I have a 15 year old Yellow lab, she has become very picky with her food. What is the best tasting food?

Answer 1

I noticed with my 16 year old shih tzu that she didn't like bending into the bowl anymore. If it was a problem for a short dog, I wonder how much worse it would be for one the size of a lab? Seriously, try putting her bowl on a stool so she doesn't have to bend down into it.
Mine also liked rice added to her food.
Good luck to you and your "senior"!

Answer 2

Wow, your dog must have had a wonderful life - 15 years! Mine is only a year old and she has become picky with her food (I only feed her dry dog food). I've tried several different things - first, I added some water to moisten the food. She liked that but got bored of that. Next, someone at the pet store suggested I microwave the dry dog food for a few seconds (it's supposed to bring out the oil/fat from the dry food and make it smell better). She ate that for awhile, then got bored with that. I added iams gravy sauce (product made specifically to mix in with dry dog food). She loved that for awhile, but she's tired of that too.

Right now, I am adding low-sodium chicken broth to her dry dog food and she goes crazy over that. I only add about 2 tablespoons and mix that really well into her food. She loves it. It's worth trying! Good luck.

Answer 3

Your 15 year old lab may not be picky with her food. Have you checked out the teeth to see if she has a problem eating? At that age if they stop eating the way they used to,they sometimes have tooth problems...She may not be able to chew well. Have her checked with vet to make sure everything is OK and then if it is,the vet can discuss the change of food with you.

Answer 4

Good taste is not what drives a dog to eat- hunger is... remember, they will clean out a cat litter box if you let them.

As you know, 15 is pretty advanced, especially for a large breed like a lab.

My recommendation is as much exercise as the dog's health will allow, and a food that is easy to chew and digest.

Elderly dogs can be prone to tooth and gum problems that can make eating unpleasant, so I'd make a trip to the vet to mark that off of the list.

Once you know the dog is otherwise healthy, be clear in your role as leader. You decide what, where and when to eat, and she is privileged to join you. Dogs are expert manipulators... she may be working on pushing your buttons.

The image of a beautiful lab with a graying muzzle and those honest eyes makes me feel so peaceful... I hope she will be with you for a long time.

Best of luck.

Answer 5

Dogs are a little like humans in this area. Not all humans like the same food and not all dogs like the same food. your dog might actually be getting a sensitive mouth because of her old age. try putting a liquid in with her hard dog food or try feeding her soft dog food. There is a dog food gravy that you can put over the hard dog food. I think it is made by IAMS I not really sure though. I have an old dog. She like gravy over her food.

Answer 6

If her kidneys are good, many breedersin my area have good luck with puppy food for very old dogs. Also bilijack has met with sucess.
I soak the food for my 16 year old since her teeth are not what they used to be (nothing my vet feel she can help, just wear) that helped her anyway

Answer 7

Wow 15. I would talk to your vet about a meat and rice diet. Energy levels aren't as high at that age so she probably won't eat much but I would avoid preservatives in processed dog foods because renal and liver problems are so prevalent in an aging animal.

Answer 8

It's hard to tell because only your dog can determine what is "tasty" or not (what one dog doesn't like, another might like.)

I would suggest putting little bits of cooked liver at the bottom of the bowl, or mixing the kibble with canned dog food to vary the taste. You can also look for dog food recipes online. Usually varying his food keeps him interested in feeding time. :)

Answer 9

Do you think she's being picky because of the taste or could she have a bad tooth. Check her mouth to see if her gums look sore or there is a broken or rotten tooth. It could easily be either at her age. If she is having mouth problems you may have to soften her kibble up with warm water or buy soft food and mix the kibble into it to soften it up a bit.

When my dog gets bored I buy a different formula & mix it in with her usual. e.g. turkey/barley or venison/rice, duck/potato or different formulations of her usual lamb & rice.

Answer 10

Chop little bits of hot dogs into her food and mix it up. She'll smell the hot dog and go nuts. That way you can finish the dog food you already got, instead of throwing it away. My dog got really picky too when she got old, maybe she's just not hungry, take her for a walk...maybe she needs to go out and enjoy the sun:)