My puppy seems to be confused. It's understandable, a small *papillon, 9wo, 3lbs 3oz, won't stand still long enough to measure height* pup in a house full of cats could easily believe she was one of them. She eats her own food once a day, though it is offered often, and doesn't eat what I feel is enough *she'll only eat maybe 1/4 cup* but every time I turn my back I hear her collar bell tinkling towards the kitchen *we have a bell on her until we get her tags. she's small, quiet, and quite the tagalong* where all four of the cats have their four seperate dishes on the floor.
The only time I have really gotten her to eat her food in a way that she seemed to want it rather than just picking at it was when I had her and her food dish in my lap, and I know that's not a great way to have her eating. It's not that she isn't hungry.
What can I do to get her to eat her food? Should I allow some cat food just to get some food into her? Would catfood make an OK treat, seeing as she likes?
2007-01-14 08:23:29 · 10 answers · asked by mandy 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I am aware that dogs and cats have different dietary needs, and if I put the food on the counter she scouts around for fallen bits. Heck, she doesn't even like her dog TREATS, which is why I though using cat food as a treat in the house training may work better than offering the buiscuts she doesn't want.
I just don't know what to do. I'm terrified she's going to lose weight, and she already feels thin when I pet her in the area of her ribs. Since I started weighing her three days ago she hasn't lost any weight, but she hasn't gained even a half an ounce.
2007-01-14 08:37:58 · update #1
Dogs and cats have different nutritional requirements.
Put the cat food up on the counter where the cats can get it but the puppy can't. He'll eat his own food when he's hungry.
2007-01-14 08:27:42 · answer #1 · answered by EQ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried putting the cat food on a shelf out of the dog's reach. If he doesn't have anything else to eat, he will eat his food. I promise. Hunger is a great driving force. The cat food is a hard temptation to fight. It has a load more meat in it than dog food. Cat's require little other than protein while dog's require a significant amount of carbs. The cat food just tastes better.
2007-01-14 08:41:13 · answer #2 · answered by stevenhendon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wouldn't reccomend it as she is a dog and not a cat. the food has been specifically formulated for cats. i would reccomend placing the cat dishes up to where she can't reach them. which by her size would not be very high up at all. if she'll eat her food, just be persistant and offer her only her dog food until she is better about eating the right amount. sounds like she is eating about the right amount for her size, it all depends on what kind of food you are feeding. look at the back of the bag and judge from there. often the bag will tell you to feed slightly more than some dogs eat. since they do want you to buy more. but all in all it is pretty close. good luck.
and of course your dog will prefer the cat food. it's richer in meat and balanced for a cat who are strictly carnivores. this is the same reason why dogs eat cat poo. it's tasty to them, but i wouldn't feed it to them as their nutritional source.
2007-01-14 08:35:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cat food is really not balanced correctly for dogs so I would not allow her to eat it on a regular basis. I would actually recommend looking into a different brand of food as she may not like hers.
There are a variety of foods you can try and i'll give you a range from the premium to super premium (and yes, price does correlate to quality in pet food; but the super premiums are coming down as they get more accessible).
Premiums: Eukanuba, Bil-Jac, Purina, Nutro
Super premiums: Wysung (my recommendation), California Natural, Innova (also another i highly recommend), Wellness (my chi's were not a fan), Royal Canin, Chicken Soup for Dogs, Eagle Pack Holistic and Timberwolf
A few brands I do not recommend: science diet, Pro Plan, Pedigree, and any food you can buy in the grocery store.
Petsmart and Petco are starting to carry some of the super premium foods.
2007-01-14 08:33:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey don,t worry my dogs eat cat food . try another puppy food and when your cat gets though eating do what i do i put the cat bowl on the counter that way the dogs can not get it .now if you start putting cat food in your puppys food it will want it every time. plus you can ask a vet what he thinks .he will tell you
2007-01-14 08:33:18 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your puppy may not like that type of dog food see the ingredients on the cat food and try to find a dog food that has similar ingredients to the cat food or feed your dog the cat food.
2007-01-14 08:33:55 · answer #6 · answered by Cheesus 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
lmao! im sorry this story made me laf so hard cuz she is just sneaking over tot he cats food try switching food but if you do switch slowly try putting some of the other food i the dish about 1 8th of the food the new stuff and then a qauter and then half and then all of it
2007-01-14 08:30:18 · answer #7 · answered by ฿ęŊ 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
That means she most likely doesnt like her food so you should try a new one. I read online that you can mix certain things with it to make the food more appealing. My dog was acting the same way so I now buy crushed pineapple and mix it with his food..NOW HE LOVES IT!
2007-01-14 08:28:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put some cat food in with her food. see how that works.
2007-01-14 08:28:49 · answer #9 · answered by KevZilla 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's ok,all my dogs eat cat food,for some reason they prefer it over dog food.
2007-01-14 08:26:55 · answer #10 · answered by BULL 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋