Why doesn't my dog like eating her food???

Question

She doen't eat dry dog food and she doesn't eat any other type of food but chicken and beef!!! Her teeth are brown and I say she's unhealthy, but the vet says that she'll get use to it and he said that 3 months ago!!! How can I make her eat her food???

Answer 1

my dog hates dry dog food. however, he loves meat. so what i do is by a big roll of dog meat and mix it in with this dry food so he has no choice BUT to eat it. i usually make sure there is more dry food than meat because the dry food is better for him. the dry food is covered in the smell of the meat so then he eats all of the food. i do the same with any medicine or tablets i have to give him.
i know how much it must suck eating the same, boring food over and over again which is why i usually never give me dog dry food only. we sometimes give me food that we're eating, just to balance out his diet but that rarely happens.

also, DONT SPOIL YOUR DOG! once your dog has gotten the taste of human food, she will never want to go back to dog food. so you have to be careful with what food you give him.

when we don't have meat, he doesnt eat the dry dog food. i hate seeing him starve so i usually make sure meat is available.
i buy mine from coles for $2 for 1kg. there's a lot of meat.

if your dog has got rotten teeth, that isn't a good sign. she should be having strong, white teeth and if that vet knew anything, he should be saying that too. you should try giving her pedigree denta-bones. they're specially designed to clean dogs teeth and a lot of toys do as well. make sure there's plenty of fresh water nearby and i'd hate to say this, but you could try brushing your dogs teeth once in a while.

good luck

Answer 2

Your will power against hers. If not given other food she'll eventually eat what is given to her. Set a time limit on how long you'll leave the food bowl down (say 5 minutes). And at that given time whether she's eaten it or not pick up the bowl. Present the food again at the next set feeding period. Be strong...don't give in. Your dog will not starve from now eating solids...just like humans as long as we and the dogs get water we can live a long time.

DO NOT give any other food or treats during this training period until she eats her food regularly and within the time period given.

Also, double check the amount of the food being given to her..many people overfeed their dogs so the dog isn't hungry to eat right away every time. When your dogs eats what's presented to it in a timely manner you'll know you've PROBABLY found the right amount to feed. Remember, the labels on the bags of dog food are for active pets..cut back if you know your dog doesn't run marathons regularly.

Answer 3

I would say if it is long lasting mix dry and canned food. Dry food, from what i have seen is always better for the dog. And BRUSH YOUR DOGS TEETH! Most people don't, which, unless their nutrition and food is great, they will need costly teeth cleaning. Also- Try finding a pet food good for your dogs age and breed. For example a hyperactive puppie should need more caloric intake, protein and such, whereas a geriatric (Ending life stage) dog needs less protein and fats, as there is less movement and activity. But find one that works, even if it takes a while. Dogs wont instantly switch foods, but if health is a concern, take it up with your veterinarian. If they can't help seek help from someone other that people on Yahoo! who will give you advice like hot dogs. There might not be something wrong with it, but many foods like that contain preservatives that could harm your dog. Also, Depression could be a possibility if your dog is less that active. Another thing to get is a dewormer. Intestinal worms might upset your dogs' appetite.

Answer 4

If you are feeding a low quality brand of food your dog may have a very good reason for not wanting to eat it.

I'd first recommend switching to a high quality dog food. Then offer her meals. Put her bowl down for 20 minutes twice a day, after 20 minutes pick up her bowl until the next meal time whether she's eaten or not. No snacks between meal times. She may refuse for a day or two, but a healthy dog will not starve itself, and she will learn to eat what is put in front of her when its there.

Frequently switching foods can also cause finicky eating. By switching foods all the time you are teaching your dog that if she holds out long enough she'll get something new.

How to choose a high quality food:

Nothing you find at a grocery store is going to be a good food. High quality foods can be found at large pet store chains, or online. A couple of foods I like are Nutro Natural, Innova, and Cannidae.

There are other high quality dog foods. Here's how to spot them:

A high quality food will have little or no fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. These aren't very digestable for dogs, and are common food related allergens. Since you were seeing corn meal in the first few ingredients, those are not high quality foods. Foods list ingredients by content, with the ingredient it contains most of at the top.

A high quality food will not contain BHT, BHA or Ethoxyquin, these are all chemical preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

A high quality food will not contain by-products of any kind. Meat meals are ok as long as the source of the meat is listed, such as Chicken Meal.

A high quality diet should have meat as at least the first ingredient., and be made from human grade ingredients. Foods that don't use human grade ingredients often get their ingredients from less than desirable sources, such as meat from animals that were diseased, or euthanized.

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.html

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1cat=286

Answer 5

Im surprised I came across this question! I have a jack russel and she is very picky also. She'll eat dog food but only f it from a can. Forget about dry food, she wont touch it until she is absolutely hungry! I have tried mixing in like loose hamburger and stuff like that in it andshe somehow eats around it and when she is done she dry food is still in the dish! Dog like meat! There no question about this. I think thats why she likes the canned food, cause it like real food. Kibbles and Bits in a can is good, it has real rice and veggies and tuff in it. Your dog might like it!

Answer 6

If you are feeding her table scraps, she most certianly will not eat her food! Why would she be interested in her healthy dog food when you'r giving her chicken and beef from the table? She probably is unhealthy is she's been eating people food; table scraps are very unhealthy for dogs. Stop feeding her any food (other than the occasional dog cookie) other than her dog food. She will start eating her own food soon enough.

Answer 7

If your feeding her table scraps, then she won't eat her dog food. However there is a way you can fix this. You can mix the juices from your food by pouring it over her dry food. Also try rawide bones to help keep her teeth clean and/or brush her teeth. Try this for a couple of weeks and see if there is a change.

Answer 8

I'd take her to another vet and get her teeth cleaned before she ends up with serious gum disease! Brown is not a normal color for a dog's teeth, and if they're starting to decay, they may be sensitive to the dry dog food.

Gum disease and tooth loss can contribute to malnutrition and a variety of illnesses. They can shorten a dog's life span and make the dog's life miserable. I think the sooner you get a second opinion, the better off your dog will be.

Answer 9

I just had this problem with my Yorkie! What has she been eating since you got her? Maybe you should try something that she was eating or has been eating her whole life, and I even suggest to buy a bunch of new food try a bunch of different food, and when you see her/him eating, then you obviously know she likes it!! (Maybe its time for a new Vet, one that will have some agreement with you)

Answer 10

try mixing it in with the other food, small doses at a time. She will eat when she's hungry so be strict about it and giver her the food you want her to eat and don't give in and revert to the old food.

Maybe try a different brand? Science Diet has gone down really well with all of my animals.