You’ve got a picky eater, we’ve got some solutions!
Some dogs love to eat – they’ll eat anything and everything. Other dogs … not so much.
If you’ve got a picky eater at home – have no fear! Put down those homemade gourmet dinners for Fido and check out the following tips for fussy eaters.
Change the flavor of your dog’s current food
Many dog food brands offer a variety of flavors or formulas. If your dog seems to be losing interest in their current food, switching up the flavor may do the trick in making them interested in the food again.
Change your dog’s food
Some people decide to change their dog’s food completely when they stop eating it. If you’re interested in changing your dog’s food, there are different foods that are good for finicky pups. Pro Plan, for example, is a good option. Their Savor line is a dry kibble that also has freeze dried pieces of the protein. This added bonus helps entice dogs to eat the food.
**If you plan to switch your dog’s food, you want to properly transition them. This process should take about a week and involves combining the new food and the old food. For the first couple days, combine 75% of the old food with 25% of the new food. Next couple days combine 50% old with 50% new. For the last couple days, combine 25% of the old food with 75% of the new food. Your dog will then be fully transitioned to the new food! Doing this will help eliminate the possibility of stomach issues or upset from changing the food. You can also use a probiotic to help with this process.
Try some food toppers
If you aren’t planning to switch your dog’s food, there are food toppers that you can add in the food. Any type of freeze dried treat or meal mixer is great for this. Stella & Chewy’s has a wide variety of freeze dried flavors. When using a freeze-dried product with dry food, you don’t even need to use a lot. All you need to do is take a little, crumble it up, and add it to the food. Mix it around a little and let Fluffy enjoy! This little addition will help attract the dog to the food.
Timed feeding
If nothing seems to be working, try not to get frustrated. While you may get upset that your dog is not eating, you must remember that your dog will not starve itself; if its hungry it will eat! One method you can try is timed feeding. Decide when your dog is going to eat, how often, and how much they eat. When its “feeding time” put the food out for 15-30 minutes. If your dog doesn’t eat the food by the time is up, pick up the food. At the next feeding time, do the same thing. By doing this you can effective correct the finicky eating behavior and get your dog on a feeding routine.
**Try to avoid giving your dog table scraps or people food. Dogs would obviously rather have that sort of food, so if you start doing this, it’s possible that they will stop eating dog food all together and will expect to be fed people food. While we love to spoil our dogs, it’s important that we don’t do anything that will disrupt their usual dog-diet.
A picky dog that still maintains a healthy weight, remains alert and active, and has a healthy coat is not one to be as worried about. If your dog becomes a picky eater and then you notice negative changes in their weight or coat, then this is may be a reason for concern. New, picky tendencies can be a sign of a bigger problem, so if you have any concerns you should take a visit to your veterinarian.