# What would you do?



## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

I am still struggling to get Olive to eat kibble. It's getting very frustrating. I do not want to do anything that is going to make her more picky so I haven't done much to get her to eat. I've always felt that a dog isn't going to let itself starve, but it's becoming clear Olive will let herself get very very hungry!

I've tried 3 different kibbles and she'll eat them for maybe 2 days. I've tried switching them up every couple of days, but after about 4 days she stops eating all of them. I've added wet food and that helps, but again after about 4 days she stops wanting that as well. Last week I found out that if i walk her really hard before a meal she eats well. So I was doing that all last week and was feeling like I finally found a solution. Well she stopped eating yesterday even after her walks. This is the 3rd time since I've gotten her that she's gone 2 full days refusing to eat. I'm not sure how much longer she'll go without eating but usually she'll start to eat a few bites after the second day. Just enough to take the edge off though. She seems healthy otherwise, but she gets obsessed with searching for food when she doesn't eat. 

I don't think buying new kibble is the answer though since she's eaten and then stopped eating 3 different kinds. I can't believe how difficult this has been! I've never had a picky dog and I have to tell you that she is starting to make me a little bit angry. Maybe I spoil her too much and she thinks she is one of my human kids and should eat what they eat!


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## emmelg (Mar 4, 2012)

Sorry not too sure on what foods are available in canada, would you not try her on a raw diet as many other members find this as a great option or possibilly just try her on a good quality wet food without adding the kibble, and maybe offer some raw bones to chew/good for her teeth

sorry if this is of no help, i'm sure the more experienced members will give you more advice ...

Leanne x


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## xxxxxxxxhantsmummy (Mar 12, 2012)

My puppy wasn't intersted in kibble and I have switched her to a raw diet and she loves it, can't get enough! She has chicken wings, liver, mince,oily fish, also some frozen ready made raw food. She wolfs it down!!! I was scared at first thought it was complicated but its so easy to switch!


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

I'm hesitant to do a raw diet because I have young kids. I know some people wouldn't see that as an issue, but it is for me as I'm not sure I coudl keep up with the cleaning that would have to be done to make sure they didn't get sick. I'm not a slob or anything, but a lot of times I'm really busy and I could see myself forgetting to clean Olive up after a meal or not realizing she left some of her raw meal and the kids finding it. 

Right now I put her food down for 15 minutes 3 times a day. Do some poeple just leave it down all day? I always thought if it was only offered for 15 minutes she'd want to eat it right up, but that's not the case with her.

I guess I just need reassurance that she's going to be ok if she skips meals the way she is doing. I think I'll drop by the vet's tomorrow to see what she weighs and let him know what is going on. She feels really light to me right now and I'd be shocked if she has gained any weight in the last month.


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

Is it expensive to feed raw? I have given her chicken wings before and she loves them.


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## xxxxxxxxhantsmummy (Mar 12, 2012)

I have young kids but she eats her raw food outside, she never leaves a bit so no worries there!!! I'm surprised how cheap raw feeding is, a pack of chicken wings costs £1.20 and that is 10 meals, liver is about 40p for 3 meals! I'm off to butcher to see about getting chicken/ turkey necks they are meant to be free or a few pence. She has a carrot a day and apple, broccoli . The most expensive is the oily fist twice a week, she has a tin if either salmon, sardines or mackerel and that us about £1 a tin. She is thriving on it and I have only read positive things about it, after all it's the way they should eat!!!


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

I'm going to start DIY barf too - have been using frozen ready done up to now.


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## Kodysmom (Feb 11, 2012)

Hi Jaime,

I had the same problem with Kody and it was very very frustrating! :huh:. I tried mixing soft food, adding chicken broth, warm water and even switched the kibble but nothing seemed to work permanetly. I was really conscerned when he wouldn't eat but finally I stuck to my guns and only offered the kibble. Per my vets advice I did not leave the food down all day but for an 1hour at a time. He would skip his morning meal sometimes and just have lunch and dinner. I can honestly say around 5 1/2 months I began feeding him 2x per day and he's been eating pretty good that way. As long as shes healthy and gaining weight, try not to stress too much.


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## Kodysmom (Feb 11, 2012)

Oh and maybe you can try interactive toys for her to work for the kibble.


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## Jeanie (Jan 23, 2012)

I also have this prob with tilly. 
Am really interested in feeding raw but I did think it turned out to expensive????? 
Can somebody who feeds DIY Raw just give a sample daily plan of what they feed their dog? 

Thanks x 


Jeanie 😉
http://pdgm.pitapata.com/xfpV.png?Q1pT6eHd


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

An example with Natural Instinct, who do all the work for you:
Food costs £3 (some a bit less, some a bit more but this is easier maths!) per kilo
Growing dog needs @ 4-6% body weight daily, full grown adult needs @2-3% body weight
So, a dog Tilly's age, weighing 10kg would require @500g food daily = £1.50
Full grown adult weighing 10kg would require @250g food daily = 75p
It 's just a guide of course, but gives you an idea.
It can be done much cheaper DIY, just not so quick and easy.


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## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

I am on my phone so it's not easy to find the post & give a link - but there is a discussion on here somewhere quite recently & the lady posted lots of pictures of her raw process & details about amounts etc. it was interesting reading. 


---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?2vo43p
Sent from my iPhone 
Lisa - mum of 3 boys, Dexter Cockapoo & 4 hens !


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## Sarette (Mar 21, 2011)

Max has a chicken carcuss every day - I buy them from my butcher and they cost me £2.15ish for 14. I then just add a veg mix to it, fish and offal twice a week. He has a handful of Orijen scattered around the garden for his breakfast, which gets his sniffy nose working  xx


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## Jeanie (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks guys. Didn't realise it was so easy. Would def like to switch to raw. Might give it a go as she loves chicken wings. She can't get enough of it. 


Jeanie 😉
http://pdgm.pitapata.com/xfpV.png?Q1pT6eHd


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I too had problems with Millie at 4 months old. She'd gone through 3 different brands of kibble and eat time, went off of it as quickly as she'd gone onto it. In the end I looked into the raw feeding and it seemed to make a lot of sense to me.

I have chosen Natural Instinct because I really don't have the time or inclination to think about doing all the meat, bones, veg and oil by myself. Knowing that it is all done for you really sold it to me. As Ali said above, the cost works out at under £1 per day.

Just one thing though. Millie is still a fussy eater and sometimes refuses to eat for a day, not usually any longer. However, since Lolly came to stay over Easter (and they did swap food, Millie on NI, Lolly on kibble,), Millie has eaten every meal I've put in front of her.

Maybe you could borrow someones dog for a few days to encourage Olive to eat.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I was of the mind that she will eat if she is hungry, and that I was not going to fall to allowing her to dictate what she ate. Well with her tummy being not the greatest and dealing with colitis, and her loosing a bit of weight and the Vet telling me that it would be better if she put on a little weight....she is still very very lean....I gave in to the fact that my dog would rather eat a dandilyon out on a walk than her kibble....so we gave her wet food. and she loved it. for me it came down to her needing some nutrition, and she just wasn't getting it through the kibble because she wasn't eating enough. I would leave it down all day for her, and nope she would eat half of what she was supposed to in a day...and that would be a good day. so we switcched to a fresh food....and she has been great since. and it is wonderful to see her enjoy her food.


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

We had difficulties with feeding Maisie too ... tried different kibbles and Nature Diet which is moist but all with not much luck.

A big improvement after switching to raw: http://www.naturalinstinct.com/brands/Natural-Instinct.html

Very convenient and doesn't work out too expensive.

And as others have said she also likes raw chicken wings, etc. Certainly worth trying a raw diet for a fussy dog. I much prefer to give separate meals rather than have them graze.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dexter is on NI too. He is still a real fusspot and still skips meals sometimes. He never refuses his daily chicken wings though!


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I left her food down today and she has eaten half of one serving so far. That is not good! The day is almost done so there is no way she is even going to finish 1/3 of her daily food. I'm going by the minimum on the food bag too. I can tell that she is hungry because she is searaching for food right now. I caught her eating garbage outside. Not good garbage either. She'd rather eat garbage than kibble! She goes to the vets ina few days so I'm going to see how much she weighs and see what he says. At least she ate a little bit today. So far 2 days is the most she goes without eating. We don't feed her table scraps and I've cut out most of her treats. I don't like doing that because I like seeing her enjoy those things.


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## Jeanie (Jan 23, 2012)

I found if I left Tilly's food down over night must times it would be gone by the morning. 
It's worth a try😉


Jeanie x


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