[Jjennilee]

I am at a loss and need some help… I have 2 little ( mini ) shelties both under 12 pounds and extremly finiky… I have done the leave the food for 20 minutes and take it away routine to no end with dog food after dog food and if they dont want it they dont eat it its that simple they are now 16 months old and even the dog foods i have found they like they wont eat for more than 3 or 4 days and then we are back to square one… What they do like is Roasted Chicken and Pot Roast , on occasion Lamb or ground beef … Apples , Peanuts ( not peanut butter ) watermelon and cheese… I can get them to eat a little rice here and there , carrots or peas if they are super soft and thats pretty much it…

So my thought process is I need to make their food but i am tormented by what to do to make sure they are getting all they need if all they get is regular meat that has been cooked for them… Is there a multi vitamin i need to add… an oil, etc..

Up to this point we have been giving them doc roys fortical which is suppose to be something to encourage their appetite…. they are healthy other wise but i worry they are not eating or getting enough of all they need to stay healthy and happy…

Is there anything you can recommend that i can hide in the food … is the fortical good as it was recommended by our breeder but my husband seems to think thats what causing them to not eat which i find is silly since its the only thing i can for sure give them without them hesatating I dont want to take it away… as it is high calorie so at least i know they arent starving …

Any suggestions out there as the more i research the more the info gets so confusing and fustrating

[Shasta220]

I’ve never done home made diets, so I’m terribly sorry – I’m not much help. I completely understand though, I have a cat who is ultra picky. She will not touch ANY type of commercial food (we’ve tried dry, canned, flaked, pouched, refrigerated, you name it, she’s turned her nose up at.). We tried offering her nothing but cat food for a week straight, and she probably would have completely starved herself, she would NOT touch it.

She’s picky about her food now even, so she doesn’t get the nutrition she needs, and it’s showing sadly… I’m jumping on this thread to see what some suggestions might be.

The only way I could think of hiding extra nutrition into their food is by grinding it. I know organ meats and raw bones are important in a balanced diet. Maybe buying a supplemental powder (just general vitamins probably) and try adding that, maybe start with just 1/2 day’s worth, as many animals can detect the smell of it and refuse. Omegas are always one of my favorite additions. My dogs get it with fish oils (salmon, sardine, krill, I think even algae would work), and raw eggs – your dogs may prefer the taste of cooked.

Just play around with how much you can get in there without it being too detected. Possibly try coconut oil as well, it has tons of benefits. Try offering them a teaspoon of organic extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. It’s great for their skin, fur, teeth, digestion, and pretty much everything else! Most dogs like it, too.

Hopefully you’ll be able to figure out something that works out perfectly. Have you tried commercial dehydrated, refridgorated, or raw foods? They already have balanced nutrients, so you wouldn’t need to worry about many supplements.

And yes, dog nutrition is very very confusing. Research and reading forums seems to make it worse, as everyone has their own opinions and experiences… Plus, every dog is different, so what works miracles for my dog might do absolutely nothing for yours. Just keep trying to gain information though, I’m sure you’ll slowly start figuring it out. (I’m new to nutrition myself, but the more I’m on here, the more I learn!)

[GizmoMom]

You can try cooking for your dogs and add pre-mix.
I’m using thing one and my dog loves it.
Whole Grain Veggie & Fruit Dehydrated Base Mix

There are other brands you can try.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_16/our_ingredients_your_ingredients.html
http://www.urbanwolf.cc/ProductGuide.htm
http://www.drharveys.com/products/show/13-veg-to-bowl
http://www.grandmalucys.com/artisan_premix_trial_p/76706-9.htm
https://www.sojos.com/products/dog-food/sojos-grain-free-dog-food-mix

[Jjennilee]

Thank you so much Shasta and Gizmo I will check them all out… I dont mind feeding them home cooked as I am a stay at home mom ( a dying breed in itself ) but my biggest worry is making sure its complete for them so they stay healthy and strong 🙂 and when they are no more than 11 lbs even seeing them drop 2 pounds would scare me to death

[Jjennilee]

Do you think any good Dog multi vitiman is just as good as another though

[Shasta220]

Big shout out to ya for being a stay at home mom. They really are a dying breed, and frowned upon these days (heck knows why! They work just as hard, if not harder than anyone who has a regular job!)

[GizmoMom]

I was a stay at home mom for two years. When I went back to work, it was more like a huge break for me. Being a stay at home mom was a much harder work!

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m one of those stay-at-home moms! However, my kids are grown now (3 of them) and on their own now, except for the 2 that share an apt. and come for dinner all the time and do their laundry lol….but who cares! Anyway, I had a career before I stayed home with them and believe me it was a cush life compared the the work I had when I stayed home. A stay-at-home mom’s job is NEVER done! I’m not complaining and I was truly blessed to be able to do that (thanks, husband)! Thanks for listening, just wanted to put in my 2 cents lol! 🙂

[theBCnut]

When I got married, I gave my husband a choice, my career or kids. I told him I was not having kids just for someone else to raise them. He decided on kids. I love raising my kids, but it isn’t a job for sissies.

[InkedMarie]

Patty, me too but a little vice versa. Steve told me if I was working after having kids, we weren’t having kids!

[Jjennilee]

Nice to know I am not alone my boys are grown one 35 and the other 23 this year but my fur babies are my current reason to be home LOL… but i will take it …Its never a dull moment anyone that says being a stay at home wife and mom isnt work has never experienced it for sure…

Tried the Honest Kitchen today… No go smells like horse feed and they wont go near it LOL… so on to the next one… only reason we tried that one is the shop we went into didnt have the doc harveys yet and we got samples…

We have taken away all treats now and rawhide as i understand rawhide can be a problem ?
and i guess tomorrow we will try basic beef again… I am so lost as to what to do for these two…

[Jjennilee]

My husband suggested finding a kibble they like ( ya in my dreams ) and add the meat they like to it? would that help them get a balanced diet?

[Jjennilee]

Also I have noticed my dogs dont like to eat out of the bowls is that common that they get bowl anxietys ? they will eat some foods directly out of my hand but not out of a bowl

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jjennilee-
Actually, yes, you could add meat to a kibble they like. Do you ever add water or a topper to their kibble? As I understand it, as long as you keep an unbalanced topper at 20% or less of their total diet it is fine. You could put a little chicken or roast in their kibble with some warm water to make a gravy to try to make it more appetizing to them. I was also wondering if you have tried canned food? Most canned is balanced and you could do half and half with the kibble. Or even just canned if they like it better. I can’t really relate to this as I have two lab mix dogs that eat anything and everything! I wish you luck!

[Shasta220]

I’d agree with crazy4cats, I think you should try to find a super quality nutrient-dense kibble, then add their favorite meat (cooked or raw, however they like it). Try canned foods, or make your own broth by boiling chicken bones (or just adding some water to any of the juices after cooking the meat). It will add moisture and flavor to the food, two pluses for picky pups.

That’s good that you took away treats. It might help them realize “Oh… This weird stuff in my bowl is actually food? I think I should eat it!” My boy used to be a picky picky eater, he’d go without food for up to 3 days, simply because he didn’t like the brand/flavor. I would quit giving him his daily biscuits, and he’d go back to eating. He wasn’t overweight at all either – as it sounds like your dogs are on the thin side as well.

[Jjennilee]

Thanks crazy4cats Yes we have tried the warm water to several kibbles… but not meat and kibble with a little gravy…we have been trying mostly wet foods since they will only eat pieces in the kibble that they like LOL yep they are talented for sure… the life source bits are found all over my house from the blue when i get them to eat kibble… trick will be finding a kibble thats quality that they like … as I have tried mixing the wet with meat and didnt fly… So good kibble and meat will be my next trick … Thanks so much for the suggestions …

They are sweetheart shelties so they are small dogs anyway momma and daddy were under 8 lbs each ( puppyloveshelties.com ) Cody and Lakota so they are big at 11-12 lbs compared to their parents 🙂

[InkedMarie]

Jenilee: if you want to try the Honest Kitchen again, try this. Get a couple of Kongs. Make a thicker batch of THK. Spoon a little into the kong and put whatever they normally eat in last. Toss it in the freezer and give it to them when they’re frozen.

[crazy4cats]

Jennilee-
Your pups sound adorable. They are smaller than most of my cats! Lol! There has been mention of a lot of dogs picking out the life source bits. Also, do they like fish? Once a week, I use sardines with my pups’ kibble. I also use a kong like Marie mentioned. But, it’s more to keep mine busy and out of trouble when they are in the house in the evening. I soak kibble for a minute or two then add a little pumpkin and apple sauce to the kibble. Then stuff the kong and stick in the freezer. They love it. But like I said before, they love everything! Good luck!

[theBCnut]

They are smaller than my cats too.

[Jjennilee]

InkedMarie – that sounds worth a try if i can figure out what their normal food is LOL mostly roast chicken is probably best and that might even be a good healthy treat since they do love icecubes… Infact they will only drink water if it has ice in it lol … I told you they were picky LOL…

Crazy4cats – Ty they are my joy with 2 sons that will never give me grandbabies they are a suitable fill in for sure… they have their own strollers , high chairs etc… they are truly spoiled family LOL if I ever figure out how to add a photo here i will do so .. Im glad they are not the only one with the life source bits issue … when I contacted blue they treated me like I was out of my mind … But my trigger would actually have a few pieces in his mouth and figure out how to get the ones he likes out without eating them hes a riot…

Husband and I went to go do some shopping and found a pet food we had seen before but over looked … I quickly looked it up and it gets a 5 star here who knew… its Pet Fresh? stuff is in a tube .. .Ground it up to look like ground meat ( it kinda smells like bologna ) so far 3 meals and they are begging for more .. this is a first for them praying we are onto something …. I called the vet and she said it was a find food no issues that she has heard of so praying this works… just to see my dodger eat like he means it brought tears to my eyes…

Ya i have to admit I am a bit smitten with these pups.. only dogs we have ever owned that I can truly say are my dogs LOL although shelties are awesome family dogs these two are rarely 5 feet away from me ( and that is not one bit of a complaint 😉 )

[crazy4cats]

Jennilee-
A bit smitten? lol! Hey, I actually was going to recommend Pet Fresh. There was a big discussion on this food in the review section of this site a few days ago. It was determined that is a very good food. I’m glad you found something that works and is healthy.
My (human) boys are 19 and 23. No grandchildren for me either. I’ll have to start dressing my cats! I don’t think I’m gonna get my two 80lb retrievers in a stroller! Take Care.

[GizmoMom]

Do your dogs like beef jerky? You could try ZiwiPeak.
/dog-food-reviews/ziwipeak-dog-food-dehydrated/

It comes in square pieces. Kind of like chopped up beef jerky. I’ve never heard of any dogs refusing to eat it.

[Oceans11]

Jjennilee – I have a picky eater, too. He is a nine month old Cotton de Tulear. He is point on point with everything you described with your Shelties, right down to liking ice cubes. I can’t tell you how much money we have thrown away in expensive highly rated canned and dry dog food. He does like just about everything we eat. I just purchased 2 Fresh Pet Select in the cooler section (is this the same as you referenced although you called it Pet Fresh?) it is bite size chunks of chicken and one of beef. I have fed him one of each type and he won’t eat it. I did notice Fresh Pet has a tube of something – since you had luck with that perhaps I will try it. I couldn’t figure out who and where it is made which is a huge concern. Also, I have been thinking about making his food. It would be a whole lot easier if I could find something he likes and switch that up with kibble that he does eat from time to time. Who knew feeding a dog could be so involved!

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