Dog food for a finicky eater: recommendations?

[motterj]

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We have a 5 month old Doberman pup who no longer likes to eat her dog food. We've been giving her Go Natural kibble with some water added to moisten it, but not let it get soft. It's given her a really shiny coat and lots of energy, but she won't eat it unless we add some cooked chicken liver or some Pedigree chicken and sauce puppy food to each bowl, and that's becoming rather mahal to say nothing of being a bit of bother.

We've tried the Go Natural grain-free, which she would eat although she never gobbled it down, and the salmon & oatmeal, which she absolutely doesn't like. The bag of salmon kibble is running low, finally, and it's time to buy more dog food. I'm thinking of maybe trying a small bag of the Go chicken and vegetable formula but I don't want to be stuck with another bag of food she won't eat. We fed her Royal Canin easily-digested formula for a week or so on our vet's advice following an episode of vomiting and she ate that OK though she didn't really wolf it down either, but that's only available at the vet's in small bags of 1.5 kilos and is very expensive.

I'm thinking of just switching to a brand-name food from the supermarket, like Purina or something, and maybe mix in a spoonful of canned food with each bowl or something if she still won't eat that. Can anyone recommend any particular brand that their dogs love, and that isn't made from mostly fillers like corn or wheat products?

BTW she's healthy, not sick or anything: she just won't eat unless we hand-feed her. Spoiled rotten, is what she is.

[Ironwood_Cebu]

really a challenge to make her "gobble" down her food...

have you tried the over the counter appetite stimulants like appebon plain (without iron), heraclene or liverolin?

i supposed her deworming is up-to-date too... maybe she is really that spoiled brat with you hehe

[motterj]

Yes, her deworming and shots are all up to date including heartworm. We spoiled her by giving her table scraps after lunch and dinner a while back- couldn't resist her begging with that face of hers- and now she thinks that people food tastes better than dog food. She just sniffs at what's in her bowl and wanders away to play instead of eating.

I tasted one of the Go! Natural salmon kibbles once and it's really yummy, but I guess the pup's a Pinay and prefers lechon or even sardines to salmon, hehe!

I think I'll go to the pet shop down the street after lunch and look into those suppliments. Thanks for the tip. All we've tried so far is the boiled chicken livers you suggested, which works but is a hassle to prepare one for every meal, and some Pedigree brand puppy food made from chicken in gravy. I'd like to get away from having to add stuff to her food every meal, but I suppose maybe that's not to be.

She was on Royal Canin junior digestable formula for a week or so after she'd been sick and she'd at least eat that, though with no great relish. But that only comes in really small bags, like 1.5 kilos, and is too spendy- we'd be spending more on dog food per month than on our own groceries.

Maybe I'll try the chicken, fruit and vegetable mix next, but I'm not sure how well she'll like the fruit. I wish she'd just eat whatever's put in front of her like most dogs do.

[lerrie]

btaw try appebon or appetens..or liver mix with the dogfood...ayw pud ibilin ang dogfood sa iya cage permi..if di mukaon after 15mins min..take it out..hatagi napud sa next meal time...para di magsalig

[motterj]

I went down to Pawpals and spoke to the man there. He's a dog trainer and he recommended the same thing: put her bowl down and give her 10 to 15 minutes to eat. If she hasn't eaten her food, pick the bowl back up until her next mealtime. I got the same advice on another (dog) forum too. I got some nutrigel and will try adding some of that to her food- also a big can of Pedigree. If she hasn't eaten anything after a day or so I'll add a spoonful of canned food to her kibble just to give it the scent of the canned stuff.

[Ironwood_Cebu]

hehe i really think youve spoiled her gyod...
now she has this idea that she can get
whatever she wants from you.... quite tough eh.

i suggest that after giving her any of the appetite stimulant mentioned,
you strictly practice what lerrie here and the guy at pawpal suggested to you.
mind you though, it will take much from you to do it (to be strict with
the 10-15mins then take out the food thing)
but it works...! and you'll finally end your "misery" for sure hehe

at this point man gud, your dog is the "boss"...
and by being boss, she gets whatever she wants.
time to be a lill tough hehe

[xinevirtucio]

the same thing for me..

although i haven't tried another type of dogfood..

but based on my experience with other dogfoods...i have to dugmok it and mix it with canned dog food and make balls from it..and hungit it to them...

tsk..they prefer boiled meat...or boiled ribs from pigs or baka...
i want to try go nats grain free...but i still don't hav the resources

i think i spoiled them too

[LoRd_iSLaO]

btaw try appebon or appetens..or liver mix with the dogfood...ayw pud ibilin ang dogfood sa iya cage permi..if di mukaon after 15mins min..take it out..hatagi napud sa next meal time...para di magsalig

sakto gyud ka son

[emmhai]

try to add broth in the dog food.... thats what i do sometimes..

[motterj]

try to add broth in the dog food.... thats what i do sometimes..

I was doing that, or some liver or some other "appetizer" to make it smell better to her, and she got worse. She started expecting something extra in her food each time and wouldn't eat it unless there was something added.

She's responding to the 15 minute thing now, and eats plain. dry kibble when she finally gets hungry enough.