Puppy doesn't like her food

Hi All,

So I'm having a little problem that doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Ever since Bella came home with us, she has not been interested in her food. We feed her dry food only, as this was suggested to us by the breeder.

We put the food down, she sniffs, walks away. We done the 15 minute thing, but then it got to the stage one day she didn't eat her breakfast, tea, or supper, and that was enough for me as she was so tiny. The only thing that seems to get her involved in her food is by cutting up cooked chicken, and mixing it in.

But I can't do this forever! One...chicken is expensive, and two, I don't really fancy cooking her a chicken every week for her food!!

She came home with Royal Canin, which she just refused to eat. Then we moved over to Purina beta after a few weeks, which she ate, but only if she was VERY hungry, she would leave this too. Now we are moving her over to Symply, as been recommended to us by her trainer its a very good food. But she still doesn't seem that keen?!

Its all about the chicken!!

Any ideas?!

I know the prescribed wisdom is that no dog will starve itself to death but personally I want dog that enjoys life (including food).
So I`d feed something else. I feed raw but you could try a wet food? Chappie or Butchers are good ones.
When I did feed kibble I always had to add something. Kibble has little scent - and dogs eat with their noses. A spoonful of baked beans, a little tuna, some mince etc.

I had a puppy that was very fussy, I didn't want to keep switching brands but I tried being strict and taking food up after 10 minutes, not giving treats, etc. and after a few days she still wasn't eating so I caved in and bought some Naturediet wet food. Mixed half a pack (microwaved for 15 seconds or so, makes it really smelly/appealing to dogs) in with her dinner and she scoffed it down.
Over time I weaned her onto it cold (microwaving it stunk the kitchen out so was glad to make that change!) and then slowly cut down the amount of Naturediet I added. We eventually got down to a tiny slither in each meal - a pack would last us days. She'd eat the kibble without it if necessary but didn't seem to enjoy it as much as with this small slither mushed into it, and it wasn't too much of a hardship/expense to add it in so I just continued on with that, Naturediet has good ingredients in it so I was happy to keep feeding it longterm. Could be worth a try?

Personally, I'd switch to a wet food. If money isn't a concern, then the more expensive nature diet, if it is, Butchers.

I prefer my dogs to eat and to enjoy what they eat. I don't subscribe to the theory of starving them into eating what I want them to eat.

My Pug went on hunger strike when she first came home and wouldn't take any notice of the Arden Grange she came home with. I tried all sorts of toppings such as Tuna, sardines, naturediet etc which has always tempted my dogs to eat in the past but this one was having none of it. The others are raw fed and I'd always intended to switch her to raw eventually but had to try much sooner than intended. I gave her some raw chicken mince and that disappeared in no time, she now eats any raw food offered but won't even look at kibble.

Nothing wrong in adding a spoonful or so of wet food to dry.... if it makes your dog eat and enjoys it's dinner, then why not? My own gets Nature's Menu (only one she can eat) in her complete dry food, she is healthy and enjoys her dinner.

At the moment James Wellbeloved dog food pouches are on offer ten pouches for £5, just ad a little enough to coat the dry and offer to pup.

I had exactly the same problem as you with one of my pups. They too were on Royal Canin. What I did was mix a small amount of Nature Diet Puppy (wet food) and pour a weeny bit of hot water on it which made it smell really yummy (as far as the dogs were concerned). It worked for mine but some wet food should do the trick. Good luck.

Oh brilliant, thank you guys, I will give the wet food thing a go xxx

Trouble with dog (and cat) food these days there is too much choice. When I was wee, we had a GSD and the only food available then was either PAL, or Pedigree chum with Winalot mixer... Raw was also available but it wasn't that readily available and no-one really knew how to go about feeding it (other than those who did know).

our GSD had a funny tummy, and after a year of constantly scrubbing up after she either vomited or had diarrhoea within 30mins of eating, we gave her away to man who had other food sensitive dogs, and promised her a good home... we saw her a year later, looking fantastic and she's also had a litter.. Unfortunetly she remembered us so well, she would have left her pups to come back in the car with us, so we never visited again. Had this been now, I suspect she would have been diagnosed with something like colitis and been put on a special diet.

am now thinking she could have had Pancreatitis

iv been thought this often,1 thing i did,build up an appitie for the dog.i would, fast my dog,for 24 hours, checked in with the vet,only gave water.i then exersised the dog, lightly.some dogs will only eat,as much as they burn, motabilism,some dogs eat like crazy,you may have a dog that would eat less.sometimes ,fasting,will take the,fussy out of the dog also,the will to thrive was allso an issue i delt with...very sad..we lost the pup..hope all goes good