[Marie Z]

Can anyone suggest a dog food that dogs can’t resist? I have an extremely fussy dog and I’m afraid he’s not getting a healthy diet because he refuses to eat his dog food. I’ve tried everything! I cook for him, too, to add enticing “goodies” to get him started. He’s turned up his nose to almost everything, even filet mignon! He DOES love liver, but I can’t give him that all the time because of vitamin A toxicity.

I’ve tried dry and wet foods, and homemade meats without any success. I just want to find a food he’ll enjoy! He will eventually eat some of his dog food, but only because he’s really hungry. There must be SOME food that he’ll enjoy eating! Others must have come up against this problem. Can you help? Please? Thank you!

[InkedMarie]

Practice “tough love”: put the food down, leave it for 15-20min then pick up. He gets nothing til the next meal.

[Marie Z]

Thank you. I know I can do that, but I was hoping to find a food that he would actually enjoy eating. I would hate it if I was forced to survive on a food I hated. I don’t want him to, either. I’m sure there must be SOME food out there that is both healthy AND tasty. And I don’t mind cooking for him if that’s the answer.

[InkedMarie]

Well…..I personally don’t eat dog food so I don’t know whats tasty. I also don’t have fussy animals, they all eat what I give them so I’m no help. I’d practice tough love & make him learn to eat but thats just me.

[Leslie L]

I just went through this with my almost 11 month of lab. The whole thing came about suddenly and one day eating everything and the next picky. I did everything you should not do, added can food, sweet potato and honest kitchen proper toppers. Nothing worked so I called the breeder. She told me to put him in his crate, leave him for 15 min and then take away what he didn’t finish. I have another lab, 7 years old, and she told me to feed her right next to crate…VOILA, he is eating perfectly again with no additions to his food except a probiotic. It is a bit like dealing with a very stubborn toddler.

[Lori H]

I have the same problem with a picky eater, but alas, he is a single dog. The only thing that encourages him to eat are if one of the cats walks near his food (and that is not good for the peace of the household, so I do not want to use that for training purposes) OR a food with a liver ingredient. When I can’t find a food with a liver ingredient, I purchase the Stewart Freeze Dried Liver Treats. They are nothing but 100% freeze dried liver. They crumble very easily and he can’t resist the smell or taste. So I crumble one or two over his food and that gets him started and seems to “prime the pump” so to speak. Once he gets started eating then he tends to finish. I hope that helps you. I am currently feeding The Natures Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein Chicken which is the first food I have ever not had to add these treats to in order to get him to eat it. Alas though, at about $73 for a 20 lb bag I really need to find a more budget friendly alternative. I love that this food has no meal whatsoever – love, love, love the food…..its just not going to be realistic for my big boy and my pocket book…….. (my cats love the cat version too, but again looking for budget friendly alternatives that aren’t too terrible for them)

[Marie Z]

You’re not going to believe this, because I find it hard to believe myself. I have tried everything with my fussy eater, new bowls, new foods, new flavors, home cooked toppings, etc. nothing worked, though, as others have said, liver is a BIG sale with dogs. And I want to issue a warning here. Liver has lots of Vitamin A. Too much Vitamin A causes major health issues. You need to limit the dog to small amounts. My fussy guy didn’t like freeze dried liver, though. He DOES like liver jerky that I make for him. But, I only give him a small piece every now and then. But, back to the strange solution. I wanted to made an ant proof dish, now that summer is here, and I have had ants in the past, so, I bought a smaller dish. It turns out that, for some unknown reason, my dog LIKES the new dish! I now give him the same Origin that he’s been getting, the same homemade meat toppings, and everything else the same, and he’s eating every bite! Why? I have absolutely NO idea, but he likes his food in these dishes! It’s stainless steel, like his other dishes, but he likes them! So, I bought a bunch to make sure I always have one for him! How bizarre is that?

And, a BIG thank you to all of you for your help!

[crazy4cats]

Whatever works! Tripe is another topper that really stinks and dogs love. It’s also good for them.

[Marie Z]

Where would I buy tripe? Do I need to go to a specialty shop? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the market. And I KNOW I’ve never eaten it! LOL. Thanks for the tip

[Kelly F]

Try Big Country Raw (if you are in Ontario, Canada) or another comparable ‘complete’ raw food diet; I’m not talking homemade either! Raw diets still have to have the right ratio of nutrients just like kibble (ie; bone to muscle to organ meats plus additional minerals etc). I had a picky eater on medication that she had to have with food. I could not wait all day for her to eat so I tried Big Country Raw and she ate it in seconds every time. Unfortunately I lost her to mitral valve disease only months later but even in that short time her breath improved incredibly. Please try your picky eater on a well formulated raw food; stick to a simple protein (like turkey). He still might be hesitant for a bit out of habit but stick it out with tough love. You never know, he might dive right in ..you won’t know unless you try. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Marie-

I buy K9 frozen tripe at our local feed store. It also comes in freeze dried form as well. Here is a link: http://www.k9natural.com/dog-food/type/frozen/frozen-lamb-green-tripe-1kg-106-fr-1kg-dom-k9n

I think some people buy it from butchers too. I either add egg, sardines, tripe, commercial raw or canned food to all their meals. Hope you find something that works!

[Maria K]

The Natures Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein Chicken is a great formula!

[Josh H]

I have a 12 week old puppy and I use to feed him Blue Buffalo Large Puppy Life Protection formula by itself… then he started sticking his nose up at it. I would take it away and give it to him at the next meal time and he would eat a bit and then do the same thing. I didn’t think it was a health issue, just that he didn’t like his food. I bought Wellness CORE puppy and when compared to Blue Buffalo’s food it smells a lot better (Blue Buffalo doesn’t smell like much). For the last week I have been mixing Wellness CORE into his Blue Buffalo food and he eats nearly everything except for a couple of Blue Buffalo kibbles. I have heard similar stories with Orijen with the food smelling really good and I am assuming that if the food smells good that a puppy / dog will find it more appealing.

[Nancy G]

I have to disagree about the adage “if they are hungry enough they will eat it”…

I have Siberians and they can go days without eating, so if they don’t like it they won’t eat it.

Also, once before my dog turned up his nose at kibble brand he had been eating for months and months. Refused to eat it no matter what I did/added. He was beginning to have signs/symptoms of health problem. Turned out his bag of food was eventually part of the BIG EVO recall.

Always listen to your dogs!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Nancy G.

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