Not Eating Dry Kibble

[Guest Sasha]

So I have had Willow since the middle of December. She is 3 years old. When we first brought her home I was feeding her the leftover dog food we had from our first grey (it was a mix of wellness fish and eagle pack fish), she stopped eating it after a couple of days. So after numerous attempts, we switched to Taste of the Wild Bison, she was eating that fine, until about a week ago, where she was picking at it and would only eat a coupe bites and then want a treat. Now it is to the point where she is picking out all the wet food and not touching the kibble. She is not sick, she is behaving the same and anything else you give her she devours it, but I am not able to get her to eat the kibble. So this evening, I decided to get a small bag of TOTW fowl and switch it up. She still just ate the wet food mixed in and left the kibble. So, does anyone have any thoughts as to what to do next. She is happy as can be, she is not acting sick. Do I just keep giving it to her and see if she eventually will eat it (I mean at some point she will get humgry enough, right). She was actually spitting out the kibbles on the floor. Uggh! I do not believe its because the kibble is dry, because she goes after my daughter cheerios like its a race.

 

Should I just switch brands?

[Chicocat]

Are you adding a little warm water to the kibble? If not, try that first.

[Guest Sasha]

Are you adding a little warm water to the kibble? If not, try that first.

 

 

 

Yes I do that and then mix a scoop of the wet food in.

[OwnedBySummer]

Summer was also fed TOTW and suddenly refused to eat it. I switched brands and she's fine again. I do add water.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Since you have tried another flavor of dry and she turned her nose up at it (in addition to pulling this stunt a couple months ago) I think she is trying to train you. I would give her no treats, no canned food. Mix the dry with warm water, if she doesn't eat it in 15 minutes, cover & refrigerate it. Give it to her again the next meal.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Since you have tried another flavor of dry and she turned her nose up at it (in addition to pulling this stunt a couple months ago) I think she is trying to train you. I would give her no treats, no canned food. Mix the dry with warm water, if she doesn't eat it in 15 minutes, cover & refrigerate it. Give it to her again the next meal.

 

[Laurenbiz]

Bernie seems to be picky with his kibble, too. He is on TOTW Sierra Mountain, which is the lamb protein.

 

He scarfs down his whole food bowl when I do this:

* Use softened wet dog food and mix in about 1 - 1.5 spoonfuls (take the dog food and mix it with warm water first and mush it up so it's really soft!) thoroughly into he kibble so there are no chunks

* Take about two spoonfuls of ground chuck and mix that into the kibble so, again, he can't eat out actual chunks

* Take one spoonful of nonfat yogurt and stir it in a little

 

Boom, food is gone! He loves it.

 

I haven't tried the raw hamburger until recently. But, every time I've used that in his food, he LOVES it.

[Guest Sasha]

So I have to tell this story. This morning Willow decided to be my alarm clock and wake me up. It snowed here a good bit last night, so I woke up let her out and she ran around like crazy actually leaping thru the snow. When I let her in, she decided to follow me while I made her breakfast. I was going to take the advice of one of the posts and give her just the kibble, but I decided that i would try one more time with the mix. So I gave her the new bag of TOTW and mixed in some water and wet food. I looked at her and told her that if she would eat all her food she will get her BB (busy bone goes crazy for them). I placed her food on the stand, she ate half of it and came over to me. I went to check and told her she still has food in the bowl and she needs to eat her food. She actually did this snorting sound (I have never heard before) and then proceeded to eat the rest of her food. She then came back over to me and nudged me. She did what I asked, so I kept my promise.

 

I believe i may have one this round I guess tonight will tell!

[Guest Swifthounds]

So I have to tell this story. This morning Willow decided to be my alarm clock and wake me up. It snowed here a good bit last night, so I woke up let her out and she ran around like crazy actually leaping thru the snow. When I let her in, she decided to follow me while I made her breakfast. I was going to take the advice of one of the posts and give her just the kibble, but I decided that i would try one more time with the mix. So I gave her the new bag of TOTW and mixed in some water and wet food. I looked at her and told her that if she would eat all her food she will get her BB (busy bone goes crazy for them). I placed her food on the stand, she ate half of it and came over to me. I went to check and told her she still has food in the bowl and she needs to eat her food. She actually did this snorting sound (I have never heard before) and then proceeded to eat the rest of her food. She then came back over to me and nudged me. She did what I asked, so I kept my promise.

 

I believe i may have one this round I guess tonight will tell!

 

That's actually pretty close to the SATZ method, a type of very successful positive training.

[Guest FiveHounds]

So I have had Willow since the middle of December. She is 3 years old. When we first brought her home I was feeding her the leftover dog food we had from our first grey (it was a mix of wellness fish and eagle pack fish), she stopped eating it after a couple of days. So after numerous attempts, we switched to Taste of the Wild Bison, she was eating that fine, until about a week ago, where she was picking at it and would only eat a coupe bites and then want a treat. Now it is to the point where she is picking out all the wet food and not touching the kibble. She is not sick, she is behaving the same and anything else you give her she devours it, but I am not able to get her to eat the kibble. So this evening, I decided to get a small bag of TOTW fowl and switch it up. She still just ate the wet food mixed in and left the kibble. So, does anyone have any thoughts as to what to do next. She is happy as can be, she is not acting sick. Do I just keep giving it to her and see if she eventually will eat it (I mean at some point she will get humgry enough, right). She was actually spitting out the kibbles on the floor. Uggh! I do not believe its because the kibble is dry, because she goes after my daughter cheerios like its a race.

 

Should I just switch brands?

[Guest FiveHounds]

I am having exactly the same problem with my five hounds (2 greys & 3 whippets). Had been feeding them Taste of the Wild/Bison for months. Now suddenly they don't want it. I also used canned Merrick foods (like Grammy's Pot Pie, Turducken or Wing-A-Ling) on top of the dry. They always want the wet food, but leave the dry. Over the past couple of weeks I've been buying small bags of other brands. They liked Castor & Pollux ORGANIX but that is just so expensive! And with 5 to feed it's a bit much. Today I brought home Innova Adult/large bites and they seemed to really like it. They don't like Lamb foods at all. I've also found feeding them some Tripe helps their appetite. I balked at this at first, but on the recommendation of the feed store where I shop I gave it a try. THEY LOVED IT! If you should buy tripe, be sure to buy Tripett Green Beef Tripe/Duck & Salmon. It's by far the least smelly! I have to wonder if dogs, like humans, just want a change in food from time to time? I've fed them Chicken Soup, Canidae, Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild/Bison in the past. Good foods - not junky stuff. But after awhile they just don't want it. I hope my experience will help you. It can be maddening changing foods all the time. If they could only tell you what they want (besides treats & biscuits)! One of my five has seizures, so I have to find a good quality food that is not filled with chemicals or fillers. I plan to keep feeding them the Innova for awhile longer to see if they will finally EAT. Good Luck!

[Guest Swifthounds]

The more you change the food offerings at the first sign of refusal/holding out/lack of hunger, the more your hound will learn that he doesn't need to eat what is offered as food.

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

I know a lot of people will say you create a picky eater by changing their food if they don't eat it, but I think it depends on how stubborn they are. I figured my girl would eat her food eventually, but she started losing weight. I changed the food and she started eating again like crazy and got the weight back on. Personally, I would rather change the food and keep them eating well. Now I rotate foods and it keeps her appetite going. My kids are spoiled, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Maddiesmom]

I put applesauce on Maddie's Iams food (this is what the kennel was feeding her when I got her over 5 years ago) so when she pulls the stunt of eating part of her food (I add water as well before putting the applesauce on her kibble)- I checked with our vet and they advised that the the applesauce is fine as long as it is sugar free and not cinnamon. I switch it around with wet food as well.

[TheFullHouse]

The more you change the food offerings at the first sign of refusal/holding out/lack of hunger, the more your hound will learn that he doesn't need to eat what is offered as food.

 

 

Dogs are not like humans, they don't have to have a variety of foods. They eat to survive, heck, some will even eat poop. Mine have been eating the same food for years with the exception of Gee and that's because she has to have grain free food. If they don't eat for a meal or two, that's fine, I guarantee you when they get hungry enough, they will eat.

[Guest Swifthounds]

The more you change the food offerings at the first sign of refusal/holding out/lack of hunger, the more your hound will learn that he doesn't need to eat what is offered as food.

Dogs are not like humans, they don't have to have a variety of foods. They eat to survive, heck, some will even eat poop. Mine have been eating the same food for years with the exception of Gee and that's because she has to have grain free food. If they don't eat for a meal or two, that's fine, I guarantee you when they get hungry enough, they will eat.

 

Never, in all the time I fed kibble, was there a switch for reasons that weren't medical.

 

I know a lot of people will say you create a picky eater by changing their food if they don't eat it, but I think it depends on how stubborn they are. I figured my girl would eat her food eventually, but she started losing weight. I changed the food and she started eating again like crazy and got the weight back on. Personally, I would rather change the food and keep them eating well. Now I rotate foods and it keeps her appetite going. My kids are spoiled, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

It would be pretty disturbing if a greyhound didn't eat and didn't lose weight. The only thing that depends on how stubborn they are is how long it takes them to realize you'll do what is good for them over what is easy. Even the very, very stubborn hounds won't hold out more than a few days. The longest Vixen ever held out for a preferable food item (they're raw fed, so they get meats sourced from different animals) was 4 days. Did she lose a bit of weight? Yes. Did she watch everyone else eat that food item? Yes. Did she get hungry enough to decide that my way was better than hers? Yep.

 

I've tried really hard not to chuckle when I meet people in person that have asked for my help in two common areas: 1) my dog's not food motivated. How do I train him/her? and 2) my dog doesn't like his old food. More often than not, when I meet the dog, it's overweight. If you're a fat dog, you can afford to have the luxury of those two issues. When dogs in the wild have plentiful food choices, they can be more selective. When food is not in abundance, they can survive on days old carrion and scat.

 

Greyhounds -even the "protectively fat" greyhounds - will lose weight pretty rapidly when ill. That's hard enough at the end of the dog's life when you have a terminal or probably terminal diagnosis, but if they don't eat what they are given, because they are given it, their bodies cannot heal and recover from survivable crises - or they do so, but not at the same rate.

 

I had to laugh back in November when comet had surgery. He stayed overnight, but I visited him the evening after his surgery. He was groggy and very drugged. He tried to stand up to greet me, but was unsteady so I crawled in the run with him and settled in. The tech went on and on about how wonderful he had been and how he wasn't stressed in the hospital like the other greyhounds they get. (He lived at a hospital as a blood donor for a brief period, so he thought it was like summer camp) Then he went on to tell me how Comet had scarfed down his dinner of Science diet dry kibble with a bit of wet tossed in. Comet - the dog who would gingerly take a milkbone from a meet & greet volunteer and gently put on the ground because after switching to raw he really wasn't interested in anything that was a biscuit. He wouldn't have perished without that meal, and it wasn't the best meal for him nutritionally, but he ate it because it was the food offered.

 

If I sound like a broken record sometimes, it isn't because I care how people choose to "spoil" their greyhounds, I've just seen too many people spoil them this way because, well, every other greyhound owner does it, so it must be a greyhound thing - and a few of them really struggled later when eating or not eating played a big role in recovery. If you aren't worried about later and you don't mind changing foods all the time, the best advice is probably buy it at Petsmart where you can return the unused portions. Dogs almost never have the courtesy to decide they no longer like a food when you're at the end of a bag.

[Guest sirsmom]

I know a lot of people will say you create a picky eater by changing their food if they don't eat it, but I think it depends on how stubborn they are. I figured my girl would eat her food eventually, but she started losing weight. I changed the food and she started eating again like crazy and got the weight back on. Personally, I would rather change the food and keep them eating well. Now I rotate foods and it keeps her appetite going. My kids are spoiled, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I agree. Our dogs should enjoy their meal and if they don't, there is probably a reason and they should have their diet changed.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I agree. Our dogs should enjoy their meal and if they don't, there is probably a reason and they should have their diet changed.

 

Well, it is kibble. You can change from one to another, but it's still like eating cereal for every meal. How much better is it to have raisin bran instead of corn flakes?

[Guest rachel2025]

Glad you put this question up -- I have the same problem with Pike, who is so picky, food-sensitive and skinny that the vet has taken notice and advised us to do something to whet his appetite (note, he is perfectly healthy, just a really picky eater with a grain allergy). (We've tried several weeks of just giving him kibble at a time, and he loses weight, even though he is happy, healthy and wants to gobble down anything that isn't his kibble). I keep him on a consistent kibble (blue buffalo basic turkey potato) because he's allergic to just about everything else I've tried.

 

I like the idea of mixing the wet food w water so it can't be picked out... may have to try that. Although, we are still looking for a wet food that doesn't give him the big D. For now, he is getting turkey baby food. If he weren't so underweight, I'd never do this, but I feel just terrible looking at his spine and pin bones!

[IndyandHollyluv]

Since you have tried another flavor of dry and she turned her nose up at it (in addition to pulling this stunt a couple months ago) I think she is trying to train you. I would give her no treats, no canned food. Mix the dry with warm water, if she doesn't eat it in 15 minutes, cover & refrigerate it. Give it to her again the next meal.

 

Gosh, I'm glad you aren't my mom. That's some pretty tough love.

 

I am going to read your post to my hounds and tell them how lucky they are to have me as their servant.

[Figma]

So I have to tell this story. This morning Willow decided to be my alarm clock and wake me up. It snowed here a good bit last night, so I woke up let her out and she ran around like crazy actually leaping thru the snow. When I let her in, she decided to follow me while I made her breakfast. I was going to take the advice of one of the posts and give her just the kibble, but I decided that i would try one more time with the mix. So I gave her the new bag of TOTW and mixed in some water and wet food. I looked at her and told her that if she would eat all her food she will get her BB (busy bone goes crazy for them). I placed her food on the stand, she ate half of it and came over to me. I went to check and told her she still has food in the bowl and she needs to eat her food. She actually did this snorting sound (I have never heard before) and then proceeded to eat the rest of her food. She then came back over to me and nudged me. She did what I asked, so I kept my promise.

 

I believe i may have one this round I guess tonight will tell!

 

 

:lol

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

The more you change the food offerings at the first sign of refusal/holding out/lack of hunger, the more your hound will learn that he doesn't need to eat what is offered as food.

Dogs are not like humans, they don't have to have a variety of foods. They eat to survive, heck, some will even eat poop. Mine have been eating the same food for years with the exception of Gee and that's because she has to have grain free food. If they don't eat for a meal or two, that's fine, I guarantee you when they get hungry enough, they will eat.

 

Never, in all the time I fed kibble, was there a switch for reasons that weren't medical.

 

I know a lot of people will say you create a picky eater by changing their food if they don't eat it, but I think it depends on how stubborn they are. I figured my girl would eat her food eventually, but she started losing weight. I changed the food and she started eating again like crazy and got the weight back on. Personally, I would rather change the food and keep them eating well. Now I rotate foods and it keeps her appetite going. My kids are spoiled, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

It would be pretty disturbing if a greyhound didn't eat and didn't lose weight. The only thing that depends on how stubborn they are is how long it takes them to realize you'll do what is good for them over what is easy. Even the very, very stubborn hounds won't hold out more than a few days. The longest Vixen ever held out for a preferable food item (they're raw fed, so they get meats sourced from different animals) was 4 days. Did she lose a bit of weight? Yes. Did she watch everyone else eat that food item? Yes. Did she get hungry enough to decide that my way was better than hers? Yep.

 

I've tried really hard not to chuckle when I meet people in person that have asked for my help in two common areas: 1) my dog's not food motivated. How do I train him/her? and 2) my dog doesn't like his old food. More often than not, when I meet the dog, it's overweight. If you're a fat dog, you can afford to have the luxury of those two issues. When dogs in the wild have plentiful food choices, they can be more selective. When food is not in abundance, they can survive on days old carrion and scat.

 

Greyhounds -even the "protectively fat" greyhounds - will lose weight pretty rapidly when ill. That's hard enough at the end of the dog's life when you have a terminal or probably terminal diagnosis, but if they don't eat what they are given, because they are given it, their bodies cannot heal and recover from survivable crises - or they do so, but not at the same rate.

 

I had to laugh back in November when comet had surgery. He stayed overnight, but I visited him the evening after his surgery. He was groggy and very drugged. He tried to stand up to greet me, but was unsteady so I crawled in the run with him and settled in. The tech went on and on about how wonderful he had been and how he wasn't stressed in the hospital like the other greyhounds they get. (He lived at a hospital as a blood donor for a brief period, so he thought it was like summer camp) Then he went on to tell me how Comet had scarfed down his dinner of Science diet dry kibble with a bit of wet tossed in. Comet - the dog who would gingerly take a milkbone from a meet & greet volunteer and gently put on the ground because after switching to raw he really wasn't interested in anything that was a biscuit. He wouldn't have perished without that meal, and it wasn't the best meal for him nutritionally, but he ate it because it was the food offered.

 

If I sound like a broken record sometimes, it isn't because I care how people choose to "spoil" their greyhounds, I've just seen too many people spoil them this way because, well, every other greyhound owner does it, so it must be a greyhound thing - and a few of them really struggled later when eating or not eating played a big role in recovery. If you aren't worried about later and you don't mind changing foods all the time, the best advice is probably buy it at Petsmart where you can return the unused portions. Dogs almost never have the courtesy to decide they no longer like a food when you're at the end of a bag.

 

Maybe I think this way because I have always had seniors and really never had a young dog. Maybe then I would give them the tough love. Probably why I like the seniors, I don't feel bad about spoiling them. None of my pups have even been over weight, because I don't over feed and another reason why I don't want them losing weight. You say a dog will eat after the 4th day which is probably true, but what about a dog who will eat a quarter of the food every day? They can and will continue to lose weight for weeks, months if you let it happen.

Also, think it's a huge generalization that people do it because "every other greyhound owner does it". Geez, have you seen some poodle owners? They can make me look like a real meanie!

[Guest rachel2025]

@2dogs4cats, the 1/4 of his food per day is exactly the problem I have with Pike!

[Guest avadogner]

"Hello. My name is Alicia and I am a parent of picky eater greyhounds." I think we have found a new support group here. I think we should start a thread that will become our support group.

 

Both my hounds are picky eaters. Ava is sick and ailing so that's a med issue which I've chatted about a bit. My new boy Augie has GI issues mainly due to his anxiety issues and chicken sensitivity. As Ava gets sicker, she gets snarkier to him and he's missing having his play buddy and thus crying/talking all the time and refusing to eat. When he came home we added can or baked meats to his food trying to isolate which food was causing his big D and GI distress (sounds like an Alien was about to pop out of his poor belly).

 

Now he refuses kibble with just diluted low sodium beef broth and yogurt. It has to be baked meat like venison, beef, duck or cut up store bought rolls of lamb, salmon, bison. Now he even snubs kibble with can food. We are talking high end yummy can foods like Blue Buffalo, TOTW, Wellness. It's really hard to find foods that don't have chicken hidden in there somewhere. He gets TOTW Lamb mixed with Canidae or Blue Buffalo Grain free Salmon (to firm up his poo). Luckily we have a freezer of venison from my DH hunting expeditons so I bake 2lbs every 3 days and give him some with each meal. He will clean the bowl every kibble bite if there is just some meat there. Can food no dice! His GI problems have improved greatly but he became my food snob in the process of feeding cooked meats to find which was the problem.

 

I refuse to throw food away so if it's not eaten in one hour, it gets covered up and put in the fridge and reoffered in 4 hours. He used to eat it all in one sitting now it takes a lot longer to get that whole bowl done if it's not premium. I try to hold treats when he's being a snob but it's hard. We are trying to reward his quiet times so he gets a slice of dried duck or salmon (he loves these) if he is quiet for 30 minutes. I hope to be stronger and more firm and kibble front once we get the talking under control.

-ava and augie's mum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"

Edited March 1, 2011 by avadogner

[Guest Swifthounds]

Since you have tried another flavor of dry and she turned her nose up at it (in addition to pulling this stunt a couple months ago) I think she is trying to train you. I would give her no treats, no canned food. Mix the dry with warm water, if she doesn't eat it in 15 minutes, cover & refrigerate it. Give it to her again the next meal.

Gosh, I'm glad you aren't my mom. That's some pretty tough love.I am going to read your post to my hounds and tell them how lucky they are to have me as their servant.

 

Tough love, yes, but more LOVE than tough.

 

Maybe I think this way because I have always had seniors and really never had a young dog. Maybe then I would give them the tough love. Probably why I like the seniors, I don't feel bad about spoiling them.

 

Until recently, I shared life with three seniors: one raised from 12 weeks, one from a hard-luck track adopted at age 3 who was a hard keeper, and Trojan, adopted at 12 who thought I was crazy the first time I tossed him a split breast, but now can be called just about anything but later for dinner. With the exception of Trojan, all of mine spent their young adult and mature years with me before hitting their senior years, so the perspective there is different than with a newly retired senior where it's soooo tempting to spoil.

 

Picky dogs are made, not born, and they are rarely as healthy and active as dogs where health comes first and enjoyment after. I love that my dogs relish their food, and they each have favorites, but accommodating their whims isn't in the best interest of their health, so they just have to get their love and spoiling in other venues and take it on faith that I know what I'm doing and have their best interests at heart. Like a kid going through a phase wherein the concept of personal choice becomes a fascination, their likes could be accommodated, but not without consequence.

 

 

You say a dog will eat after the 4th day which is probably true, but what about a dog who will eat a quarter of the food every day? They can and will continue to lose weight for weeks, months if you let it happen.

 

If they do so, there's something else at work - either illness/injury of another kind or the dog is properly self regulating but his human has decided he "looks" too thin. No healthy dog will willingly starve. A dog will eat what is offered when the dog is hungry enough to do so and reasonably assured that holding out will allow the dog to get his way. If GT is any indication of greyhound adopters in general, it doesn't take long for most dogs to hold out and get what they want.

 

Also, think it's a huge generalization that people do it because "every other greyhound owner does it". Geez, have you seen some poodle owners? They can make me look like a real meanie!

 

I know a lot of poodle owners, and other breeds hobbyists as well. Each have thier own parculiarities, but it doesn't take long with greyhound adoption folks to note the extent to which the the greyhound adoption community has developed a particular mythology surrounding all manner of things (food choice, sitting, training, etc.) justified based on the mythology of spoling a greyhound because he/she is retired (or, ugh, "rescued") and has never had the opportunity to know home life and/or is special. There's nothing inherently wrong with thinking they're special - unless in doing so you forget that they're dogs - or in spoling them - unless done to the detriment of more important concerns like health and welfare. I'm not saying that other breed owners don't have thier own misguided badges of honor, they sure do, they just don't have the particular mythology surrounding adopted greyhounds.