BORDEr COLLIE??

Question

my border collie "lencha" is her name is really picky w/ her food she will only eat kraft american cheese we tried dog food like purina, gravy tran, pedigree and all she wants is cheese,bologna,ham,sausage,eggs,bacon etc. well she only likes human food and she is gettting really skinny and the vet said no more TABLE SCRAPS! so what should i do???

Answer 1

I have a border collie, too ... and, yes, they are SMART dogs! I got mine from a rescue, and she did the same thing, not eating for days. I think she's got you figured out and knows that if she waits long enough, you'll give in! Your vet is right, NO table scraps! Get a good, high-quality dog food like Eukanuba ... set it out for 30 minutes in the morning ... take it away if she doesn't eat. Do the same thing in the evening. Don't give her table food or treats in between. (I know ... it's hard!) But, be consistent. Eventually, she'll get hungry enough to eat what you offer her. Honest! You might want to add a little low-sodium beef or chicken broth to it to make it softer, or scramble an egg and put it UNDER the kibble so she has to work at it. If she still refuses to eat after maybe 3 days, I'd ask the vet to check her teeth to make sure she isn't having a problem chewing. Assuming she has no health problems, I'd have to say she's just playing games with you ... and don't worry too much if she seems a bit thin ... it's supposed to be a lean breed, and the vet will probably tell you that it's better to underfeed a dog than to overfeed it! Good luck with her ... and they ARE wonderful dogs, aren't they?

Answer 2

Try canned food. It's more like human. If you tried that then you need to try some better kinds. What did your vet suggest? Let her be hungry until she decides to eat dog food? There are some sites on the internet with recipes for healthy dog food made from corn, fresh meat, rice, etc. Maybe she'd eat that. Why is she so picky? Is she a baby? Or did another owner spoil her?

Best wishes.
TX Mom
Debbie

Answer 3

Border collies are very smart dogs. I think that she has you figured out. If she acts like she wont eat, then she gets table scraps. Stop with the scraps!!!!!!! Seriously, your vet was right! Leave her dog food out. She will eat eventually. IF you think there is something else wrong, take her to a different vet get a second opinion. But still no human food!!!

Answer 4

This sounds familiar!
Having dealt with a rescue border collie in a similar situation this is how we dealt with it. This dog had been on a raw diet previously and so we used Royal Canin medium maintenance and add a small amount of protein (chicken, salmon, steak etc) to augment the food. He is a much happier dog and will eat without protest. He thinks he eats at a great restaurant and has put on weight . His coat has also improved.
Use a quality dry food like Royal Canin (med. maintenance or border collie formula)or Innova Evo(sp?) or Nutro Ultra. You can also augment the food with Biljac.

Answer 5

First, DON'T give in and give a lot of treats and snacks to your dog when it refuses to eat it's food.

Second, dog won't let itself starve, it will eat it when it gets hungry enough. Give it several chances throughout the day to eat it's food. Call the dog to it's feeding location, put the bowl of food down on the floor in front of it, and if it doesn't eat it within 10 minutes, TAKE IT AWAY. The dog will quickly learn that if it doesn't eat the food you give it, then it doesn't get to eat. (I know it seems harsh, but the dog needs to learn it cannot manipulate you anymore. That you are the boss, not her.)

Some dogs have different preferences of taste. Have you tried other kinds of dog foods?

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I'd recommend switching the brands of dog food you are buying. Those foods (Purina, Pedigree, etc.) are the equivalent of "doggy McDonalds"; full of fillers, dyes, preservatives, fats, and sugars. They are not nutritional at all.

On choosing a good dog food:
Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. (Or in your case, the puppy variety of the brand you choose, since your dog is still a puppy.) A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A

Answer 6

LOL she has you wrapped around her paw so to speak. Stop with the table food. Your vet is right it's no good for her. Put a bowl of dog food out for her. Don't give in and give her anything human food. She'll eat the dog food when she gets hungry enough. The key is to be firm and say no human food. Stick with it. She'll probably still beg but eventually get bored when she knows she won't get anything.

Answer 7

You should have never started feeding your dog human food. Once they get a taste of that, its all they want. Stop feeding your dog human food all together. She'll end up eating her dog food if she's hungry. Try a higher quality dog food like Nutros or Solid Gold. Add a little warm water and wet canned food, to make it more tasty. Once your dog gets used to the dog food again she should be fine. You're killing your dog by feeding her all that junk food. Stop feeding human food now and make the switch to dog food. She might refuse to eat for a few days, but she'll eat when she gets hungry enough.

Answer 8

You need to transition the dog to dog food. You can start by mixing a little dog food in with some (less fatty) human food. Then each meal, add a little more dog food and a little less human food. The dog will get it. Also, don't let her have scraps because that will just increase her desire for human food.

Answer 9

Do not feed your dog anymore human food. She probably is going to beg like crazy & act really cute but don't give in. Get her a good brand of doggy food. They have on that is all natural and dogs love it. Put a bowl of food down that is the amount according to her wieght twice or 3 times a day depending on ur schedule. She might not eat @ 1st. Soon though she will get hungry & will eat her doggie food. You could try putting wet dog food on top for her. Do not feed her anything else but her dog food. I know that sounds awful and possibly mean but ur dog can get sick w/ just eating junk. Soon she will happily come to get her doggie food. Good Luck! :)

Answer 10

I would try mixing the dry dog food with wet dog food and see how that goes. What i do if my dog doesn't eat his food is poor a little tomato juice of the dry dog food. If these options don't work then ask a vet