fussy eaters
Posted by: mtg
25th Jun 2014 10:20am
what do you offer an older dog when he refuses to eat dog food. He wants what we eat all the time and is getting to fat. anyone know of any dog food thats hard to resist. Thanks for any help
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Comments 11
Leanne6
I feed chicken mince from lennards with veggies.
Healthy and human.
Good for the dogs and not that fattening
flo
Heat up frozen vegetables or put fresh chopped up veggies in food, fills them up and do not gain weight, also I buy fresh chicken carcasses which is always a favourite and improves breath
jules06
Be aware they will leave food & if you have made a habit of giving him something better then there may be a pattern set now where he knows you will give in & give him people food. Make sure he is not refusing food for health reasons i.e. Hard kibble may be refused if he has decay, ulcers, loose or broken teeth etc so it is best to get vet check if he hasn't had 1 recently, they should be going yearly for vaccinations and a full general health check. But if u think there could be oral issues have him looked at. It could even be ear infection with pain deep in ear canal. Smell his breath & ears. They smell bad? That is bacteria. Bacteria is what produces the odour. Its the same with smelly skin when they have horrible doggy smell, that's a skin infection & bacteria is causing the smell. Next if u know the reason is not pain on eating get a good quality kibble from vet or pet shop that has palatability guarantee. That way if he doesn't eat it you can get refunded on the bag. For refund it must be 75% of bag returned. And as someone mentioned chicken necks are great, any chicken products should be frozen before feeding, u don't have to feed it while frozen, thaw it then feed it but the only way to kill campylobacter bacteria is by the freezing process and chicken contains this bacteria take care changing his diet when trying to get him to eat give slow change. This applies feeding human food to suddenly change his diet can give him a dietary indiscretion which can be fatal for elderly dogs and puppies. When changing diet u should give 75% old diet 25% new 1st day then 50% / 50% then on day 3 25% old diet & 75% new diet. Day 4 completed change with 100% new diet. You can try some FRESH mince, or some of the higher quality brands have lovely palatable can food. I have been feeding my dogs Nutro all Australian high standards & high quality. Low carbon footprint. No by products i.e if can says chicken byproducts. That is not chicken meat in the can they have ground up feet, beaks, heads,legs,feather, offal any part of the chicken that cant be used for human food or higher quality foods. Educate yourself and read the packets. You can cook for for your dog some rice or pasta, veges (carrots are great as they are filling & low calorie) add peas, beans, sweet potato,) and some mince or chicken very finely ddiced or shredded so he cant pick the best bits out & leave the rest. If he doesn't like pieces of vege in his cooked meals you can mash it. Finally he will not starve himself. Do not leave food on the ground for him to graze. Give him 2 feeds a day always this is much better for them esp an overweight dig as they don't get over hungry and scavenge. Give him 10 - 15 min to eat. Then put food on the bench or fridge. At 1st if he ate nothing you can give him second chance an hour later or again at lunch or after work but only give 2nd chance offers for Mb 1st week then you are aiming for 2 feeds 1 in a.m after humans have eaten or sometimes you cld pretend to eat from his bowl 1st that still places the top pack eating 1st but if he thinks you like what's in his bowl ge may think its human food. 2nd meal in evening after humans eat. You can pretend to scape you left overs in his bowl let him see you doing that so he thinks there's human food , if u actually have left overs to give him make sure you reduce the amt of dog food in his bowl. Give it instead of some of his food not as well as his full serving of dog food. He will learn there is 2feed times. He needs to eat it when its offered or it will get taken away until next meal time. If he grazes he will not get his metabolism working as there is no meal to metabolize & digest.. GD luck. Something here shld wrk if u want clarification or want to ask along the way let me know, in years of vet nursing, teaching puppy classes at the clinic have dealt with many similar stories & often its what we are doing!! All the best he just needs a routine & direction ����
chez2036
i'm a vet nurse and we advise people to try chicken and boiled rice
daisy
I feed my dog human mince and chicken necks (raw) cook vegies and add to it. Sometimes add rice or noodles. They get schmackos and doggie biscuits in morning. Sometimes dog food has too much artifical stuff in it.
Peaches
I have a nearly 14 year old dog. She also loves "People" food. When she was a few years younger, I bulked up her food with cooked rice, mixed in with her normal food. She would get the same bulk in her belly, without the same fat content. Now, when I cook my own vegies (in the micro wave) I cook extra for her. Pumpkin, carrots, brocolli are all good for her and cut up into her normal tinned food, she loves it; she doesn't need the rice anymore. She also has always loved raw red capsicum. She has never been overweight. I hope this helps.
DanishTina
At the big supermarkets or local butchers buy fresh beef heart, chicken necks or chicken wing tips etc, cut up and give raw. My two small older dogs love these and it's healthy and non fattening. Chicken with any bone in it must always be raw but the beef heart (and kangaroo meat too which is very lean) can be put under griller for a short time if your dog prefers 'cooked' meals. Also worth noting that a dog will never starve itself to death. It might 'protest' new, different or less favoured foods and even go without eating for a couple of days but eventually it WILL eat. The problem lies with us and our soft heartedness and guilt, lol.
stewy57
Hi,
You need to take control over your dog and be the alpha. You need to have everyone eat their meals before the dog. Once you have all finished, then feed the dog it's meal. This establishes that you are the boss and the dog becomes happier as it knows its place and will eat what you give it.
Jezemeg8
There is no rule that dogs/cats must eat 'dog or cat food'. I know that none of my dogs have ever been fed commercial dog food and all were perfectly healthy.
However, it pays to note that some 'human' foods are poisonous to dogs, so avoid feeding anything containing onions, chocolate, broccoli, avocado's etc (you can find a list of foods to avoid online).
diann
Dogs always want to eat what you are eating :)
GAK
Hi, try mixing dog food gradually into the human food for the dog, without the dog seeing. Also try cutting down the serving size of food for the dog, to help control weight.