Overwhelmed with Food Choices!

I just went and looked at the Evo section on the Natura website.  I looked at the information for the Evo, small bites--was thinking maybe you'd want that over the others.  And, it did say that it's complete and balanced for ALL life stages.  Don't know if others will disagree but that's on the site. 

Evo's got a chicken and turkey brand that should be good for all ages. Maze was on that before I switched to Red meat. Evo also has small bites and trust they are SMALL! Like chi size! Lol.

It is a bit pricey thou but it last longer. For Maze (who is 50lbs) the small 17kilo bag lasts a month and 1 1/2 cup once a day.
 

I feed Casey Blue Buffalo - he loves it and it's great for his skin issues too.

You can get it at all petsmarts.

dogs generally don't like eating the same dry kibble day in day out. Why don't you pick a kibble YOU like the ingredients of and mix it with either canned food or fresh wet foods?  I never feed a meal of just dry kibble, it looks so unappetizing plus I'm convinced it's not healthy to eat nothing but dry foods. Go look at http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=labelinfo101 to help you in interpreting ingredient lists.

 I agree with mudpuppy.  I'm not a huge fan of Dog Food Analysis, but prefer the Dogfoodproject.com approach of, here's what I know about the facts, now you make up your mind.  And you can agree with some proposals and not others and still use the information in a constructive way.

My pup has been picky from the beginning (now she's 8 months).

Was just feeding her NV raw chicken medallions with NV dry kibble & she wasn't eating it, thus making the raw medallions go to waste since the left overs were even more unappealing to her.  I was thinking about going back to wet with dry, but the wet food is so expensive (previously did Wellness puppy cans & it was like $30 for a 2 wk supply)

What other soft stuff can I put on the dry kibble to make it more appealing? Is yogurt a good option?   I tried peanut butter w. water, but she still picks at it & the chicken broth was hit or miss.  There are days when she'll just eat a few bites, but then she'll gobble up her training treats, so it's becoming an issue on timing of training treats & meals - I need help

Yogurt is really good - my dogs and fosters all love it. It's good for them too.

I wouldn't do PB, because of the fat content....and potential allergies. My dog doesn't really like it anyways.

If she's being really picky, I would feed her, pick up her food. And not give it to her again until the next meal time. Pups wont starve themselves - I do the tough love method with all my puppies, and they catch on pretty quickly.

Carrot are another good treat option - or any type o fruit or veggie. I'm not big on treats here, and save the really good stuff for the really bad things - like nail trimmings and baths. Or for potty training.

I personally would not advise adding "toppers" of any kind to kibble for the purpose of making it more appealing.  If the dog will already eat the kibble on its own and you want to add a healthy topper of yogurt or raw meat for extra nutrition that's one thing, but your dog is going to become even more picky.  I also would not give any training treats unless she has finished her meal.  Maybe try using the kibble for training treats, that may change her mind about it and she may get more excited about it. 

erica1989

If she's being really picky, I would feed her, pick up her food. And not give it to her again until the next meal time. Pups wont starve themselves - I do the tough love method with all my puppies, and they catch on pretty quickly.

I've tried this a few times when she didn't eat her breakfast, then 12 hours later put down her dinner & she would just pick a few bites of it.  Since she's 8months do you think her body is transitioning to only be fed once a day?

She's only 15lbs & I heard it's not good to feed small dogs only once a day.  That's why I'm so scared with the "tough love" method

My dog is about 13-15 lbs. He only eats once a day. I tried to feed him twice, and he just looked at me like I was crazy. He gets his meals after a long walk - or after a long time at the park, when he is most hungry. It's probably 'better' to feed twice a day, but it really depends on the dog.

Casey doesn't eat until between 8-9 at night.

Like I said before- a dog will not starve himself. I agree with feeding kibble at training treats, I forgot to mention that. I do that quite often, along with carrots and cheese.

13 to 15 pounds isn't terribly small.  Your dog will be fine missing a few meals until he's learned better eating habits.

The problem isn't with topping or not topping.  The problem is that you are letting your dog decide whether you'll top or not.  I usually put stuff on my dog's food, and sometimes I don't - or can't, if I'm on the road and didn't bring anything but my emergency kibble supply. 

I'm not going to be afraid that my dog won't eat if I don't put the right thing on his kibble, and likewise I'm not going to be afraid that he'll "get picky" if I do decide to top his kibble.

Offer the food.  Set the timer for five minutes.  Pick it up with a smile, but no comments (don't try to beg your pup into last minute bites).  Set the clock for two hours.  Offer the food again.  Set the timer for five minutes.  Pick it up again with a smile and no comment.  Continue until bedtime.  Do it again the next day.  Continue until the food is disappearing in five minutes.

If your dog is refusing to eat after you have faithfully followed these instructions for a week, consult a vet.  Also call a vet if your dog doesn't drink anything for 24 hours.  And of course call a vet if your dog normally eats enthusiastically and suddenly becomes "picky" - lack of appetite is sometimes the only way a dog can express mild nausea.

Once you've established healthy eating habits, you can top with whatever makes you - and your dog - happy.  Continue to follow the five minute rule for a while but probably in another week, you'll no longer find mealtime to be stressful. 

Thanks for the advice. Wish I would've saw your post before I bought the yogurt, which finally worked - this was the 1st time she cleaned her plate in weeks.

I didn't realize I can give her the food after 2 hours again, I thought I was supposed to just wait until the next feeding.  That doesn't sound too bad

I give Casey yogurt - but it's not with every meal - more so when I remember to do it, and when I have a bit of extra time to get it. He also gets his fish oil added to his food, but again - not with every meal. I have also, in the past, mixed his dry with some canned - just as an 'extra' thing. Not to get him to eat. He doesn't eat, he doesn't eat. I don't worry if he skips a meal, or doesn't finish all his food. He's not a big eater...esp. on days when we aren't too active.

 The nice thing about offering it on a quick schedule is that you don't worry about it.  And, sometimes dogs don't want to eat on our schedules.  It might be that she'd prefer to eat at 7:30 am instead of 5:30 am (or 9:00 instead of 7:00).  If it works for you, don't sweat the details.

You can offer the yogurt, no big deal.  Just remember to keep servings small because you might waste some if you start the cycle of refusal again!