous!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Jenn F.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Jenn F.

[aquariangt]

You can retrain a dog to not be a grazer-and with 3 dogs, I would definitely do that. Try mixing in some canned or dehydrated food-dogs usually go crazy. I’d try a stew style over pate style so you can really mix it onto the kibble and get her enjoying eating the kibble

Doing this will be a good time to try something that isn’t Euk or BB as well

[USA]

Hi Jenn

How are her teeth and gums? Since she prefers softer food maybe something is going on inside her mouth that makes chewing on harder things difficult. Ask the foster what mealtime was like for her. Did she eat alone? In a crate? Knowing this might give some insight into what is going on with her. The other labs watching her MIGHT be making her nervous.

How is her weight? Is feeding her only canned an option?

Good luck and please keep us updated.

[Barbara]

Hi Jenn,
I have 3 dogs and my border collie mix (13.5 yrs) has always been fussy (he is very healthy and energetic and has stayed the same weight since I adopted him at 4 yrs). My lab and husky sheppard mix will eat whatever I give them anytime! I have always added canned food or fresh meat as a topper and my border collie usually will come around within 15 to 20 minutes because he realizes I will pick it up and he will have to wait until later (as InkedMarie suggested). I never have to wait if I top it with meat scraps or fresh cooked veggies….(also cottage cheese and soft cooked eggs a few times a week). All my dogs get 1/3 canned and 2/3 kibble at both meals because I think that canned is a lot better than just kibble and of fairly high opinion after raw or cooked natural meat. I did get Kirkland’s cuts in gravy at Costco because it is a 5 star canned at such a reasonable price now replaced by ND Turkey and pea stew also 5 stars. If you don’t have a Costco membership I think members of this site have also recommended Pure Balance canned also 5 stars, I think you can get it at Walmart about $1 to $1.25 a can… Good luck with your stubborn dog!

[Jenn F]

She had a tooth pulled that was bad last Tuesday, we though that once that bad tooth was gone she would eat normal again….nope!!! We have been mixing canned in & it helps but she always leaves some. We tried yogurt, coconut oil, & doggie gravy (vitamins made to look like gravy) as toppers & she’s not a fan of any.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Jenn F.

[aquariangt]

If she’s picky, and not used to eating things like yogurt, coconut oil, and gravy (do you mean like nupro?) that’s definitely something she may eat around. I would try mixing a little of those things into canned to make it more enticing to her. If she just had a teeth pulled, her mouth still may be very sensitive as well.

If she’s eating some, she may not require as much food as she’s getting. Some dogs will portion control themselves, or she may be eating the minimum and just doesn’t care for the food. What protein sources have you tried?

[USA]

Hi Jenn

Tooth problems could very well be the reason she doesn’t eat with gusto. She could still be sore from her bad tooth and she could have other issues with her teeth and gums that are still contributing to her not eating.

I would stick with a soft food for now and pay special attention to the health of her teeth and gums.

Is her weight good?

Give her a hug for me!!!

[Jenn F]

Her weight is good, she is about 80lbs. She was a bit more when we got her, but she did need to loose a few! The “gravy” is hip & joint health with fish oil, since she wont just eat the hip & joint pills like the other 2. But we stopped giving it to her since she apparently doesn’t like it. Her foster had 2 other dogs & she ate with them, no probs & foster mom feed her yogurt & coconut oil (that’s why we tried to feed it to her)! But she does eat a little better when she eats by herself in the kitchen, but she still never finishes it all & its still a struggle to get her to eat.

[Judy M]

Have you tried something like Stella N Chewy’s freeze dried raw or frozen raw? Most dogs can’t resist. The freeze dried needs to have water added when fed.

[Author]

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